Is "to boil down" formal enough to be used in scientific writing?
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Chapters
00:00 Is &Quot;To Boil Down&Quot; Formal Enough To Be Used In Scientific Writing?
00:35 Answer 1 Score 4
00:47 Accepted Answer Score 15
01:07 Answer 3 Score 12
01:18 Answer 4 Score 3
02:01 Thank you
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Tags
#formality #phrasalverbs #writingstyle #register #figurative
#avk47
ACCEPTED ANSWER
Score 15
As has been suggested in other answers, it is not very suitable in formal writing. Here are some alternatives you might consider:
amount to
be reduced to
be a matter of
be in essence
ANSWER 2
Score 12
Boil down to is not informal. It can be used even in formal writing.
ANSWER 3
Score 4
No.
Do not use cliches, catch-phrases, metaphors, slang words … in formal writing.
ANSWER 4
Score 3
@PainfulEnglish, your question prompted me to research for both of us and anyone else interested. I am writing a science fiction novel and want the science sections as realistic and believable as possible. Following are links to three short papers I found valuable.
"Introduction to Journal-Style Scientific Writing"
Do not use colloquial speech, slang, or "childish" words or phrases.
Do not use contractions: for example, "don't" must be "do not" and "isn't" must be "is not" etc.
http://abacus.bates.edu/~ganderso/biology/resources/writing/HTWgeneral.html
"Guidelines for Writing a Scientific Paper" http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/~smaloy/MicrobialGenetics/topics/scientific-writing.pdf
"Word Usage in Scientific Writing" http://www.ag.iastate.edu/aginfo/word_usage.php