English for academic Purposes

ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES

 

Учебник

 

Самара

Самарский государственный технический университет

2015

 

Печатается по решению редакционно-издательского совета СамГТУ

 

ББК Ш13 Англ-923

УДК 811.111 (075.8)

Д 56

 

Доброва В.В., Елизарова Е.А., Крутская С.В., Сысуева И.Г.

Д 56 English for Academic Purposes: учебник / В.В. Доброва, Е.А. Елизарова, С.В. Крутская, И.Г. Сысуева – Самара: Самар. гос. техн. ун-т, 2015. – 182 с.

 

Предлагаемый учебник предназначен для развития навыков устной речи в группах магистров, аспирантов и научных сотрудников, готовящихся к сдаче кандидатского экза­мена по английскому языку, а также к любым видам работ, предполагающим владение академическим английским языком. Учебник содержит оригинальные тексты с большим количеством тематически организованных речевых оборотов, характерных для современного научного дискурса, и тренировочных заданий, нацеленных на развитие навыков научного письма и устной презентации.

 

 

ББК Ш13 Англ-923

УДК 811.111 (075.8)

Д 56

Рецензент: к.ф.н., доцент Суханова И.А.

 

© В.В. Доброва, Е.А. Елизарова, С.В. Крутская, И.Г. Сысуева 2015

© Самарский государственный технический университет, 2015

Introduction

 

This textbook may be used by anyone who learns the kind of English which is used in academic contexts. It deals with the kinds of language used in academic textbooks and articles as well as in lectures and seminars. It also presents vocabulary relating to being a post-graduate student at a university or college and covers the topics associated with university life. It will be particularly useful for students preparing for any examination and especially candidates' English examination. It will be helpful for people who needs to attend or give lectures and presentations in English or to participate in international conferences. It will enable students who have to prepare assignments or write up a dissertation in English to do so in a much more natural and appropriate way.

The book presents and practices the kind of vocabulary that is used in academic speech. It does not deal with the specialist vocabulary of any particular subject. It presents the more general words used for discussing ideas and research and for talking about academic work that you need to be familiar with in order to feel comfortable in an academic environment. Despite the fact that they are much more frequent than specialist words, these more general words are often felt to be more difficult to learn. It is, therefore, extremely useful to approach them in the systematic way suggested by this textbook.

The book involves 48 sections. The sections are organized into 3 units. The first unit includes 11 sections focusing on aspects of life and research at academic institutions.

The second unit is devoted to the basic aspects of academic vocabulary such as what is special about academic vocabulary, key verbs and key quantifying expressions, aspects of opinions and ideas, words typically combine with one another in academic English, etc.

 The third unit discusses the ways of talking about describing data: numbers, time, cause and effect. There are four reference sections dealing with numbers, units of measurement, common symbols, and abbreviations.

 

How should I use this book?

We recommend that you work through the 48 sections so that you become familiar with key aspects of academic vocabulary and how best to study it.

You need a notebook or file in which you can write down all the academic vocabulary that you study in this book as well as any other words and expressions that you come across elsewhere. In your vocabulary notebook it is important to record such things as:

• examples of the word or expression in use

• typical word combinations - you might, for example, note down adjectives or verbs typically associated with a noun that you want to learn or nouns, adverbs or prepositions associated with a verb

• any additional vocabulary that may help you to learn the key vocabulary (e.g. does a verb have a related noun, or what is the opposite of an adjective?)

• any extended uses of the word being focused on (e.g. does the same word have other meanings in the way that so many English words do?).

You also need to have access to a good dictionary. Dictionary provides exactly the kind of information that you need in order to be able to understand and use English vocabulary. Through its example sentences it provides you with the information you need about how the word is used in practice and which other words it typically combines with. The dictionary also helps you with difficult items. You will need a specialist dictionary relating to your own subject area as well. Your teacher may also be able to recommend other dictionaries for your specific needs.

UNIT 1

What should I do first?

Do all you can to learn about the careers that will be open to you after studying - and what qualifications you will need in order to get the job you want.

Exercise 7. Look at the website of any English-speaking university that interests you. What information do they provide about applying to the university? Make a note of any other vocabulary you find there.

 2 Educational systems compared

Exercise 1. Look at the list of “Places at a University campus” in the UK and match the following phrases to the words and phrases in bold.

1. a building specially used by students to meet socially; the term also

refers to the organisation of students which arranges social events

and offers other services

2. a college building where students live

3. a group of departments or schools (see 6) in a college which

specialise in a particular group of subjects

4. a large hall with rows of seats, where lectures are held

5. a large hall where graduation ceremonies and other important events

are held

6. the main offices of the university, often shortened to 'admin'

7. part of a college or university specialising in a particular subject or

group of subjects

Different US terms

I wonder who should be on my PhD committee. My advisor suggested Dr Fry and Dr Roe. I have a lot of studying to do. I have my comps in two weeks.

