vocabulary for essays pdf

Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer.

To browse Academia.edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds to  upgrade your browser .

Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link.

• We're Hiring!
• Help Center

Academic Vocabulary Used by High School Students in Essays and Its Relation to English Proficiency

2021, Journal of language teaching, linguistics and literature

Related Papers

گۆڤاری ئەکادیمیای کوردی

himdad muhammad

Academic writing is one of the most essential skills for university students’ success during and beyond their study. Successful academic writing requires having peculiar grammatical and lexical features. One of the best-known features of academic writing style is the use of academic words. In light of these facts, the current study has been conducted to explore different aspects of academic words use by EFL students. The main aim of the study is to discover how proficient the students are in using academic words in general. In addition, the study aims to know the size and frequency of academic words that students demonstrate in their writing. It is also expected from the study to gain insight into students’ vocabulary knowledge through using academic words. Making students’ academic word list (hereafter AWL) and classifying them based on the Coxhead’s sub-lists is the ultimate goal of the study. For this purpose, a specialized corpus of 34 argumentative essays was collected from adv...

International Journal of Humanities and Innovation (IJHI)

Rizki Fauzi

The aim of the research is finding out the level of the student’s vocabulary knowledge, the level of the students writing performance, and the correlation of vocabulary knowledge on students’ writing performance. The data source in this research were the students who were studying English at Muallimin Muhammadiyah Senior High School in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. To obtain the data in the field, the researchers distributed writing and vocabulary test. This research found that the level of the students’ vocabulary knowledge is categorized as “good” classification. Most of students of Muallimin Muhammadiyah Senior High School Makassar got score 70 – 79 with the mean score is 66.84. This research also found that the level of the students’ writing performance is categorized as “fair” classification. Most of students of Muallimin Muhammadiyah Senior High School Makassar got score 60 – 69 with the mean score is 69.28. Finally this research revealed that there was a significant an...

Asian Social Science

PHATTRAWAN TONGKUMCHUM

Idil Journal of Art and Language

Sevki Komur

Christianus I Wayan Eka Budiartha

Academic vocabulary has been identified as one of the main challenges for learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Nowadays, many institutions offer formal education programs by employing English immersion, however, big gaps appear when the students are required to read academic texts as well as to write academic writings. This study examines the frequency of academic vocabulary in students’ writing by comparing between male and female, and between students from java and outside of Java. There are three methods of analysis being employed to analyze the word frequency, i.e. Academic Word List, AntConc3.2.4w and Wordandphrase.info. The result shows that percentage number of academic vocabulary used in certain group does not simultaneously mean that the students have better performance with their academic vocabulary. There are some possible factors related to their language background and cultural belief underlying this phenomenon.

ELTR Journal

Writing as a productive skill in English has been valued greatly, especially in academic context. The process approach was started to be considered when teaching writing as it offers a more meaningful learning. Furthermore, the approach makes room for collaborative learning between students and teachers. For EFL students whose first language is not English, mastering writing skills could be more challenging. To address the issues, the idea of a writing center has been adapted in a higher educational level for students who want to improve their writing. The study was conducted by using a qualitative descriptive approach and its data collection was carried out through a number of instruments to fulfill the triangulation method of a qualitative approach such as observation, semi-structured interview, survey, and corpus-based research. From the eight purposive sampling of tutees and the four tutors, the study concluded that EFL students are not familiar with the process of writing, so m...

