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Module 11, Day 1 Activity for Writing Lab Sessions

Practice Exercises

Exercise 1

Replace the phrasal verbs in the sentences with a more appropriate verb from the list
below. Don't forget to keep the same tense.

Fluctuate; investigate; eliminate; raise; reduce

propose; intervene; establish

1. Researchers have been looking into the problem for 15 years. Investigate

2. This issue was brought up during the seminar. Raise

3. It is assumed that the management knows what is happening and will therefore step in
if

there is a problem. Intervene

4. Schools cannot altogether get rid of the problem of truancy. Eliminate

5. The number of staff has been cut down recently. Reduce

6. It was very difficult to find out exactly what happened. Establish

7. House prices have a tendency to go up and down. Fluctuate

8. A potential solution was put forward two years ago. Propose

Exercise 2

Replace the following phrasal verbs with a more formal single word.

1. The locals could not put up with the visitors from the city. Tolerate

2. The decline was brought about by cheap imports. Caused

3. The university is thinking about installing CCTV. Considering

4. Sales are likely to drop off in the third quarter. Decline

5. He went on speaking for over an hour. Continued

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6. The meeting was put off until December. Postponed

7. The cinema was pulled down ten years ago. Demolished

8, People have cut down on their consumption of beef. Reduced

Exercise 3

Which of the two alternatives in bold do you think is more appropriate in academic
writing?

1.The government has made considerable/great progress in solving the problem.

2. We got/obtained excellent results in the experiment.

3. The results of lots of/numerous tests have been pretty good/encouraging.

4. A loss of jobs is one of the consequences/things that will happen if the process is
automated.

5. The relationship between the management and workers is extremely/really important.

6. Some suggestions springing up from/arising from the study will be presented.

Exercise 4

Use a more formal word or phrase to replace those in bold.

1. The reaction of the officials was sort of negative. Somewhat

2. The economic outlook is nice. Encouraging

3. Car manufacturers are planning a get together to discuss their strategy. Meeting

4. The resulting competition between countries is good. Effective

5. The economy is affected by things that happen outside the country. Events

6. She was given the sack because of her poor record. Suspension

7. The examination results were super. Outstanding/Excellent

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Exercise 5

Replace the contractions in the following sentences with full forms where necessary.

1. The results were not very encouraging.

2. We will have to conduct another experiment.

3. She has been all around the world.

4. It is the best solution to the problem.

5. Our questionnaire shows that teachers were not paid what they were worth.

6. His response was, "A job is a job; if it does not pay enough, it is a lousy job'.

7. He would rather announce the findings at the conference.

8. The department's approach did not succeed.

Exercise 6

Suggest improvements to the following sentences to avoid use of “you” and “we”.

1. You can apply the same theory of learning to small children.

The same theory of learning can be applied to small children

2. You can only do this after the initial preparation has been conducted.

This can only be done after the initial preparation has been conducted

3. The figures are accurate to within 1%, but you should note that local
variations may apply.

It is worth mentioning that the figures are accurate to within 1%, however, local
variations may apply

4. In the second section of the report, we will consider the environmental

consequences.

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The second section of the report will consider the environmental consequences

Exercise 7
Suggest alternatives to the following to avoid use of personal language.

1. In this essay I will discuss the main differences between the English and
Scottish legal systems.

This essay will discuss the main differences between English and
Scottish legal systems

2. I have divided my report into five sections

This report has been divided into five sections

3. I will conclude by proposing that all drugs should be legalized

It will be proposed that all drugs should be legalized

4. The opinion of the present author in this essay is that the importance of
the monarchy should be reduced

This essay suggests that the importance of the monarchy should be reduced

5. In the third part of the essay, we will look at the reasons for public
hysteria over the SARS virus

The third part of the essay will discuss/explore the reasons for public hysteria over the
SARS virus

6. Although I am not an expert in the field, I have tried very hard to

understand the main ideas

Despite little expertise in the field, an attempt has been made to understand the main idea
of this project

Exercise 8
Make these statements more cautious.

1. Today everyone uses credit cards for all their shopping.

People mostly use credit cards for shopping nowadays

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2. Drinking wine is bad for you.

Drinking wine is harmful for your health

3. Global warming will have disastrous consequences for the whole

world.

Global warming is likely to have serious consequences for the world

4. Teleworking leads to isolation.

Teleworking may lead to a sense of isolation

5. Women are worse drivers than men.

It is generally believed that women are not as skillful driver as men

Exercise 9
Rewrite the following in a more formal style.