Let's meet in Harley Commons at 7.30 pm, and we can study for tomorrow's quiz, OK? It was tough being a freshman because I wasn't used to such difficult finals, but life got a bit easier when I became a sophomore. It was easy enough as a junior, but then it got tough again when I was a senior.

As a graduate student, I get to attend seminars with some of the top people in my field. The fraternity and sorority houses are all round the edge of the campus.

Academic courses

 

Exercise 1.Look at the extract from UK university's web pages and match the words and phrases to the underlined words in the text.

1. a qualification between a bachelor's degree and a master's degree

2. unit which represents a successfully completed part of a course

3. most important parts of a course of study, that all students must do

4. which are chosen

5. one of the units which together make a complete course taught

especially at a college or university

6. choose

7. put one's name on an official list of course members

9. judgements of the quality of students' work

10. a piece of written work

11. a collection of documents that represent a person's work

12. having the necessary qualities or fulfilling the necessary conditions

13. a special mark given to students who produce work of an excellent

standard

 

Other aspects of courses

Dr Ward is holding a question-and-answer session for new MA students.

Reza: Can we defer the dissertation if we can't stay here during the summer?

Dr Ward: Yes, you can defer for a year, but don't forget, if you do go home, you won't be able to have face-to-face supervisions.

Simon: Are the in-sessional language courses compulsory?

Dr Ward: No. Most of you did the pre-sessional, which is the most important. But there are good in-sessional courses you can sign up for, especially the EAP writing course.

Angela: If we get the MA, can we go on to do a PhD immediately?

Dr Ward: Not automatically. You have to show you can do PhD standard work first anyway, and then upgrade to the PhD programme after a year or so.

 

Study habits and skills

Exercise 1.Read the questionnaire of West Preston University web-based self-assessment on time management and rate your ability to organise your time.

Questionnaire 1 Do you begin working on end-of-semester assignments early in the semester? 2 Do you meet deadlines for submitting work? 3 Do you ever have to request an extension for your work? 4 Do you spend hours cramming just before an exam? 5 Do you make a to-do list each week? 6 Do you include extra-curricular activities when you plan your study time?	often	sometimes	never

 

Exercise 2. Match the following phrases to the underlined words in the text in Exercise 1.

1 make a list of things you should do

2 ask for more time beyond the deadline

3 try to learn a lot very quickly before an exam

4 outside of the subjects one is studying

5 complete your work by the official final day or time

 

Exercise 3.Read some students' comments about study habits and problems associated with studying and find the equivalents to the following words and phrases.

1. think of a lot of ideas very quickly before considering some of them

more carefully

2. I start thinking of things not connected to my studies

3. diagram or drawing showing how different ideas on a topic are

related

4. decide which things are the most important so that you can deal with

them first

5. e.g. a very short poem or a special word used to help you remember

something

6. forming an image in your mind

7. read or study again

8. you cannot remember a particular thing, or you cannot remember

anything

9. text containing all the main ideas but not in a fully developed form

10. in such a way that you can say it from memory

11. not exact or detailed; approximate

12. (often used with a negative association) learning something so you

can repeat it from memory, rather than understand it

'I try to prioritise the most difficult or urgent task first, when I feel more motivated.'

'I'm a slow reader. I need to improve my reading speed. I find revision before exams really difficult. I can only revise for about two hours at a time. My mind starts to wander. '

'I always try to review my lecture notes within 24 hours of the time I took them. I do need to improve my note-taking. '

'I use tricks to memorise things, like mnemonics and visualising. I try to brainstorm the topic and draw mind maps before I write a first draft of an essay.'

'I know rote learning isn't very fashionable nowadays, but I find it useful to learn some things by heart, especially lists of things.'

'I try to make a study plan each semester - but I never manage to keep to it!'

'I always try to get the books I need from the library on long-term loan. Short-term loan is never long enough, even though you can sometimes extend it for 24 hours.'

'In an exam I make rough  notes for each question, otherwise my mind just goes blank. '

 

Exercise 4.Match the first part of the word combination on the left with the second part on the right.

 

meet time request to-do long-term first extra-curricular lecture rote study note- draw

activities deadlines mind maps an extension learning list loan plan taking notes draft management

 

Exercise 5.Complete each sentence with a word combination from Exercise 4.

1. I always try to____________but this time I'm afraid I'm going to have to ___________ If only I could stick to the ___________I make at the beginning of every semester!

2. You should show the___________ of your essay to your tutor before you do any more work on it.

3. Helena missed the class but she borrowed the___________from a friend.

4. Some people find it more helpful to____________when they are studying than to take traditional notes.

5. This is an incredibly useful book. Fortunately, I've been able to take it out of the library on.____________.

6. Students who are working part-time as well as studying have to be particularly good at ____________.

7. Some students get distracted from their studies by all the____________which most universities offer.

8. I always make a_____________when I'm getting ready to go on a trip.

9. _____________is often considered a very old-fashioned way of learning nowadays.