Borneo Akademika

Jocelyn Yee Vun Lee

Iful Rahmawati Mega

Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian kuantitatif dengan jenis korelasi ganda. Penelitian ini dilaksanakan bertujuan untuk mengetahui seberapa jauh hubungan antara penguasaan kosakata Bahasa Inggris, dan minat Bahasa Inggris terhadap kemampuan menulis Bahasa Inggris mahasiswa Program TOEFL dari Mahasiswa PGSD STKIP Muhammadiyah Bangka Belitung, baik secara parsial dan kesinambungan. Dalam penelitian ini menggunakan dua jenis tes sebagai teknik pengumpulan data yaitu tes pilihan ganda untuk mengambil data vocabulary, tes essay untuk mengambil data kemampuan menulis, serta menggunakan angket untuk mengumpulkan data minat Bahasa Inggris mahasiswa. Populasi dari penelitian ini adalah seluruh mahasiswa yang mengikuti Program Kelas TOEFL, dengan diambil 30 mahasiswa secara random sebagai sampel penelitian. Teknik pengolahan data dari penelitian ini menggunakan analisis single dan multiple korelasi dan regresi. Hasi akhir dari penelitian ini menunjukkan adanya hubungan positif antara pengua...

Journal of English for Academic Purposes

George Higginbotham

This report presents a validation of an updated version of Laufer and Nation's (1995) lexical frequency profile (LFP), a measure of free productive vocabulary that uses a computer program to compare essays with wordlists, informing about the sophistication of vocabulary within texts. The main adaptation to this measure is the use of alternative word lists as benchmarks. To assess concurrent validity, the profiles of essays written by 472 advanced second language learners (using both traditional and recently compiled wordlists) were correlated with a range of language proficiency tests. Unlike previous studies, longer essays (2000 words in length) written in an authentic environment were used to validate the LFP. The general findings were that the ratios generated from both sets of word lists correlated significantly with the measure of written proficiency. Although not strong, the correlations were consistent with previous studies and indicated that students who received low scores for writing relied on high-frequency words (and vice versa). However, the new word lists yielded weaker correlations. The study concludes that although the ratios of vocabulary types show a reliable tendency, they do not correlate strongly enough to be used as independent predictors of proficiency.

Phil Durrant

This paper investigates the use of Academic Vocabulary List (D. Gardner & Davies, 2014) items in successful university study writing. Overall, levels of use of AVL items are high, and increase as students progress through the years of undergraduate and taught postgraduate study, suggesting that it may be a useful resource. However, significant variation is found across text types and disciplines. While the former is relatively minor, the latter is extensive, suggesting the list is more relevant to some student writers than others. An analysis by items indicates that around half of the words on the list are used very little. Moreover, the items which are frequent differ across disciplines. However, a small core of 427 items was found to be frequent across 90% of disciplines. This suggests that a generic productive academic vocabulary does exist, but that it is smaller in scope than the full Academic Vocabulary List.

RELATED PAPERS

SUMAYYA REHAMAN

SAE Technical Paper Series

Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical and Clinical Research

Scientific Electronic Archives

Gelson Aguiar da Silva Moser

Frontiers in Human Neuroscience

Sein Schmidt

Katherine Pham

Biotecnología en el Sector Agropecuario y Agroindustrial

Arturo Gomez

Seibutsu Butsuri

Katsuhisa Tawada

Akpan Paul P. , Eme Luke C. , Stephen Ebuka I.2*, Mahmud Hussaini, Okpuzor Ewere G. and Enueze Justin B.

Akpan, Paul Paulinus

vasudha verma

Božena Ćurko-Cofek

International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery

Andreas Thor

Chokri Chniti

Structural Control and Health Monitoring

Shankar Sankararaman

Records of Natural Products

Molecular Biology and Evolution

Alfredo Gutiérrez

Rakesh Bhattacharjee

Viery Bagja Alamsyah

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America

Daniel Brown

Marine Biodiversity

Dominique Ponton

International Journal of Communication Systems

Teresa Pepe

Mohammad Ghani, Ph.D.

Electrocatalysis

Cristiane Ottoni

Antoine Bailleux

See More Documents Like This

RELATED TOPICS

•   We're Hiring!
•   Help Center
• Find new research papers in:
• Health Sciences
• Earth Sciences
• Cognitive Science
• Mathematics
• Computer Science
• Academia ©2024

• 40 Useful Words and Phrases for Top-Notch Essays

To be truly brilliant, an essay needs to utilise the right language. You could make a great point, but if it’s not intelligently articulated, you almost needn’t have bothered.

