The Academic Phrasebank by University of Manchester: Building Blocks for Better Writing

 

Academic writing can often feel like learning a new language. Ideas may be clear in the mind, but finding the right words to express them in a formal, precise, and structured way can be a challenge. This is particularly true for students moving into higher education or for those writing in English as an additional language. The Academic Phrasebank, created at the University of Manchester, addresses this challenge by offering a library of useful expressions that can make academic writing more fluent and confident.

What the Phrasebank Offers

At its core, the Academic Phrasebank is a resource of sentence starters and set expressions designed to help writers shape their arguments. It is not about discipline-specific terminology, but about the general “moves” common to academic writing across fields. Phrases are carefully organized in two main ways:

• By paper sections – Writers can browse phrases suited to different parts of a research article or dissertation, such as introductions, methods, results, or conclusions. This makes it easy to find language that fits the structure of academic work.
• By function – The Phrasebank also groups expressions by communicative purpose: being cautious, highlighting a gap, comparing findings, showing contrast, or drawing conclusions. This functional approach supports writers in choosing language that matches the precise role a sentence needs to play.

This dual organization means that whether a student is trying to describe data trends, hedge a claim, or link their findings to existing research, there is a ready set of examples to guide them.

Why It Matters

One of the biggest hurdles in academic writing is striking the right balance between clarity and caution. Overly bold claims risk sounding uncritical, while vague wording can weaken an argument.

The Phrasebank provides subtle phrasings that allow writers to present ideas with appropriate academic tone.

For instance, instead of writing simply “This proves…”, a student can adopt more measured alternatives such as “The findings suggest that…” or “These results may indicate…”.

This kind of language not only strengthens the professionalism of academic work but also reflects the critical, nuanced thinking that universities expect. In this sense, the Phrasebank serves as more than just a phrase list as it models the conventions and mindset of academic discourse.

Using It Effectively

Like any tool, the value of the Phrasebank depends on how it is used. The resource is best seen as scaffolding, not a script. Students are encouraged to adapt the phrases to suit their topic, adjust grammar and tense where necessary, and weave them into their own writing style.

Copying phrases word-for-word without adaptation risks making writing sound formulaic. But when used thoughtfully, the resource can help writers overcome blank-page hesitation, refine their tone, and gain confidence in structuring academic arguments.

A Practical Support

The Academic Phrasebank has become especially popular among international students and those new to English-medium higher education, but its appeal is much broader. Even experienced writers sometimes struggle to phrase criticism diplomatically, frame limitations tactfully, or introduce findings smoothly. Having a bank of tested, academically accepted phrases at hand offers reassurance and inspiration.

In short, the Academic Phrasebank is less about shortcuts and more about empowerment. By providing language patterns common to scholarly communication, it helps writers bridge the gap between their ideas and their expression. It is a quiet but effective ally in the ongoing process of learning to write with clarity, authority, and confidence in the academic world.