10. _____________is very important during lectures; you can't remember everything.

 

PROJECT SUMMARY

Provide a brief summary of aims, significance and expected outcomes of the research plan

Preparing for an interview

Exercise 6. Imagine you are giving a short presentation like Lisa. Choose a topic in your own research area and plan a short presentation (about 70 words). Plan where you will pause and which words you will stress. Then memorise the text. Give feedback on each other’s presentations.

 

CONFERENCE CALL INTERVIEWS

 

Before your interview ● Find out exactly who you will be talking to ● Check whether they will be able to (1) __________ you or just hear you ● Check the date, time, the (2) __________ to dial in on, and the right code to access the conference call ● Read your CV and (3) _______________again ● Practise answering questions you might be asked ● Prepare(4)______________ to ask the interviewer

During your interview ● Don’t be (5) ____________! ● Use your (6) ____________ to sound confident and enthusiastic ● Do not (7) ____________ papers (this will make a noise) ● Sit in a (8) ____________– do not move about too much ● Speak very clearly, (9) ____________ the microphone ● When the interview is over, (10) _________ the interviewer(s) and end positively

 

Making a presentation

Exercise 1. Read the sentences concerning “Introducing the presenter” and “Getting started” and fill in the missing words in these introductions to presentations.

Introducing the presenter

 - Let's welcome Carmen Grcgori, who's going to talk to us today on the subject of 'Healthcare in Paraguay'

 - Now I'd like to call on Mieko to make/give her presentation. Mieko, thank you.

 - OK, thank you everybody. Now, Dr Ulla Fensel is going to present her research to us.

 - I I'd like to introduce Dr Li Meiju, who's going to address (speak to / talk about) the topic of 'Preventive medicine'.

Getting started

 -'In this presentation I'd like to focus on recent developments in biomass fuels. I'll speak for about 45 minutes, to allow time for questions and comments. Feel free to (informal way of giving permission) interrupt if you have any questions or want to make a comment. '

 - 'First I'll give a brief overview of the current situation with regard to intellectual property rights, then I'd like to raise a few issues concerning the internet. I'll try to leave (less formal than allow) time for questions at the end.'

 - ' I'd like to begin by looking at some previous studies of ocean temperatures. There's a handout going round (which is being distributed), and there are some spare (extra) copies here if you want them.'

 - 'In this talk I'll present the results of a study I did (more formal carried out / conducted) for my dissertation. I'll try not to go over time and keep to 20 minutes.'

 

1. Dr Anwar Musat will now____________ his research on soil erosion in Malaysian forests.

2. I'd now like to____________on our next speaker, Eva Karlsson, to ____________ (give two answers) her presentation.

3. Ladies and gentlemen, let's ____________our next speaker, Professor Prodromou from the University of Athens.

4.Thanks, everybody. So, Masanori is going to talk to us now ____________ ____________ subject ____________'Mental health issues in Japan'.

5. I'd like to ____________today's speaker, Dr Krishnan Guptar, who is going to ____________ the topic of metal fatigue in rail tracks.

Express your point of view

Exercise 1. Read the rules of commenting on others' views. Study the key vocabulary. Find the equivalents to the following phrases among the words in bold:

1. not influenced by personal beliefs or attitudes, based only on facts

2. influenced by personal beliefs or attitudes

3. uninfluenced by personal beliefs or attitudes

4. showing an unreasonable liking for something based on personal beliefs or opinions

5. showing an unreasonable dislike for, based on personal beliefs or opinions

6. based only on reason

7. set of principles or beliefs on the basis of which opinions are formed

8. believing that there should be extreme political or social change

9. opposed to political or social change or new ideas

10. not inclined to trust change, especially if it is sudden

11. lacking in experience

No one can be completely objective in their point of view. Inevitably, we all see things to some extent subjectively. It is impossible to be truly impartial. We tend to be biased in favour of things we're familiar with and prejudiced against things we have little experience of. Of course, everyone believes their own views are totally rational.

People's views tend to change as they grow older and begin looking at life from a different standpoint. Young people are more likely to be radical but then become more reactionary or conservative with age, considering their younger opinions immature.

 

Exercise 9. Read this short text and underline any words and phrases connected with points of view, opinions and ideas. Look them up in a dictionary if necessary and note them in your vocabulary book.

Academics have traditionally taken the view that their discipline is intellectually independent from all others. However, inter-disciplinary degrees are becoming more and more common, suggesting that preconceptions about what and how one should study may be somewhat misplaced. A more liberal view of education would advocate greater freedom to explore the links between different fields of learning, thus pushing the frontiers of knowledge in new and exciting directions. Many academics now feel that the future lies in this blending of ideas and the cross-fertilisation of thought which emerges from it.

 

UNIT 2

Key nouns

Nouns and prepositions

Exercise 1.Consider the table of groups of related nouns sharing prepositions and fill in the missing prepositions.