Developing the language skills to build an argument and to write persuasively is crucial if you’re to write outstanding essays every time. In this article, we’re going to equip you with the words and phrases you need to write a top-notch essay, along with examples of how to utilise them.

It’s by no means an exhaustive list, and there will often be other ways of using the words and phrases we describe that we won’t have room to include, but there should be more than enough below to help you make an instant improvement to your essay-writing skills.

If you’re interested in developing your language and persuasive skills, Oxford Royale offers summer courses at its Oxford Summer School , Cambridge Summer School , London Summer School , San Francisco Summer School and Yale Summer School . You can study courses to learn english , prepare for careers in law , medicine , business , engineering and leadership.

General explaining

Let’s start by looking at language for general explanations of complex points.

1. In order to

Usage: “In order to” can be used to introduce an explanation for the purpose of an argument. Example: “In order to understand X, we need first to understand Y.”

2. In other words

Usage: Use “in other words” when you want to express something in a different way (more simply), to make it easier to understand, or to emphasise or expand on a point. Example: “Frogs are amphibians. In other words, they live on the land and in the water.”

3. To put it another way

Usage: This phrase is another way of saying “in other words”, and can be used in particularly complex points, when you feel that an alternative way of wording a problem may help the reader achieve a better understanding of its significance. Example: “Plants rely on photosynthesis. To put it another way, they will die without the sun.”

4. That is to say

Usage: “That is” and “that is to say” can be used to add further detail to your explanation, or to be more precise. Example: “Whales are mammals. That is to say, they must breathe air.”

5. To that end

Usage: Use “to that end” or “to this end” in a similar way to “in order to” or “so”. Example: “Zoologists have long sought to understand how animals communicate with each other. To that end, a new study has been launched that looks at elephant sounds and their possible meanings.”

Adding additional information to support a point

Students often make the mistake of using synonyms of “and” each time they want to add further information in support of a point they’re making, or to build an argument . Here are some cleverer ways of doing this.

6. Moreover

Usage: Employ “moreover” at the start of a sentence to add extra information in support of a point you’re making. Example: “Moreover, the results of a recent piece of research provide compelling evidence in support of…”

7. Furthermore

Usage:This is also generally used at the start of a sentence, to add extra information. Example: “Furthermore, there is evidence to suggest that…”

8. What’s more

Usage: This is used in the same way as “moreover” and “furthermore”. Example: “What’s more, this isn’t the only evidence that supports this hypothesis.”

9. Likewise

Usage: Use “likewise” when you want to talk about something that agrees with what you’ve just mentioned. Example: “Scholar A believes X. Likewise, Scholar B argues compellingly in favour of this point of view.”

10. Similarly

Usage: Use “similarly” in the same way as “likewise”. Example: “Audiences at the time reacted with shock to Beethoven’s new work, because it was very different to what they were used to. Similarly, we have a tendency to react with surprise to the unfamiliar.”

11. Another key thing to remember

Usage: Use the phrase “another key point to remember” or “another key fact to remember” to introduce additional facts without using the word “also”. Example: “As a Romantic, Blake was a proponent of a closer relationship between humans and nature. Another key point to remember is that Blake was writing during the Industrial Revolution, which had a major impact on the world around him.”

12. As well as

Usage: Use “as well as” instead of “also” or “and”. Example: “Scholar A argued that this was due to X, as well as Y.”

13. Not only… but also

Usage: This wording is used to add an extra piece of information, often something that’s in some way more surprising or unexpected than the first piece of information. Example: “Not only did Edmund Hillary have the honour of being the first to reach the summit of Everest, but he was also appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire.”

14. Coupled with

Usage: Used when considering two or more arguments at a time. Example: “Coupled with the literary evidence, the statistics paint a compelling view of…”

15. Firstly, secondly, thirdly…

Usage: This can be used to structure an argument, presenting facts clearly one after the other. Example: “There are many points in support of this view. Firstly, X. Secondly, Y. And thirdly, Z.

16. Not to mention/to say nothing of

Usage: “Not to mention” and “to say nothing of” can be used to add extra information with a bit of emphasis. Example: “The war caused unprecedented suffering to millions of people, not to mention its impact on the country’s economy.”

