One other thing I've noticed in student essays much more this time than previously is the use of
likely. Here is the relevant use:
This is likely a result of X.
I understand what this means, it's not ungrammatical, but it's not in my idiolect (=the variety of English specific to me). I'd have to write one of the following:
This is likely to be a result of X.
This is probably a result of X.
Because the first type isn't in my idiolect, I can't tell whether it's proper 'academese'. It sounded informal to me, until I asked Twitter and was directed to
this blog post by Lynne Murphy. It is apparently a UK/US difference. Why my students are using it, I don't know: presumably this usage is spreading to this country.
This use of 'likely' wasn't originally in my (Irish English) idiolect, but after becoming habituated to it in AmE I consciously adopted it and use it occasionally when I deem it especially suitable or convenient. I'm slightly surprised at how naturally it can occur in my speech now.
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