Concrete -1: Effective Writing

Lesson-1
 How do you decide the best position for the subject of a sentence?
 In English every sentence must have a subject.
 The word order of the English language is subject + verb
+object/adjective/adverb/noun/clause.
 In academic writing, subject should be emphasized in active voice sentences.
 If the sentence is in passive voice, the emphasis is on the object noun, which acts
as the subject of the sentence.

Look at the following examples. Do you think the phrases in bold letters are the subjects
of the examples?

1. Which sentence/clause (a or b) sounds better to you?

2. Which sentence/clause is clearer?
Try to reason out your answer/s with the help of your class-lecturer.

 The following sentences are some of the best examples of mother-tongue

interference.
 The best examples of the mother-tongue interference are the following sentences.

 In the trade fest, sometimes new entrepreneurs manage to establish a name for
themselves.
 Sometimes new entrepreneurs manage to establish a name for themselves, in the
trade fest.

 This operation is applicable to only certain nouns in the English, which are
called countable nouns.
 Only for certain nouns in the English this operation is applicable; these are
called countable nouns.
  According to the recent research, there is a gradual decline in standards of the
English among the school and graduate students, which subsequently result in
dearth of intellectual scholarship in Sri Lanka.
 A gradual decline in standards of the English among the school and graduate
students in Sri Lanka subsequently result in dearth of intellectual scholarship,
according to the recent research.

 I study English because it is the language of research in the world.

 Because English is the language of research in the world, I study English.

 Mainly due to the flexibility, impressive cost-benefit relationship and the track
record as a potential coating technique that can be industrialized, currently, there
is an enormous interest in the thermal spray techniques to be utilized in
renewable energy applications. (Unknown Scholar)
 At present, there is an enormous interest in the thermal spray techniques to
be utilized in renewable energy application.This is mainly due to the flexibility,
impressive cost-benefit relationship and the track record as a potential coating
technique that can be industrialized.

Exercise-1
First identify the subject.
Then decide the best word order.

Choose the sentence/clause with the best word order.

Education is given a great emphasis in our society.

Our society places a great emphasis on education.

Religion plays a fundamental role in a society by enforcing unwritten laws on people.

By enforcing unwritten laws on people, religion plays a fundamental role in a society.

The raising of the university admission fee led to several unexpected issues.
Several unexpected issues arose with the raising of the university admission fee.
With reference to your email, dated, 23rd February 2016, I would like to inform you that
at present, there are no openings in our company.
I would like to inform you that at present, there are no openings in our company; this is
with reference to your e-mail dated, 23rd February 2016.

Recent research illustrates that the bilinguals are more intelligent than the monolinguals.
That the bilinguals are more intelligent than the monolinguals is revealed in the recent
research outcome.

The students of the Engineering Faculty require to pass English in order to obtain their
degree.
In order to obtain their degree, students of the Engineering Faculty require to pass
/passing English with a minimum of “C” grade.

For a significant period of time, the oil and gas industry have used thermal spray coating.
Thermal spray coatings have been used in the oil and gas industry for a significant period
of time.
For a significant period of time, thermal spray coatings have been used in the oil and gas
industry.

Biomass is one of the most important renewable sources of energy, which covers
approximately 10% of the world energy supply.
One of the most important sources of energy is biomass, which covers approximately
10% of the world energy supply.
Biomass, which is one of the most important renewable sources of energy, covers
approximately 10% of the world energy supply.

In order to acquire effective writing skills, you need to improve your knowledge on
English grammar.
You need to improve your knowledge on English grammar, in order to acquire effective
writing skills.
Today, most of the research papers are written in English, Thus, English is considered as
the language of research.
English is considered as the language of research because most of the research papers are
written in English today.

Chandrika Maliyagoda 26th February 2016