Words and phrases for demonstrating contrast

When you’re developing an argument, you will often need to present contrasting or opposing opinions or evidence – “it could show this, but it could also show this”, or “X says this, but Y disagrees”. This section covers words you can use instead of the “but” in these examples, to make your writing sound more intelligent and interesting.

17. However

Usage: Use “however” to introduce a point that disagrees with what you’ve just said. Example: “Scholar A thinks this. However, Scholar B reached a different conclusion.”

18. On the other hand

Usage: Usage of this phrase includes introducing a contrasting interpretation of the same piece of evidence, a different piece of evidence that suggests something else, or an opposing opinion. Example: “The historical evidence appears to suggest a clear-cut situation. On the other hand, the archaeological evidence presents a somewhat less straightforward picture of what happened that day.”

19. Having said that

Usage: Used in a similar manner to “on the other hand” or “but”. Example: “The historians are unanimous in telling us X, an agreement that suggests that this version of events must be an accurate account. Having said that, the archaeology tells a different story.”

20. By contrast/in comparison

Usage: Use “by contrast” or “in comparison” when you’re comparing and contrasting pieces of evidence. Example: “Scholar A’s opinion, then, is based on insufficient evidence. By contrast, Scholar B’s opinion seems more plausible.”

21. Then again

Usage: Use this to cast doubt on an assertion. Example: “Writer A asserts that this was the reason for what happened. Then again, it’s possible that he was being paid to say this.”

22. That said

Usage: This is used in the same way as “then again”. Example: “The evidence ostensibly appears to point to this conclusion. That said, much of the evidence is unreliable at best.”

Usage: Use this when you want to introduce a contrasting idea. Example: “Much of scholarship has focused on this evidence. Yet not everyone agrees that this is the most important aspect of the situation.”

Adding a proviso or acknowledging reservations

Sometimes, you may need to acknowledge a shortfalling in a piece of evidence, or add a proviso. Here are some ways of doing so.

24. Despite this

Usage: Use “despite this” or “in spite of this” when you want to outline a point that stands regardless of a shortfalling in the evidence. Example: “The sample size was small, but the results were important despite this.”

25. With this in mind

Usage: Use this when you want your reader to consider a point in the knowledge of something else. Example: “We’ve seen that the methods used in the 19th century study did not always live up to the rigorous standards expected in scientific research today, which makes it difficult to draw definite conclusions. With this in mind, let’s look at a more recent study to see how the results compare.”

26. Provided that

Usage: This means “on condition that”. You can also say “providing that” or just “providing” to mean the same thing. Example: “We may use this as evidence to support our argument, provided that we bear in mind the limitations of the methods used to obtain it.”

27. In view of/in light of

Usage: These phrases are used when something has shed light on something else. Example: “In light of the evidence from the 2013 study, we have a better understanding of…”

28. Nonetheless

Usage: This is similar to “despite this”. Example: “The study had its limitations, but it was nonetheless groundbreaking for its day.”

29. Nevertheless

Usage: This is the same as “nonetheless”. Example: “The study was flawed, but it was important nevertheless.”

30. Notwithstanding

Usage: This is another way of saying “nonetheless”. Example: “Notwithstanding the limitations of the methodology used, it was an important study in the development of how we view the workings of the human mind.”

Giving examples

Good essays always back up points with examples, but it’s going to get boring if you use the expression “for example” every time. Here are a couple of other ways of saying the same thing.

31. For instance

Example: “Some birds migrate to avoid harsher winter climates. Swallows, for instance, leave the UK in early winter and fly south…”

32. To give an illustration

Example: “To give an illustration of what I mean, let’s look at the case of…”

Signifying importance

When you want to demonstrate that a point is particularly important, there are several ways of highlighting it as such.

33. Significantly

Usage: Used to introduce a point that is loaded with meaning that might not be immediately apparent. Example: “Significantly, Tacitus omits to tell us the kind of gossip prevalent in Suetonius’ accounts of the same period.”

