Use clear, action verbs whenever possible. These verbs indicate nothing that can be evaluated clearly. They are transparent attempts to avoid making statements for which one can be held accountable. Be direct , which means economical with your word choice. Just prove and argue your points without fanfare.
Scaffolding is only acceptable in an abstract.
Verbs and pronouns agree in number and tense with any nouns to which they refer. Lax standards in spoken English are not acceptable in formal writing. Avoid textual references to yourself. The subject of history is people in the past, not the historian. The reader wants the finished product, not a diary about the process of making it.