Use of cookies

Lund University uses cookies to ensure that the website functions properly and to improve your experience.

Read more in our cookie policy

Write clearly

Aim for a clear style that is easy to read

Use active verbs and name the agent

Often an active voice will be easier to understand, especially if it is clear to the reader who will do what is said:

Use active verbs......instead of passive verbs
We will investigate the matterThe matter will be investigated.
Please fill out and return the form
to me by 20 May.		The form should be filled out and
be returned by 20 May

 

Read more about how and when to use active and passive verb forms here:

Active and passive voice

 

Beware of false friends

A false friend is a word that looks very similar to a word in another language but that does not mean the same thing. Below we list some common false friends between Swedish and English.

We will eventually succeed. The English word eventually means finally, in the end, whereas the Swedish word eventuellt means maybe, perhaps.

Next semester starts in early September. The English word semester means term (a part of the academic year), whereas the Swedish word semester means vacation.

These are the actual figures. The English word actual means existing, real, whereas the Swedish word aktuell means topical, current.

He went to the gymnasium. The English word gymnasium means gym, whereas the Swedish word gymnasium means upper secondary school.

She followed protocol. The English word protocol means a system of rules of accepted behaviour, whereas the Swedish word protokoll means meeting minutes.

The meaning was clear. The English word meaning means the understanding of a word, whereas the Swedish word mening often means sentence. This false friend is tricky: the Swedish verb mena is similar to the English verb mean, but the Swedish noun mening can both mean the English meaning and sentence.

I have the blanket in my office. The English word blanket means a wool cover for the bed, whereas the Swedish word blankett means a form (to be filled out).

The students were happy after their exam. The English word exam means test, whereas the Swedish word examen means graduation.

This is a personal matter. The English word personal means private, something that has to do with one person, whereas the Swedish word personal means staff.

The document was signed by the rector. The English word rector means clergyman / vicar, whereas the Swedish word rektor means head of a school or university. The head of a university is called Vice chancellor in British English.

Some university-related terms are easily mixed up as they are or resemble so-called false friends. Below we list some examples.

You will find university-related terminology here:

Swedish word English word Comment
UniversitetsrektorVice chancellor
  • The English word rector means clergyman or vicar.
  • Heads of schools are referred to as headmaster in British English and principal in Americal English
GymnasieutbildningUpper-secondary education
  • The English word gymnasium means gym.
  • The US equivalent of the Swedish gymnasieutbildning is (post-16) high school education
HögskolaUniversity college
  • High school in (American) English means upper-secondary education
  • The English translation of the Swedish term folkhögskola is folk high school
TerminSemester / Term
  • The English word semester is mainly used in the US, but is the preferred word at Lund University since it indicates the two-part academic year whereas the British English word term indicates that the academic year is divided into three study periods.

This text was published in 2011 by the European Commission:

How to write clearly (European Commission publication)

Page Manager: aweluluse | 2026-10-08