34. Notably

Usage: This can be used to mean “significantly” (as above), and it can also be used interchangeably with “in particular” (the example below demonstrates the first of these ways of using it). Example: “Actual figures are notably absent from Scholar A’s analysis.”

35. Importantly

Usage: Use “importantly” interchangeably with “significantly”. Example: “Importantly, Scholar A was being employed by X when he wrote this work, and was presumably therefore under pressure to portray the situation more favourably than he perhaps might otherwise have done.”

Summarising

You’ve almost made it to the end of the essay, but your work isn’t over yet. You need to end by wrapping up everything you’ve talked about, showing that you’ve considered the arguments on both sides and reached the most likely conclusion. Here are some words and phrases to help you.

36. In conclusion

Usage: Typically used to introduce the concluding paragraph or sentence of an essay, summarising what you’ve discussed in a broad overview. Example: “In conclusion, the evidence points almost exclusively to Argument A.”

37. Above all

Usage: Used to signify what you believe to be the most significant point, and the main takeaway from the essay. Example: “Above all, it seems pertinent to remember that…”

38. Persuasive

Usage: This is a useful word to use when summarising which argument you find most convincing. Example: “Scholar A’s point – that Constanze Mozart was motivated by financial gain – seems to me to be the most persuasive argument for her actions following Mozart’s death.”

39. Compelling

Usage: Use in the same way as “persuasive” above. Example: “The most compelling argument is presented by Scholar A.”

40. All things considered

Usage: This means “taking everything into account”. Example: “All things considered, it seems reasonable to assume that…”

How many of these words and phrases will you get into your next essay? And are any of your favourite essay terms missing from our list? Let us know in the comments below, or get in touch here to find out more about courses that can help you with your essays.

At Oxford Royale Academy, we offer a number of  summer school courses for young people who are keen to improve their essay writing skills. Click here to apply for one of our courses today, including law , business , medicine  and engineering .

Comments are closed.

100+ Useful Phrases for Writing Essays (PDF)

Are you looking for the right words and phrases for writing essays in high school, polytechnic or university?

Make sure to use a good number of the expressions below to improve your essay.

These phrases for writing essays at the high school or tertiary level will take your essay writing skills to another level. The appropriate use of the expressions below can do a lot of good to the quality of your essay.

All you need to do is to choose the words (vocabulary items), phrases or whole sentences below that appeal to you most and also suit your purpose for writing the essay.

Here is one outcome I can assure you of. That is if you’re able to appropriately use these words and phrases for writing essays.

Your essays will always sound smart and attract very high marks.

The expressions for essay writing in this post are good for all manner of candidates.

In fact, for your WASSCE or NECO/SSCE English Language paper, I will urge you to take these words, sentences and phrases for writing essays very seriously.

You are allowed to download a PDF copy of this document.

