One of the most prominent and dysfunctional traits of academic writing is its heavy reliance on what Helen Sword, in the piece below, calls "zombie nouns." These are cases when the writer takes an agile verb or adjective and transforms it into an imposing-looking noun with lead feet. Just add the proper suffix to a … Continue reading Academic Writing Issues #2: Zombie Nouns
David Labaree on Schooling, History, and Writing 