How to Submit an Assignment Textbook Style

Present more than one view on a topic when writing in a textbook's style.

"Textbook style" is not an official mode of writing. However, this should not prevent you from submitting an assignment, when requested, with prose akin to that of a textbook. Professors pen textbooks to distribute their authority on a subject to a wide, educational audience. Writing in a textbook's style therefore obliges that you are well versed in the topic of your assignment. Research it deeply, and perform multiple drafts. This additional work lends your writing an easy, professional tone at home in any textbook.

Instructions

1. Adhere to the formally recognized style formal that the assignment stipulates. The APA and MLA style formats are the most common you'll encounter, including the Chicago Manual of Style. If the assignment's instructions do not indicate a particular style format, consult your instructor for this information.

2. Downplay your personal opinion in the assignment. Textbooks are designed to appeal to a variety of teachers and students, whose viewpoints may differ from that of the author. Present multiple positions on a topic, instead of only the position with which you agree the most.

3. Determine if other students will receive the work. In this case, opt for simple, clear writing that may include a few flourishes of humor.

4. Demonstrate deeper complexity for assignments designed exclusively for an instructor. Incorporating intelligent vocabulary that is specific to the assignment's discipline can achieve this. A chemistry assignment needs scientific wording, for instance; use mathematical vocabulary when writing for an algebra class.

5. Write in formal English for both types of audience. Slang and casual tone are inappropriate; academic diction is preferred. Seldom employ the passive voice. Textbooks demand sentences whose subjects have agency and who feature strong verbs. For example, consider this informally written sentence:
   "All of the attention at the ball for Stephanie was taken by Rachel and her pretty dress."

   Formal English would rewrite this as:
   "At the ball, Rachel's stunning dress wrested attention from Stephanie."

6. Steer clear of wordiness with nominalization, the skill of converting actions into nouns. "The scientist marveled at how well the elephant was understanding what was asked of it." for instance, is better written as "The elephant's perspicacity impressed the scientist."

References

• CourseWorks: Academic Style
• Cal State LA University Library: Style Manuals & Writing Guides
• Greg Mankiw's Blog: On Textbook Writing
• The Chronicle of Higher Education: Textbook Writing 101