Useful Expressions for Essays Writing

It is aimed at revamping the economy to make it buoyant I call on all seated here to ………………… Let’s rally behind our new leadership In our bid to stamp out corruption All major stakeholders in education There is an urgent need to come up with appropriate policies It will have far-reaching implications/consequences People from all walks of life The solutions to this menace are not far fetched We need to chart a new course in our quest to free ourselves from the shackles of poverty, disease and ignorance On the social front,………. On the economic front, ………………. Pragmatic programmes are needed …………………… In the political sphere, ……………….. Pressing problems It is against the backdrop of this chaotic situation that we assumed office………………. We must shelve our differences We must bury our differences Let’s forge ahead in unity It is high time you took this matter seriously They didn’t hesitate in embracing the idea Myriad (countless) problems I deem it crucial It is kind of you to bestow this honour on me More importantly Render dedicated service Immense benefits/advantages We stand to benefit Exemplary behaviour I cannot but appreciate your kindness Brave the danger Pose a threat to one national security Apprehend the perpetrators of this heinous crime Stamp out the menace of armed robbery Bring the situation under control The armed robbers continue to leave a tall trail of atrocities It could be attributed to Fight the menace of child-trafficking Bring the situation under control Curtail/curb the menace Night patrols should be stepped up It is our collective responsibility to …………… Milk the country’s coffers stone dry It is a big source of worry/headache This gives cause for concern The rumours came in the wake of the arrest of three pastors on the suspicion that …….. The shattered economy A careful analysis of the problem indicates that …… We could cite indiscipline as a major contributory factor to…………… Added to this is ………… The proliferation of small arms is one cause of ……………… This would enhance our capacity to deal decisively with the menace of … They have unleashed a reign of terror on our roads and communities. I went through a harrowing experience The danger is looming large and we need to nip it in the bud Let’s take action before something untoward happens I have been compelled to write and express my disgust at the growing spate of internet fraud among our youth There is no gainsaying the fact that all is not well with our educational system It has yielded no results This current situation clearly negates our efforts to minimize, if not eliminate drug trafficking from our body-politic The nefarious activities of these criminals create panic, fear and insecurity Consequently, it behoves the government to act quickly to forestall disaster We are sending out the wrong signals to prospective investors We need to combat the spate of deviant behaviour in our society Parents must be at the forefront of the fight against teenage pregnancy The NCCE must assume centre stage in this public awareness creation effort It is an understatement to say that discipline has collapsed in our schools Considering the complex nature of the problem……. All hands need to be on deck Punishment for such behaviour should be more deterrent. The law regarding environmental degradation should be given teeth and be made to bite. The state/government must put in place measures/mechanisms to monitor and evaluate the performance of teachers/police/supervisors, contractors etc. Above all/ Lastly/In a nutshell/To crown it all His health is failing rapidly Reduce drastically Stringent measures are needed to stabilize the situation Worse still Worst of all There is no doubt that the growing rate of unemployment poses a grave danger to social stability We must not, as a people, relent in our efforts to create better opportunities for our young graduates It must be emphasized that Unwholesome goods/Practices This will ginger (motivate) everybody to …………. There is therefore an urgent need for us to …………… I believe you’ll rise to the occasion and prove the sceptics wrong We need to stem the alarming tide of road accidents There should be no delay in instilling a high sense of sanity/ discipline in road users A couple of years back Vehicles plying our roads should be subjected to thorough checks to ascertain their roadworthiness Lake transport could be made safer if life jackets, life rafts and fire extinguishers are available in cases of emergency. That there are serious lapses in the enforcement of safety measures cannot be overemphasized. It is an open secret that ….. The lack of maintenance culture is the bane of our society Many problems continue to bedevil the education sector This can boost tourism Affordable prices Everybody must strive to contribute their quota toward this all-important national effort to eradicate malaria……. Food production has plummeted (fallen) sharply It cannot be denied that The industry boomed/ flourished/ grew The drastic decline in the fortunes of our national football teams could be attributed to Prices have sky–rocketed/ increased sharply Given this deplorable state of affairs, we need to … It has the potential to….. We must remove the bottlenecks which tend to hinder (militate against) the growth of the industry Address (solve) the problem Make a headway It has the tendency to ruin your future You can still live up to your promise I pray for your speedy recovery I do not wish to belabour (flog) this point/issue, except to add that……. Let’s put it behind us and move forward We can then showcase our school as a model of discipline To forestall (prevent) such occurrences in the future It was a traumatic experience It is mind–boggling how such huge sums of money could have disappeared under the very nose of the director This school is not without its fair share of problems We should not gloss over (ignore) these apparent systemic weaknesses A breakthrough can still be achieved Any false move on the part of the defenders could spell the doom of our team Enrolment in tertiary institutions has appreciated (increased) significantly Acute accommodation problems I have my misgivings/doubts about his sincerity There is a need to institute preventive measures, not curative ones. Such viable projects would do our community a world of good The astronomical rental charges/bills, prices are killing our businesses We need to take a second look at this policy due to its obvious failure Government must hold consultations with all major players in this sector Durable solutions can be found if………. in the meantime Let me reiterate (emphasize) my long-held, view/ belief that …… We must join hands to fight this common enemy Of late, there has been a public outcry against the ostentatious lifestyle of some of our pastors and ministers. More often than not, …….. Colossal (huge/large) sums of money Your irritating (offensive) behaviour His recent misfortunes/exploits readily come to mind The needless death of the patient is a clear manifestation of sheer incompetence on the part of the hospital authorities Workers’ salaries are grossly inadequate Each time doctors embark on strike action, they hold the whole nation to ransom She harbours bad feelings against me All is not well with discipline in this school This justifies the need for draconian rules to deal a fatal blow to the practice of occultism She had the foresight to institute a founders’ day on her assumption of office The requisite resources must be provided They only suffered mild injuries This obviously raises a fundamental question: Who is responsible for road maintenance in this country? It is a recipe for disaster It is the contention of this writer that the manager is culpable in this clear case of negligence and dereliction of duty The police too have a case to answer Our roads have become death traps Not too long ago, ………………. It has hitherto (up till now) yielded no fruitful dividends I would like to draw your attention to three negative developments The time has come for all of us to put our shoulders to the wheel and help solve this problem once and for all. Drivers must be held liable for their acts of commission and omission (their actions and inactions) We cannot afford to throw up our arms in despair This behaviour of yours is going a shade too far This is refreshing news There was a loud silence in the room An equally important factor is ………… These conflicts do not augur well for national progress The three regions continue to lag (not lack) behind in terms of development

