The

Academic
Formulas
List
What is the Academic Formulas List?
In all languages, a lot of vocabulary comes in the form of fixed phrases.
Examples of fixed phrases include “at the same time” and “on the other
hand”.

(They are called fixed phrases because if you change a word or the order of
words, you completely change the meaning of the phrase. If we say “in the
other hand” or “on the other foot” the meaning of the phrase changes
completely.)

Fixed phrases are also known as formulas.

The Academic Formulas List (AFL) is a list of the most common of these
fixed phrases in academic English. It was developed in 2010 by two top
linguists from the University of Michigan, Rita Simpson-Vlach and Nick Ellis.

The AFL is made up of 3 separate lists:

1. the core list
2. the spoken list
3. the written list

The Core List

The Core List contains formulas which are common in both spoken and
written academic English. There are 207 entries in the Core List.

The Spoken List

The Spoken List contains formulas which are common in spoken academic
English, but not written academic English. There are 200 entries in the
Spoken List.

The Written List

The Written List contains formulas which are common in written academic
English, but not spoken academic English. There are 207 entries in the
Written List.
In total, therefore, there are 614 entries in the Academic Formulas List.

Each list is ordered by the usefulness of each phrase. So the words at the
top of each list are the most useful to learn. In other words, if you decide to
study the Academic Formulas List, start at the top of each list. This will help
you to grow your academic English faster.
 Core AFL
These formulas are common in both written and spoken English.

Formula 24 point of view of

1 in terms of 25 as a function of
2 at the same time 26 at the same
3 from the point of view 27 the point of view
4 in order to 28 in such a way
5 as well as 29 the use of
6 part of the 30 in other words the
7 the fact that 31 in terms of the
8 in other words 32 more likely to
9 the point of view of 33 likely to be
10 there is a 34 in this case
11 as a result of 35 as opposed to
12 this is a 36 the way in which
13 on the basis of 37 based on the
14 a number of 38 can be used
15 there is no 39 the relationship between
16 point of view 40 it is not
17 the number of 41 and so on
18 the extent to which 42 on the basis
19 as a result 43 the difference between
20 in the case of 44 it may be
21 whether or not 45 the presence of
22 the same time 46 in the sense that
23 with respect to 47 a variety of
48 different types of 76 there may be
49 extent to which 77 difference between the
50 exactly the same 78 between the two
51 a series of 79 the size of the
52 in relation to 80 the importance of
53 it can be 81 that there are
54 the case of 82 as a function
55 in the case 83 associated with the
56 large number of 84 the amount of
57 that there is a 85 a function of
58 to some extent 86 as an example
59 that there is 87 for example if
60 the real world 88 such as the
61 is based on 89 based on a
62 due to the 90 as part of
63 ways in which 91 this is not
64 an example of 92 in which the
65 the fact that the 93 the effect of
66 referred to as 94 in response to
67 may not be 95 related to the
68 way in which 96 each of these
69 it does not 97 the effects of
70 from the point of 98 terms of the
71 the development of 99 we can see
72 in the same 100 there are three
73 a result of 101 for example the
74 the basis of 102 according to the
75 the role of 103 the existence of
104 the concept of 132 the part of the
105 in this way 133 the size of
106 focus on the 134 the form of
107 the nature of 135 the sum of
108 the context of 136 the reason for
109 a list of 137 a and b
110 this type of 138 that this is
111 such a way 139 fact that the
112 the ability to 140 this is an
113 the idea that 141 because it is
114 a set of 142 have the same
115 other words the 143 part of a
116 parts of the 144 the question of
117 nature of the 145 of these two
118 the level of 146 the value of
119 this would be 147 assume that the
120 is that the 148 size of the
121 is much more 149 in such a
122 the same as 150 the distribution of
123 to show that 151 of the same
124 there is an 152 the meaning of
125 the notion of 153 view of the
126 in the sense 154 each of the
127 in the context 155 which is not
128 the process of 156 the issue of
129 is not a 157 but this is
130 both of these 158 if this is
131 for example in 159 the rate of
160 that we are 188 example of a
161 with the same 189 is the case
162 the result of 190 is that there
163 the problem of 191 of the second
164 is to be 192 the change in
165 the study of 193 so that the
166 which is the 194 is not the
167 the definition of 195 the area of
168 here is that 196 form of the
169 from the point 197 that is the
170 a form of 198 and in the
171 the frequency of 199 and the second
172 the order of 200 of the fact
173 the way that 201 the first is
174 function of the 202 that in the
175 of the two 203 and the same
176 different from the 204 out that the
177 the structure of 205 the example of
178 what are the 206 that in a
179 is that it 207 is for the
180 the way in
181 to use the
182 be the case
183 means that the
184 value of the
185 of the system
186 of view of
187 the work of
 Spoken AFL
These formulas are common in spoken academic English.