 

nouns	preposition(s)	example
book, article, essay, lecture, dissertation, project, assignment	About (for more general subjects), on ( for more specific, detailed works)	In 1978, Da Silva published a book about  the history of emigration. She wrote a dissertation on teenage slang in New York.
research (see also B), investigation, inquiry	into	Kelly (1969) conducted an investigation into the origins of international terrorism.
analysis, examination, exploration (see also B), study	of	The article offers an analysis of the potential impact of the H5NI Avian Flu virus.
problem, difficulty	of, with	He gave a lecture on the problem of global warming. One difficulty with this approach is that a set of results may allow different interpretations.
reason, motivation, rationale (see also B)	for	Economists have recently questioned the rationale for government spending.

 

1.  One difficulty __________ the class questionnaire was that some students had already left the course and could not be contacted.

2.  She wrote a dissertation __________ wild flower conservation in Finland in the 1990s.

3.  The book is an exploration __________ the origins of the economic crisis of 1997.

4. The rationale __________ the present research is the need to better understand the process of agreement in international law.

5.  Research __________ spoken language has been considerably assisted in recent years by the availability of computerised databases or 'corpora'.

6.  Prippen's (1984) book was an inquiry __________ the foundations of nationalism.

7.  What is Kazuo Matsui's book __________? Have you read it?

8.  He did a study __________ the problem __________ side-impact automobile collisions.

 

Exercise 2.Consider the table of nouns commonly associated with particular prepositions and correct the mistakes in the use of prepositions in these sentences. There may be more than one mistake per sentence.

 

nouns	preposition	example
look, attempt, point, age	at	An attempt at integration of economic and psychological theories of consumption
changes, differences, increase, decrease	in	Gender differences in risk-taking in financial decision ­ making
insight, inquiry, research, investigation	into	An investigation into sleep characteristics of children with autism
work, research, influence, emphasis, effect	on	Genetic influence on smoking - a study of male twins
basis, idea, part, lack, exploration, means	of	A computerised clinical decision support system as a means of implementing depression guidelines
need, reason, basis, case, preference	for	Assessing organisational culture: the case for multiple methods
relation, approach, response, attention	to	Communicating with strangers: an approach to intercultural communication
attitude, tendency, move, progress	to/towards	Progress towards sustainable regional development
principle, rationale, assumptions, logic	behind	Questioning the assumptions behind art criticism
relationship, difference, distinction	between	The relationship between educational technology and student achievement in mathematics

1.  Her dissertation produced some interesting insights to how young children develop a visual sense of the world and the age in which development is most noticeable.

2.  The reason of the unwillingness of the people involved in the demonstration to be interviewed was fear of being arrested later.

3.  Hierstat's approach at the analysis of solar phenomena is different from that of Donewski. He questioned the assumptions under much of the previous research.

4.  Changes of the rate of growth of the cells were observed over time.

5.  A lack in funding led to the cancellation of the project, and social scientists blamed the negative attitude of the government on social science research.

6.  Jawil's article puts great emphasis into the need of more research and argues the case of greater attention on the causes of poverty rather than the symptoms.

 

 

Exercise 3.Match each noun with the preposition that usually follows it.

Nouns: attitude, difference, effect, emphasis, insight, preference, principle, rationale, reason, relationship, tendency

 

Prepositions:    behind between for into on to/towards

 

Exercise 4.Underline typical academic noun + preposition combinations

 

The possible ecological effects of climate change are often in the news, as is the matter of whether the potential impact can be predicted. New work on a migratory bird, the pied flycatcher, takes things a stage further by showing how a climate-related population decline was actually caused. Timing is key. Over the past 17 years flycatchers declined strongly in areas where caterpillarnumbers peak early, but in areas with a late food peak there was no decline. The young birds arrive too late in places where caterpillars have already responded to early warmth. Mistiming like this is probably a common consequence of climate change, and may be a major factor in the decline of many long-distance migratory bird species.

 

Key verbs

Exercise 1. Read the examples of tasks which students have been given and note key verbs for structuring academic assignments. How the underlined words can be reworded by the following ones:

1) which are part of/included in

2) organise and do

3) draw something in order to explain something

4) accepting something to be true

5) discover by calculating

6) judge the number or amount of something and adding, multiplying, subtracting or dividing numbers

7) recognise someone or something and say or prove who or what they are

8) show, make clear

9) give

10) questions whether it is true

11) look at or consider carefully and in detail

a) Discuss some of the problems involved in investigating attitudes to diet and health. Write a critical review of an investigation you have read about, or describe an investigation you yourself could conduct. Consider the advantages and disadvantages of different methods.

b) Starting from rest, an aircraft accelerates to its take-off speed of 60 m s~' in a distance of 900 metres. Illustrate this with a velocity-time graph. Assuming constant acceleration, find how long the take-off run lasts. Hence calculate the acceleration.

c) The fact that nations agree to follow international law demonstrates that we can identify ideals that are trans-national and trans-cultural.' How far is this statement true? Critically analyse any recent event which supports or challenges the statement.

d) Examine how industrial growth has affected any two developing countries. Provide statistical evidence where necessary and include a discussion of likely future trends.