1. The positive feedback made up for the problems we came across during
the trials.

The positive feedback compensated for the problems faced during the trials

2. You can clearly see the differences between these two learning
processes.

The variations in these two learning processes are visible

3. The subjects didn't have much difficulty with the task.

The subjects did not have difficulty with the task

4. We found example after example of autonomous systems in lots of

countries.

Numerous examples of autonomous systems were found in many countries

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Exercise 10

Consider the following three extracts from different academic essays and
comment on the style. Try to identify 3 features in the texts that you consider to
be good style.

Extract 1

Nevertheless, contrary to many expectations [Thompson 2000] the EMU was

established at the beginning of January 1999 although, it will not appear as hard
currency until 2002: all the economic contingencies set out in the TEU have been
met and indicate a greater co-operation between the 12 member states. But, to an
extent, 'elements of diversity and fragmentation are penetrating into the EU legal
order'[Sanchez 2001]: the abstention of the UK, Ireland and Denmark from the
EMU raises the possibility of a dual-speed Europe where some Member States
surrender more of their political sovereignty to the EU and where others remain
only as awkward neighbours.

Therefore, it was clear at the Intergovernmental Conference in 1996, which was

provided for in the TEU, that there was a need for further amendment to the
treaties: an agenda was set for Amsterdam in 1997 to bring the 'EU closer to its
citizens', to co-ordinate employment policies, to have more democratic and
effective institutions (especially in the light of possible future enlargement) and to
strengthen the Union's capacity for external action through its common foreign
and security policy. [Jameson 2002] The main functions, therefore of the
Amsterdam Treaty was to remedy the inadequacies of the TEU and ensure that
the EU could function with considerably more than 15 states.[Smith and Horton
2001]

In light of this agenda, the Treaty of Amsterdam although not yet ratified has
achieved considerable 'modernisation' in some areas of EU policy; politically, the
three pillars structure of the European Communities has been simplified-
Common visa, Immigration and Asylum

Extract 2

He also found that industrial capitalism was based on Calvinism, where it is pre-
destined, God's will, that some people will do well in this world and that they are
given the opportunity to enjoy the materialist, monetary wealth this brings. Like
Marx, Weber believed that a problem of industrial capitalism is widespread
alienation. But in his view, this was due to disenchantment with the world rather
than oppression and false consciousness, i.e. that "social problems are grounded

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in the shortcomings of individuals rather than the flaws of society" (Macionis &
Plummer, p.78).

We can see Weber's theory that rationality wears away traditional ties of kinship
when we look at today's modern societies. There is evidence that family values
are decreasing with long working hours and with, in a lot of modern families, both
parents being career-orientated. Modern technology has also affected traditional
family values.

The introduction of TV, stereos, computers, telephones, have all decreased the
time we spend in direct personal contact with family members and friends. It can
be argued that modern technology has enabled us to carry out tasks quicker and
save time, but that extra time is seldom ever spent with family. Rationalizing
society has given rise to alienation.

Extract 3

The ethnographic level of sub cultural features is quite underdeveloped in the

work of the CCCS. However the ideas about how membership of a subordinate
class subculture affects the life of the member is discussed. It is claimed that there
is "no sub cultural career for the working class lad" (Hall et al 1976:47). Implying
that sub cultures do not solve the problems within society, that there is no sub
cultural solution to problems involving unemployment, poor education, mis-
education, "dead end jobs, routinisation and specialisation of labour, low pay and
the loss of skills" (Hall et al 1976:47).

Therefore it is implied that sub cultures are self-defeating, although they believe
they are making their making a statement it could also be considered a form of
self-entrapment. This antagonism towards authority (a main feature of sub
cultures) in the educational environment has been termed "counter-school culture"
(Willis 1997:121). It is in education that youth culture begins to arise and resist
authority, and the school culture. It is from this environment that sub cultures can
be created as "even the few who come to the school with a developed eye for the
social landscape behave in a conformist way because of the lack of any visible
support group" (Willis 1997:122). However once a general consensus of
resistance is discovered, a support group is created and within this lies the origins
and (one of the main features, resistance) of sub cultures.

Taking this definition of subcultures into account, we must discuss whether

the term is still relevant to the youth cultures of today.

Academic Vocabulary and Style

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EAP wordlist with linked definitions – can also search subject specific lists for Criminal
Law, Environmental Science, Business, Music and others.
http://www.uefap.co.uk/vocab/vocfram.htm

Crosswords designed to test your academic vocabulary by the Hong Kong Polytechnic
University
http://elc.polyu.edu.hk/cill/eap/2004/pg15nounsxword.htm

Academic wordlist produced by English Companion website

http://www.englishcompanion.com/pdfDocs/acvocabulary2.pdf

Nottingham University site suggesting how to use the AWL

http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/~alzsh3/acvocab/

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