Formula 24 it turns out that

1 be able to 25 you need to
2 blah blah blah 26 see what I'm saying
3 this is the 27 take a look at
4 you know what I mean 28 you have a
5 you can see 29 might be able to
6 trying to figure out 30 at the end
7 a little bit about 31 you want to
8 does that make sense 32 to do with
9 you know what 33 nothing to do with
10 the university of michigan 34 know what I mean
11 for those of you who 35 you look at
12 do you want me to 36 university of michigan
13 thank you very much 37 what I'm talking about
14 look at the 38 the same thing
15 we're gonna talk about 39 to look at
16 talk a little bit 40 the end of
17 if you look at 41 gonna be able to
18 and this is 42 we're talking about
19 if you look at the 43 to figure out what
20 no no no no 44 so if you
21 at the end of 45 so this is
22 we were talking about 46 if you want to
23 in ann arbor 47 no no no
48 if you have 76 to talk about
49 come up with a 77 it turns out
50 we talked about 78 those of you who
51 when you look at 79 you might want to
52 in order to get 80 first of all
53 the end of the 81 and so on and so
54 oh my god 82 there was a
55 come up with 83 at the university of
56 I was gonna say 84 yes yes yes
57 and then you 85 you can see that
58 a kind of 86 I have a question
59 it doesn't matter 87 it has to be
60 has to do with 88 we need to
61 you can look at 89 what I'm saying
62 do you want me 90 you want me to
63 little bit about 91 all sorts of
64 if you look 92 as you can see
65 I just wanted to 93 to figure out
66 you're talking about 94 keep in mind
67 what does that mean 95 what do you mean
68 the best way to 96 it looks like
69 if you want 97 let's look at
70 you know what i 98 you look at the
71 we've talked about 99 to make sure
72 we'll talk about 100 if you wanted to
73 let me just 101 make sure that
74 I was talking about 102 end up with
75 has to be 103 and you can see
104 came up with 132 might be able
105 doesn't have to be 133 trying to figure
106 I mean if you 134 what you're saying
107 you've got a 135 we have to
108 gonna talk about 136 I'm talking about
109 how many of you 137 so you can
110 I mean if 138 this kind of
111 look at it 139 don't worry about
112 piece of paper 140 it's gonna be
113 and so forth 141 if you have a
114 and you can 142 wanna talk about
115 looking at the 143 so you can see
116 we're gonna talk 144 I want you to
117 go back to the 145 to look at the
118 you know what I'm 146 to each other
119 that you can 147 the kind of
120 we're looking at 148 at this point
121 what I mean 149 one of these
122 do you know what 150 and if you
123 how do you know 151 you think about it
124 you don't need to 152 talk about the
125 you're looking at 153 it might be
126 turns out that 154 for those of you
127 it could be 155 to do with the
128 figure out what 156 I'm not gonna
129 if you've got 157 was talking about
130 I wanted to 158 have to do with
131 you could you could 159 tell me what
160 look at this 188 to think about
161 in a sense 189 gonna be able
162 okay I don't know 190 by the way
163 I'll talk about 191 we look at
164 you need to do 192 I think this is
165 do you want 193 but if you
166 we talk about 194 at some point
167 any questions about 195 I'm gonna go
168 come back to 196 thank you very
169 you can see the 197 can look at
170 the reason why 198 what happens is
171 it in terms of 199 on the board
172 what I want to 200 um let me
173 we looked at
174 if you wanna
175 take a look
176 if you were to
177 I'll show you
178 talking about the
179 that make sense
180 this is this is
181 how do we
182 we were talking
183 wanna look at
184 you're trying to
185 a look at
186 if you were
187 you're interested in
 Written AFL
These formulas are common in written English.