                   

Verbs and prepositions

Exercise 1. Read the sentences from academic articles and notice the verbs with on.

Chapter 1 of Huang's book focuses on violent human behaviour. Sura's article draws on data gathered over a period of ten years. The introduction to the book comments briefly on a case study carried out in Brazil. In this section I concentrate on the economic aspects of immigration.

The book is based on a number of studies carried out during the 1990s. The method used by Scanlon relies on / rests on two basic principles.

Exercise 2.Put the words in the right order to make sentences. Use the punctuation to help you.

1 period. / focuses / the changes / The article / on / the / the post-war / economy / US / in / in

2 commented / student's / inconsistencies / a / The professor / of / in the / essay. / on / number

3 conducted / The / is / last / based / a series / theory / of / five / on / years. / over the / experiments

4 on / assistants. / The / research / relies / work / conducted by / professor's / experiments / his

5 is / are / very / your / your / studies / important / concentrate / to / over. / on / until / It / exams

6 was / The / draw / some / to / primary / on / only recently / become / have / available. / writer / sources / which / able

 

Exercise 3.Read the sentences from the teacher's talk to students and match the phrases to the underlined words in the text.

1. say or think that something is the result of something

2. deal with, give one's attention to

3. give a particular job or piece of work to someone

4. be the same as something, or have the same effect as something

5. discover the origin of something by examining how it has developed

 

- We assigned  the tasks randomly to the experimental group and the control group to see how the subjects would react to the different problems.

- Malaria poses a major health risk to people who are exposed to infection where malaria is common. In 1997, 13% of deaths among children were attributed to  malaria in one area in Zaire.

- OK, let's turn to the more difficult cases that I mentioned earlier. How should a doctor respond to a patient who doesn't consent to treatment when it seems to be essential?

- When you're planning a questionnaire, you should always attend to design issues such as the number of questions and how clear they are.

- We can't really say that an increase in inflation of two per cent amounts to  an economic crisis, and I refer here to some recent stories in the media which are highly exaggerated and which can be traced to a deep misunderstanding of how inflation operates.

 

Exercise 4.Consider the table and notice the verbs with the following prepositions

 

	verbs	examples
with	associate, provide, couple, equip	Note: In the active voice, as in the first example, this group of verbs follows the pattern verb + object + preposition + complement. Note also that these verbs are often used in the passive, as in the second example. We try to equip our laboratories with the latest technology. Heart disease is often associated with unhealthy life styles.
from	depart, benefit, emerge, exclude	In this book, Heme departs from his earlier theory. (takes a different view) Some of the data were excluded from the final analysis.
of	write, speak, convince, dispose	Abuka writes/speaks of the early years of industrial development. (both are rather formal) We must convince people of the need for water conservation.
for	account, search, call, argue	Lung cancer accounted for 20% of deaths in men. (formed the total of) Hopper (1987) argues for a new approach to English grammar. (opposite: argue against)

Exercise 5.Put these verbs in the right box

account argue assign associate attribute benefit call  consent    convince     depart   dispose  equip    exclude    provide    react   refer   search   write

 

________for	________from	________of	________to	________with

 

Exercise 6.Choose one of the word + preposition combinations from Exercise 5 to complete each sentence. Change the form of the verb if necessary.

1. The lecturer _____________ us _____________ a number of very good writers on the subject.

2. Traffic accidents _____________ _____________ most hospital admissions at the weekend.

3. The poets John Keats and Lord Byron are closely _____________ ______ the English Romantic Movement.

4. Remember to _____________ carefully _____________ all waste material.

5.  Most people believe that they would _____________ enormously _____________ having more job security.

6. My parents tried to _____________ me _____________ the advantages of studying abroad.

7. I have been _____________ _____________ an article on this topic for ages.

8.  Our experiments _____________ us _____________ the data we needed to prove our hypothesis.

9.  The head of department _____________ _____________ the lecturer's request for leave of absence.

10. Mary Raskova _____________ very movingly _____________ her experiences in Rwanda.

 

Note:

• any nouns often used with the verb and whether the noun goes before or after the verb, for example, the research/theory is based on, to pose a problem/question/threat

• any adverbs often used with the verb, for example, mainly/partly/loosely based

• any prepositions following the verb, for example, to base something on something else

• if the verb is often used in the passive, for example, be based on, be associated with.

Carrying out research

After completing her first degree in zoology Meena went on to apply to graduate school. She wanted to work on animal behaviour at a well-known institute in New Zealand. She set up a series of experiments investigating how bees communicate. She has noticed some curious behaviour patterns but has not yet worked out why her bees behave as they do. What she has observed seems to go against current theories of bee behaviour. When she has completed all her research she will have to write it all up.