What useful words and phrases have you been using in your essays?

Did you find this information helpful? Then share it on your favourite social media platform for the benefit of others you care about. Thank you!

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

SHARE THIS POST

Recommended

30 Examples of Sentences that Omit ‘that’

Reading Comprehension Practice Online

WAEC Lexis and Structure Part 4: Past Questions and Answers

4 Types of Sentence Structure with Examples (Plus Definition)

The Easiest Way to Identify a Phrase in a Sentence

WAEC Lexis and Structure Part 3: Past Questions and Answers

WAEC Lexis and Structure Questions and Answers Part 2

22 Definitions of Linguistics by Different Authors

The Meaning of Lexis and Structure in English Language (with 100 Examples)

11 Types of Paragraphs in Academic Writing (with Examples)

What is A Paragraph in English? (Definition, Parts and Functions)

80 Paragraph Writing Topics for Students and Teachers

Leave a comment cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Sign me up for the newsletter!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Get Dependable High School General Arts Textbooks

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Five Takeaways From Nikole Hannah-Jones’s Essay on the ‘Colorblindness’ Trap

How a 50-year campaign has undermined the progress of the civil rights movement.

By Nikole Hannah-Jones

Nikole Hannah-Jones is a staff writer at the magazine and the creator of The 1619 Project. She also teaches race and journalism at Howard University.

Last June, the Supreme Court ruled that affirmative action in college admissions was not constitutional. After the decision, much of the discussion was about its impact on the complexions of college campuses. But in an essay in The Times Magazine, I argue that we were missing the much bigger and more frightening story: that the death of affirmative action marks the culmination of a radical 50-year strategy to subvert the goal of colorblindness put forth by civil rights activists, by transforming it into a means of undermining racial justice efforts in a way that will threaten our multiracial democracy.

What do I mean by this? Here are the basic points of my essay:

The affirmative-action ruling could bring about sweeping changes across American society.

Conservatives are interpreting the court’s ruling broadly, and since last summer, they have used it to attack racial-justice programs outside the field of higher education. Since the decision, conservative groups have filed and threatened lawsuits against a range of programs that consider race, from diversity fellowships at law firms to maternal-health programs. One such group has even challenged the medical school of Howard University, one of the nation’s pre-eminent historically Black universities. Founded to educate people who had been enslaved, Howard’s mission has been to serve Black Americans who had for generations been systematically excluded from American higher education. These challenges to racial-justice programs will have a lasting impact on the nation’s ability to address the vast disparities that Black people experience.

Conservatives have co-opted the civil rights language of ‘colorblindness.’