Formula 24 a wide range

1 on the other hand 25 there are a number
2 due to the fact that 26 it is interesting to
3 on the other hand the 27 it is impossible to
4 it should be noted 28 it is obvious that
5 it is not possible to 29 it is possible to
6 a wide range of 30 it is not possible
7 there are a number of 31 been carried out
8 in such a way that 32 can be found in
9 take into account the 33 it is important to
10 as can be seen 34 was carried out
11 it is clear that 35 is likely to be
12 take into account 36 wide range of
13 can be used to 37 the same way as
14 in this paper we 38 due to the fact
15 are likely to 39 in accordance with the
16 in the next section 40 it is necessary to
17 a large number of 41 the other hand
18 the united kingdom 42 can be seen
19 on the basis of the 43 it is likely that
20 that there is no 44 such a way that
21 over a period of 45 to carry out
22 as a result of the 46 it is possible that
23 can be seen in 47 with respect to the
48 give rise to 76 in the context of
49 carried out by 77 a high degree
50 whether or not the 78 the difference between the
51 in the present study 79 an increase in the
52 should be noted 80 it is possible
53 be carried out 81 can be achieved
54 the other hand the 82 insight into the
55 does not appear 83 can be expressed
56 his or her 84 we assume that
57 is not possible to 85 they did not
58 shown in figure 86 there has been
59 be used as a 87 on the part of
60 for the purposes of 88 in this paper
61 be regarded as 89 the purpose of this
62 to ensure that the 90 less likely to
63 allows us to 91 a large number
64 it has been 92 can easily be
65 little or no 93 with regard to
66 carried out in 94 there are several
67 to distinguish between 95 over a period
68 in accordance with 96 in this case the
69 they do not 97 in conjunction with
70 at this stage 98 at the time of
71 is based on the 99 we do not
72 shown in table 100 has been used
73 in the absence of 101 appears to be
74 we have seen 102 to do so
75 to determine whether 103 there are no
104 on the other 132 factors such as
105 has also been 133 is consistent with
106 it is worth 134 total number of
107 can be found 135 similar to those
108 the next section 136 as part of the
109 are a number of 137 can be considered
110 this paper we 138 at the outset
111 be seen as 139 in more detail
112 be related to the 140 should not be
113 to ensure that 141 could be used
114 it is important 142 appear to be
115 be explained by 143 as a consequence
116 same way as 144 in this article
117 see for example 145 assumed to be
118 the presence of a 146 in the form of
119 that it is not 147 as a whole
120 in some cases 148 important role in
121 to the fact that 149 it is interesting
122 high levels of 150 does not have
123 most likely to 151 none of these
124 it appears that 152 as shown in
125 it follows that 153 is likely to
126 can also be 154 this means that
127 it is clear 155 be noted that
128 by virtue of 156 be achieved by
129 the most important 157 depends on the
130 an attempt to 158 at least in
131 it is impossible 159 a small number
160 in table 1 188 two types of
161 in most cases 189 the total number
162 depending on the 190 is more likely
163 in both cases 191 which can be
164 the validity of the 192 are able to
165 small number of 193 be considered as
166 their ability to 194 be used to
167 need not be 195 b and c
168 needs to be 196 depend on the
169 have shown that 197 is that it is
170 it is necessary 198 is affected by
171 been shown to 199 should also be
172 such as those 200 if they are
173 are as follows
174 for this purpose
175 is determined by
176 it is difficult
177 even though the
178 this does not
179 was based on
180 the nature of the
181 in the course of
182 degree to which
183 be argued that
184 in terms of a
185 for this reason
186 are based on
187 in a number of