                  

Key adjectives

Exercise1. Read some extracts from academic texts and use adjectives followed by to or of in the sentences of your own. Correct the preposition errors in the sentences below.

1. Language development is conceived as relative (true to a particular degree when it is being compared with other things) to one's own past performance, or relative to that of others.

2. How can we make science relevant (connected with what is happening or being discussed) to environmental policy? Poor communication between scientists and politicians is characteristic ((rather formal) typical of) of the situation today.

3. Some of the responses to the questionnaire were specific (only found in) to young male respondents. Others were common (belonging to or shared by two or more people or things) to all the respondents.

4. We need to plan technologies which are appropriate (suitable or right for a particular situation or occasion) to the needs of small farmers. It was typical of the farmers in the study that they had a negative attitude to technology.

 

Key adverbs

Exercise 1. Consider the table and explain the difference between the sentences a and b in each pair.

Adverbs that compare
adverb	meaning	example
comparatively/ relatively	in comparison with something else	Our sample was relatively/ comparatively small.
Especially/ particularly	more than usual	The process was not especially/ particularly difficult
specially	more than usual (spoken English only) for a specific purpose	The exam was specially hard this year. We used specially designed equipment.
somewhat (opposite: considerably)	(slightly formal) a little, slightly	When we tested younger boys, we obtained somewhat/ considerably different results.
Primarily	mainly	Amir is primarily interested in bio-physics.
mostly/largely	almost completely (but not totally so)	The research was largely/mostly successful.
directly (opposite: indirectly)	without anything else being involved	The illness is (in)directly linked to poor housing.

Prepositional phrases

 

Exercise 1.Notice the prepositional phrases in the texts below and complete the prepositional phrases as used in these press announcements.

 

A book review

The Guide to the Semi-Colon in English was written by Keith Pedant in conjunction with a team of researchers at Boardham University. In comparison with  previous works on the semi-colon, this is a very substantial volume. In addition to the main text there are a number of appendices. These are to some extent  the most useful parts of the book as, in line with modern linguistic practice, they provide a wealth of real data. In spite of  its potentially dry topic, the book contains many fascinating examples, in the sections dealing with the history of the semi-colon in particular. With the exception of  the final chapter, this book may be of some interest to the general reader as well as the specialist but on the whole  is mainly for those who have a professional interest in punctuation marks.

 

A talk to a genealogy club

Chairperson: Now, at this stage in the proceedings it's my pleasure to introduce our speaker tonight, Dr Anna Klein, the country's leading family history specialist. Anna, I'd like to welcome you on behalf of all our members.

Anna Klein: Thank you. My own interest in the subject came about as a result of discovering some old letters in the attic at home. I found them by chance. They'd been written by some relatives who'd emigrated to Canada a hundred years or so before and for me, as a ten-year-old then, they were by far the most exciting things I had ever read. They were, for the most part, extremely well-written and, from then on, I was determined to learn as much as I could about my family. In other words, I had started out on my genealogical journey. In some ways, I was very lucky. I was able to collect quite a bit of key family information on the basis of the old letters and this enabled me to track down some relations living in Montreal. They, in turn, provided some contacts with Australian cousins and so it continued. In the process, I've learnt a great deal, not only about my own family, but also in terms of how to approach tracing one's family. In most respects it's been a thoroughly enjoyable adventure though there have been some difficult moments...

 

1. Professor Soltero said that __________line __________ government guidelines, the researchers had consulted local people.

2. A spokesperson for the drug company said that__________stage, it is too early to make strong claims about the drug.

3. Dr Leiman said that while__________the__________hand the government wanted to encourage research, __________the__________ hand they were reducing funding for universities.

4. __________addition__________a new building on the campus, the team will receive a very generous grant to conduct their research.

5. __________the exception__________one study in 1986, no major research had been carried out till now, Dr Peters stated.

6. Professor Karpal said that__________the basis__________her studies so far, she was optimistic that a cure for the disease would be found.

7. Lauren Charles said that__________whole, social conditions had improved since the report, especially__________terms __________jobs and housing for the poorer sectors.

8. The Professor said that he was delighted to accept the award __________ behalf __________ the whole university.

 

Exercise 2.Match the beginning of each sentence with the most appropriate ending.

1 The conclusions are fair in 2 Dr Carr's team got the grant, in 3 We had little money to spare; in 4 We need people's personal data, in 5 We made an important discovery; in 6 This latest paper is quite short in 7 The Indian study was carried out in

a) some ways it was sheer luck. b) conjunction with an American project. c)comparison with other articles in the series. d) spite of being the smallest team to apply. e) most respects, though some are questionable. f)other words, we were underfunded. g) particular their parents' history of illnesses.

Exercise 3.Read this paragraph about the discovery of dinosaurs. Correct the errors in each sentence.