In my essay, I demonstrate that these challenges to racial-justice programs often deploy the logic of “colorblindness,” the idea that the Constitution prohibits the use of race to distinguish citizens and that the goal of a diverse, democratic nation should be a society in which race does not determine outcomes for anyone. Civil rights leaders used the idea of colorblindness to challenge racial apartheid laws and policies, but over the last 50 years, conservatives have successfully co-opted both the rhetoric and the legal legacy of the civil rights era not to advance racial progress, but to stall it. And, I’d argue, reverse it.

Though the civil rights movement is celebrated and commemorated as a proud period in American history, it faced an immediate backlash. The progressive activists who advanced civil rights for Black Americans argued that in a society that used race against Black Americans for most of our history, colorblindness is a goal. They believed that achieving colorblindness requires race-conscious policies, such as affirmative action, that worked specifically to help Black people overcome their disadvantages in order to get to a point where race no longer hindered them. Conservatives, however, invoke the idea of colorblindness to make the case that race-conscious programs, even to help those whose race had been used against them for generations, are antithetical to the Constitution. In the affirmative-action decision, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., writing for the majority, embraced this idea of colorblindness, saying: “Eliminating racial discrimination means eliminating all of it.”

The Supreme Court’s decision undermines attempts to eliminate racial inequality that descendants of slavery suffer.

But mandating colorblindness in this way erases the fact that Black Americans still suffer inequality in every measurable aspect of American life — from poverty to access to quality neighborhoods and schools to health outcomes to wealth — and that this inequality stems from centuries of oppressive race-specific laws and policies. This way of thinking about colorblindness has reached its legal apotheosis on the Roberts court, where through rulings on schools and voting the Supreme Court has helped constitutionalize a colorblindness that leaves racial disparities intact while striking down efforts to ameliorate them.

These past decisions have culminated in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which can be seen as the Supreme Court clearing the way to eliminate the last legal tools to try to level the playing field for people who descend from slavery.

Affirmative action should not simply be a tool for diversity but should alleviate the particular conditions of descendants of slavery.

Part of the issue, I argue, is that the purpose of affirmative action got muddled in the 1970s. It was originally designed to reduce the suffering and improve the material conditions of people whose ancestors had been enslaved in this country. But the Supreme Court’s decision in the 1978 Bakke case changed the legally permissible goals of affirmative action, turning it into a generalized diversity program. That has opened the door for conservatives to attack the program for focusing on superficial traits like skin color, rather than addressing affirmative action's original purpose, which was to provide redress for the disadvantages descendants of slavery experienced after generations of oppression and subordination.

Working toward racial justice is not just the moral thing to do, but it is also crucial to our democracy.

When this country finally abolished slavery, it was left with a fundamental question: How does a white-majority nation, which wielded race-conscious policies and laws to enslave and oppress Black people, create a society in which race no longer matters? After the short-lived period of Reconstruction, lawmakers intent on helping those who had been enslaved become full citizens passed a slate of race-conscious laws. Even then, right at the end of slavery, the idea that this nation owed something special to those who had suffered under the singular institution of slavery faced strident opposition, and efforts at redress were killed just 12 years later with Reconstruction’s end. Instead, during the nearly 100-year period known as Jim Crow, descendants of slavery were violently subjected to a dragnet of racist laws that kept them from most opportunities and also prevented America from becoming a true democracy. During the civil rights era, when Black Americans were finally assured full legal rights of citizenship, this question once again presented itself: In order to address the disadvantage Black Americans faced, do we ignore race to eliminate its power, or do we consciously use race to undo its harms? Affirmative action and other racial-justice programs were born of that era, but now, once again, we are in a period of retrenchment and backlash that threatens the stability of our nation. My essay argues that if we are to preserve our multiracial democracy, we must find a way to address our original sin.

Nikole Hannah-Jones is a domestic correspondent for The New York Times Magazine focusing on racial injustice. Her extensive reporting in both print and radio has earned a Pulitzer Prize, National Magazine Award, Peabody and a Polk Award. More about Nikole Hannah-Jones