Acommon error in academic writing is the tendency to
a. incorporate regional or ethnic dialects for the sake of authenticity.
b. rely too heavily on first-person pronouns
c. write overly formal sentences that use big words for the sake of sounding "academic"
d. rely too heavily on second-person pronouns

The correct answer is C. Write overly formal sentences that use big words for the sake of sounding "academic"

Explanation:

Academic writing refers to a style of type of writing used in the formal, official or academical documents this style includes the use of reliable evidence, the use of technical or scientific terms and applying all norms in terms of style and writing. Also, in academical writing, the use of the first and second person or pronouns "I" and "you" should be avoided due to objectivity as well as the use of informal words such as slangs or dialects, except in direct quotes.

Additionally, due to the features of this type of writing, it is common writers want to use excessively technical, scientific or sophisticated words to sound "academic" along with complex and long sentences, which is a common mistake as these type of words should be only used when they are required and sentences should remain simple to be clear for readers. Therefore, one common mistake in academic writing is the tendency to write overly formal sentences that use big words for the sake of sounding "academic".

the pronoun reference replaces a noun, but you have to make sure there's no room for confusion.

in the first sentence "her" could be referring to shely or to the sister. the answer there is "shelly called her sister and told her about the new baby."

in the second sentence "it" could be referring to the roof or the floor. the answer there is "since the roof leaks on the family room floor, we need to repair the roof."

we would need to be able to read the passage in question to determine which factor allowed david believe he could defeat goliath. post the passage, and i'd love to out.