How Can Arabic-Speaking AOU Students Write Clearer Academic English?

Many Arab Open University students know their subject well but lose marks because their English does not show it clearly. The ideas are there; the tutor just has to work too hard to find them. If your TMA feedback keeps mentioning “expression”, “clarity” or “proofread carefully”, this guide is for you.

Below are practical academic English tips for Arab students, focused on the patterns tutors notice most often when Arabic speakers write in English, with before-and-after examples you can apply to your next TMA. Not every student makes every mistake, so use this as a checklist and focus on the ones your own feedback points to.

Why does my English sound clear to me but confusing to my tutor?

Arabic and English organise sentences differently. When you think in Arabic and write in English, some Arabic patterns carry across without you noticing. In Arabic, long sentences linked by “and” (wa) are natural and elegant. Repetition can add emphasis. The verb “to be” is not needed in present-tense sentences. These are features of good Arabic, but they can make English academic writing feel long, repetitive or grammatically incomplete.

The fix is not to “think less in Arabic”. It is to know the handful of differences that matter most and check for them deliberately when you edit.

Which grammar patterns should Arabic speakers check first?

These five come up again and again in TMA feedback for Arabic-speaking students. Use the table as an editing checklist.

Pattern	Example of the problem	Corrected version
Missing “is/are” in present tense	The company very successful in the Gulf market.	The company is very successful in the Gulf market.
Extra “the” with general nouns	The education is important for the development.	Education is important for development.
Missing capital letters	employees in kuwait use arabic and english at work.	Employees in Kuwait use Arabic and English at work.
Long chains joined by “and”	The manager changed the policy and the staff were unhappy and the sales decreased and the company lost customers.	The manager changed the policy, which made staff unhappy. As a result, sales fell and the company lost customers.
Repeating the subject with a pronoun	The theory that Maslow developed it explains motivation.	The theory that Maslow developed explains motivation.

The verb “to be”

Arabic uses nominal sentences such as “the student clever” without a present-tense verb. In English, every clause needs a verb, so check sentences that describe a state: is, are, was, were. Read each sentence and ask, “Where is the verb?”

Articles: a, an, the

Arabic has a definite article (al-) but no equivalent of “a” or “an”, and it uses al- with general ideas. In English, general ideas usually take no article: education, leadership, technology. Use “the” when the reader knows exactly which one you mean: the education system in Jordan, the leadership style described in Unit 2.

Capital letters

Arabic script has no capitals, so they are easy to forget. In English, capitalise the start of sentences, names, countries, nationalities, languages, organisations and the main words of titles.

How can I make my sentences shorter and clearer?

Long sentences are the biggest clarity problem for many Arabic-speaking students. A useful target in academic English is one main idea per sentence, with most sentences around 15 to 25 words. Try these techniques:

• Replace “and” with a full stop when the next idea is new. Then link the two sentences with a transition word.
• Use precise linking words instead of “and”: however (contrast), therefore or as a result (consequence), for example (illustration), in addition (adding a point), although (concession).
• Cut repeated ideas. In Arabic rhetoric, restating a point adds strength. In English academic writing, saying the same thing twice usually looks like padding and wastes your word count.
• Put the main point first in the paragraph. English academic readers expect a clear topic sentence, then evidence, then explanation.

A worked example

Before (60 words): “In the beginning we must say that the motivation is very important subject in the management and it has many theories and the most famous theory is Maslow theory and it has five levels and these levels are very important for the managers because the managers must understand the employees needs and they can motivate them and increase the productivity.”

After (42 words): “Motivation is a central topic in management. One of the best-known theories is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, which proposes five levels of need. Understanding these levels can help managers identify what employees need and, as a result, improve their motivation and productivity.”

The second version has the same ideas, fewer words, correct articles and three clear sentences.

Which words and phrases make my TMA sound more academic?

Academic English is formal, cautious and precise. Small changes in word choice make a big difference.

Instead of…	Try…
very big, very important	significant, substantial, central
a lot of	many, much, a large number of
get, got	obtain, receive, achieve
this proves that	this suggests that, this indicates that
don’t, can’t, it’s	do not, cannot, it is
In my opinion I think	This TMA argues that
In the beginning we must say that	(delete and start with your point)

Be careful with “prove”. In most academic subjects, evidence supports or suggests a conclusion rather than proving it. Cautious language shows your tutor that you understand the limits of the evidence.

Should I write my TMA in Arabic first and then translate it?

Planning in Arabic is fine and can help you organise your ideas. Writing a full draft in Arabic and translating it sentence by sentence usually produces English that keeps the Arabic structure, with long sentences and repetition. A better method is to plan in whichever language you prefer, then write the draft directly in simple English, and improve the language during editing.

Two integrity points matter here. First, if you translate ideas or text from an Arabic source into English, you still need to reference that source. Translation does not make someone else’s work your own. Second, check what your module and AOU branch allow regarding machine translation, paraphrasing and AI tools, and declare any use that the rules require. AOU’s anti-plagiarism guidance warns that copied TMAs can receive zero, and penalties can go further for serious cases. Tutors read carefully and notice sudden changes in style or vocabulary within one TMA.

How should I edit my TMA for English before submitting?

Do not try to check everything in one reading. Edit in short, focused rounds:

1. Structure round: does every paragraph start with a clear topic sentence that answers the question?
2. Sentence round: find any sentence over about 30 words and split it.
3. Verb round: check every sentence has a verb, and that tenses are consistent.
4. Article and capitals round: check “the”, “a” and “an”, plus capital letters for names, places and the start of sentences.
5. Read aloud round: read the TMA aloud slowly. If you run out of breath, the sentence is too long.

Leave a day between writing and editing if you can. Fresh eyes catch far more. Also give your introduction special attention, because it sets the tutor’s first impression; our guide to writing a clear TMA introduction and conclusion has examples you can adapt.

Will better English lower my Turnitin similarity score?

Indirectly, yes. Students who struggle with English sometimes stay very close to the wording of the course book or online sources, which raises similarity. Learning to paraphrase properly, using your own simpler sentences plus a reference, both improves your English and reduces copied wording. Our guide on what Turnitin similarity score is acceptable for a TMA explains how to read your report.

Where can AOU students get help with academic English?

Start with your branch’s resources. AOU tutors, tutorial sessions and English language support are designed for exactly this, and your tutor’s written feedback on each TMA is a personal list of what to fix next. Keep a short note of your own repeated errors and check for them every time.

If you would like extra feedback on clarity and structure, our tutors work with students on B207A, TU170, EL111 and other modules through our Arab Open University TMA support page, and can comment on a draft through our TMA draft review. We explain where your writing can be clearer so you can improve it yourself; we do not write or submit TMAs, and you should always follow AOU’s academic integrity and AI rules.