Never, never, never

Accuracy of grammar, vocabulary and spelling – need I say more?

Register – remember you are usually writing to a university lecturer. This is an academic text so it must not be informal or casual

Effect on target audience – the reader must clearly understand the main facts quickly and easily. You don’t want the reader to have to work hard to understand your essay

Bad Essay

The graph shows changes in the birth and mortality rates in Ireland during the period 1901 to 2101. In 1901 the birth rate started at 21,000 and the mortality rate 9,000. In 1961 the birth rate reached a peak of 66,000 and the death rate was 23,000. In 2001 there were 55,000 people born and 38,000 deaths, and in 2061 there were 60,000 deaths and 48 births. At the end of the period there were 58,000 deaths and 45,000 births. Overall the birth and death rate increased from 1901 to 2101 and the fall in the birth rate from 1961 to the end of the period means that some people did not want to have any children.