 

A bone discovered on chance in the 17th century was the beginning of the search for dinosaurs. From then in, scientists and the public have been fascinated by these creatures. In accordance to beliefs at that time, the initial discovery was thought to be the bone of a human giant. However, in 1824, a scientist, William Buckland, calculated that the bone belonged to a 12-metre, flesh-eating reptile and named it Megalosaurus, on the process giving us the first of the wonderful list of exotic names for dinosaurs. The 17th century discovery had, on turn, led to a series of further finds around that time. All these at a greater or lesser extent confirmed Buckland's theories. For far the biggest dinosaur discovered to date was probably over 40 metres long. To the most part, dinosaurs ranged from the size of a chicken to that of a giraffe. At most respects, what we know about their habits is still very limited. What we do know is at least on some extent based on pure speculation.

Key quantifying expressions

Exercise1. Read the information about the usage of nouns relating to quantity and study the table on comparing numbers and quantities to complete the sentences given below using the correct forms of the words in italics.

Learners of English often choose the wrong noun relating to quantity. For example, you say agreat (not large) deal (informal) or a large/great amount of an uncountable noun such as money, interest or influence. However, you say a large number of a plural noun such as articles, books or words. Both a number and an amount can be described as small, considerable, substantial, significant, enormous, total, surprising, excessive [too much/many], fair [quite a lot] and reasonable [acceptable].

Exercise2. Read the text and reword nouns relating to quantity. In the sentences below (typical of spoken English) replace the underlined words to make them sound more appropriate for a written assignment.

The size of our survey was relatively small-scale. We sent out 2,500 questionnaires in total. Although acouple of people did not respond, the bulk of those sent questionnaires have completed them. The survey shows that, as a whole, the population is becoming more aware of the importance of recycling. Only one of our respondents said that he recycled less than he used to.

                                             

1 The bulk of our work is concerned with carbon emissions.

2 We have noticed that fewer and fewer students are joining the course.

3 Our team spent a fair amount of time getting funding for the research.

4 In a couple of cases, we could not find any reason for the outbreak.

5 We spent a great deal of time on the project.

6 As you repeat the experiment, use less and less water each time.

                                                

Fixed expressions

Number, quantity, degree

Exercise 1.Look at these teacher's comments and choose one of the expressions to fill in the missing words in this feedback to a student.

 

- A good paper, it's clear you've spent a great deal of time researching the subject and you quote a wide range of sources.

 - Some good point here but I it's not clear to what extent you're aware of all the issues involved. Global trade affects  nations in a variety of ways.

 - I think you've misunderstood the topic to some extent. You've written in excess of (more than) 3,000 words on areas that are not entirely relevant. Let's talk.

 

You have had a very good term (1) ____________. You have done (2) ____________ work, and have also taken part in (3) ____________ social activities. Your sporting activities may have interfered with your studies (4) ____________but you still managed to write (5) ____________ 5,000 words for your end-of-term assignment, which, I am pleased to report, was of a high standard.

 

Exercise 2.Read the texts and copy out words and phrases that may help you to give examples. Form sentences of your own with this vocabulary.

Generalising and specifying

Marsha: Well, I think on the whole parents should take more responsibility for their kids.

Teacher: Yes, with respect to ( with regard to ) home life, yes, but in the case of violence, surely the wider community is involved, isn't it? I mean, for the purposes of our discussions about social stability, everyone's involved, aren't they?

Marsha: Yes, but in general I don't think people want to get involved in violent incidents, as a rule at least. They get scared off.

Teacher: True. But as far as general discipline is concerned, don't you think it's a community-wide issue? I mean discipline as regards  everyday actions, with the exception of school discipline. What do you think, in terms of public life, Tariq?

Tariq:  I think the community as a whole does care about crime and discipline and things, but for the most part they see violence as something that is outside of them, you know, not their direct responsibility.

Teacher: OK. So, let's consider the topic in more detail (in greater detail),I mean from the point of view of violence and aggression specifically in schools. Let's look at some extracts from the American Medical Association's 2002 report on bullying. They're on the handout.

 

Comparing and contrasting

Reporting what others say

 

Exercise 1. After reading the sentences below find out which underlined words are equivalent to the following:

1. says indirectly or tentatively

2. says directly

3. says something is true directly and firmly, often used when others disagree

4. suggests indirectly

5. use of this verb suggests a man gives reasons for his view

6. gives particular importance to

7. states but does not develop at length

8. shows that something must be true

9. refers to briefly

10. focuses in on

11. a verb used with idea, theory, hypothesis

12. suggests it is inaccurate

13. expresses doubts about

 

In her latest article Morton explains how information technology is changing society.

Schmidt describes the process of language change.

Kon suggests that all poets are strongly influenced by their childhood.

Lee states that problems arose earlier than was previously thought.

Uvarov claims/asserts/contends/maintains/declares that the causes of the revolution can be traced back to the 18th century.

Van Ek implies that other historians have misinterpreted the period.

Patel argues that governments should continue to fund space research.

