Question

In the following passage, which words would be considered academic language?

In this analysis of the works of Edgar Allen Poe I present the hypothesis that his own personal demons, including alcohol, drugs, and the death of his wife, fueled his writing. I examine the first-hand comments by colleagues, and evaluate the claim that Poe invented the American short-story form.

examine, colleagues, form

fueled, first-hand, invented

his own personal demons

analysis, hypothesis, evaluate, claim

Answer 1

Academic/high-register words in that passage:
- analysis
- hypothesis
- evaluate
- claim
- examine
- colleagues
- form

Why: these are abstract nouns and formal verbs (Tier 2 academic vocabulary) commonly used in scholarly writing.

Words/phrases that are less academic or colloquial:
- his own personal demons (idiomatic, informal)
- fueled (more conversational/metaphorical)
- first-hand (neutral/descriptive; “firsthand” is acceptable but less formal than “primary”)
- invented (neutral; can be used academically but is less clearly formal than the words above)