The Difference Between Academic Writing And Business Writing

Difference Between Academic and Business Writing


In all my years of teaching business writing skills, I’ve often been asked the question, “Why don’t they teach us this before we leave college or university?” Yes indeed, why not?


There is a huge difference between academic and business writing.  Here are some of the main ones:

  • Academic writing is formal, often using the third person and passive voice. Business writing is less formal, more direct and concise, using active voice.
  • Long sentences are fine in academic writing, but they are very cumbersome in business writing.
  • Students need to show a wide vocabulary so they use complex words and long sentences. Business writers must get their ideas across quickly, so they use simple words and short sentences.

Let’s Look At These Differences In More Detail:

Students Write To Demonstrate Learning
Schools, colleges, and universities exist to share knowledge and to help students do the same. The writing that students produce in academic settings can best be described as “writing to demonstrate what you have learned.”

Students write to discuss and explore different topics, to argue a case, to demonstrate what they have learned to teachers and professors. They need to prove they can think about and apply what they learned. Students need to persuade readers of a particular theory or develop information gained from research.

The writing that students hand to instructors or professors indicates how their mind works, how much they know, and what they think and feel about particular topics.

In academic writing, students write to demonstrate learning, to impress!

Business Writers Write To Get Things Done
In the business world, we write to share information, to solve problems, to propose new strategies, to negotiate contracts, to report progress to stakeholders, etc.

When we write in business – to managers, employees, customers, vendors, stakeholders, etc – we need to give clear information and explain what we want or what we want others to do.  Business writers often recommend specific courses of action to their readers. Therefore, writing in business contexts can best be described as “writing to do.”

In business, we need to get things done quickly, so we need to express ourselves clearly!  Clarity is key – and this should be the main focus in all business writing.

In business writing, we write to get things done – to express!

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Shirley Taylor

Shirley Taylor is a popular keynote speaker and communication skills trainer. She delivers motivational and success keynotes like ‘Rock Your Role In Our High-Tech World’ and ‘Grow Your Business By Connecting Your Dots’. She is author of 12 books, including Model Business Letters, Emails and Other Business Documents seventh edition, which has been translated into 16 languages and sold over half a million copies worldwide.

Shirley is a high-energy and high-content speaker who engages with audiences quickly, and shows them how the strategies she teaches can easily be applied both personally and in the workplace. Her aim is to educate, inspire, inform and motivate individuals and teams to make a difference in the workplace and to communicate and lead with heart. Shirley was President of Asia Professional Speakers Singapore, and currently serves as 2017-18 President of the Global Speakers Federation.

Check out Shirley's popular signature business writing programme.

© 2016 Shirley Taylor. Shirley Taylor of STTS Training is a recognised leading authority on business writing and communication skills. For almost 30 years she has presented keynotes and training programmes that help people and organisations boost communication skills and develop great relationships both orally and in writing. Shirley is bestselling author of 12 books, including Model Business Letters, Emails and Other Business Documents, which has sold half a million copies worldwide and has been translated into many languages. If you would like Shirley to speak at your next event, visit www.shirleytaylor.com

This post was originally published on Shirley Taylor blog and has been reposted on Executive Lifestyle with the permission of the author.
Image Credit: Pexels


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