Greenberg emphasises/highlights/stresses the importance of taking a liberal approach.

Levack observes/notes/comments/points out that there are contradictions in Day's interpretation of the poem.

Kim demonstrates/shows how Bach's music draws considerably on earlier composers' work.

Gray proves there is a link between obesity and genes.

In the book Dean mentions some new research in the field.

Mcintosh pinpoints the key features of the period in question.

Vaz advances/puts forward/proposes a new theory.

Davidson casts doubt on previous research in the field.

Gerhard questions previous interpretations of the play.

 

Exercise 2. Academic writing also frequently uses nouns rather than verbs to report others' ideas. Notice the corresponding nouns for some verbs given above. Note how these nouns often head long phrases (underlined below) which can be either the subject or the object of the verb. Then fill in the missing verbs and nouns in the table.

Morton provides an explanation as to how information technology is changing society.

Schmidt gives a description of the process of language change.

Kon's suggestion that poets are influenced by their childhood is uncontroversial.

Lee's statement that problems arose earlier than previously thought has been challenged.

Uvarov's claim/assertion/contention that the causes of the revolution can be traced back to the 18th century is worth considering in some depth.

Van Ek's implication that other historians have misinterpreted the period has caused some controversy. [suggests indirectly]

Patel's argument that governments should continue to fund space research is convincing.

Greenberg's emphasis/stress on the importance of taking a liberal approach is not new.

Levack's observation that there are contradictions in Day's interpretation of the poem has been supported by a number of other scholars.

Kim's demonstration of the way in which Bach's music draws on the work of earlier composers is fascinating.

Gray's proof of the link between obesity and genes is of considerable interest.

According to is used when reporting others' viewpoints rather than one's own. For example, according to Greene and Willis... but in my opinion... NOT according to me.

 

noun	verb	noun	verb
implication			describe
	observe	statement
argument			emphasise
assertion			explain
	contend	demonstration

Talking about ideas

Postmodernism

Postmodernism describes a movement of intellectual thought which has had a major impact on a number of academic disciplines since the late 20th century. Perhaps the best way to understand postmodernism is as a reaction to modernism. Modernism emphasises purity, honesty and total truth; for example, when an artist attempts to express the essence of a whole subject with a single line. In contrast, postmodernism asserts that experience is personal and cannot be generalized and that meaning is only for the individual to experience, not for someone else to dictate. Thus, postmodernists maintain that the person who, for example, admires a painting or reads a poem is free to interpret its meaning, and that different people will come to very different, but equally valid, conclusions as to what that meaning is.

Presenting an argument

What is fog?

Fog develops in almost the same way as a cloud. However, fog actually touches the ground rather than being above it like a cloud. Fog is made up of tiny water droplets, which are usually around 10 μm in diameter. Fog forms when the air cools to a point where it can no longer hold all of the water vapour it contains (the dew point). The water vapour therefore condenses into tiny liquid water droplets, on surfaces such as the ground, roofs or around microscopic particles such as dust and pollutants in the air. The water droplets are hydrophilic, that is they attract other water droplets, and so once the process has begun, larger drops of water can form.

 

Exercise 2. Diana is doing a PhD in environmental science. She has been investigating water-harvesting mechanisms. She is writing to Bryn, her PhD supervisor. Read an extract from her email and then answer the questions below.

... wondering if I could arrange a meeting with you some time next week? I’d like to discuss an idea for a possible new direction to take our research in.

Basically, I’ve been doing some reading on the Namib Desert Beetle and think that there might be a way to design some kind of water-harvesting material based on its wings.

They are covered in hydrophilic bumps which attract water droplets in the fog. The drops get larger, and when they become too heavy to stay on the bump they roll off. The bumps are surrounded by hydrophobic channels so the water rolls down into the beetle’s mouth.

I really think it might be possible to develop a superhydrophobic material which has a surface covered in superhydrophilic bumps to trap water droplets in fog and this is what I’d like to …

 

1. What is the difference between (super-)hydrophilic and (super-) hydrophobic?

2. What does Diana hope to design?

3. What is the biological inspiration for her design?

4. How does she plan to use this inspiration in her design?

 

Exercise 3.Read the conversation between Diana and Bryn. Is Bryn interested in Diana’s idea? Why/why not?

 

Diana:... So, as I said in my email, I think we could create a material which mimics the surface of the beetle's wings and so could be used to harvest water from fog.

Bryn: Yes, that might be possible, but I don’t believe it would be any better than the lotus-inspired surfaces Meera and Zein are working on. In fact, what you are proposing seems to double the work - you’d need a hydrophobic and a hydrophilic surface.

Diana: That’s true, but it seems to me that this would be more efficient.

Bryn: In what way?

Diana:  OK, as far as I'm aware, the lotus-inspired materials collect actual droplets of water, drops of rain. But this beetle seems to be able to collect water just from fog, not raindrops, so you wouldn’t need actual rainfall.