ENG1511/Sem 01/ Assignment 01/2023

Tutorial letter 001/1/2023

English Proficiency for University Studies

ENG1511

Semester 1
Department of English Studies

This tutorial letter contains

important information about the
ENG1511 Assignment 01

Please register on myUnisa, activate your myLife email address and make sure
that you have regular access to the myUnisa module website.

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Table of Contents Page

Assignment 01 ………………………………………………………………………………………..3
Due date…………………………………………………………………………………………………3
Question 1: Reading comprehension and grammar ……………………………………………….3
Question 2: Synonyms ……………………………………………………………………………….. 4
Question 3: Punctuation ……………………………………………………………………………….4
Question 4:Online Participation ……………………….………….…………………………………...5
Addendum………………………………………………………………………………………………..6
i. Marking Code………………………………………………………………………………..6
Honesty declaration form ………………………………………………………………………………9

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 ENG1511/Sem 01/ Assignment 01/2023

Assignment 01

Due date: 03 April 2023

Compulsory: Yes

Assignment 1 – Reading comprehension and grammar

Instructions:
• Before you attempt this assignment, you must make sure that you have studied your
prescribed book: An Introduction to Scholarship: Building Academic Skills for Tertiary
Study (2nd edition) by Cheryl Siewierski.
• It is your responsibility to access the prescribed book, and you will not be able to answer
the questions if you have not purchased the book.
• Read Chapter 5 (Work your ‘Google-Fu’, p. 93-110) of the prescribed book An Introduction
to scholarship and answer the questions below.

Question 1

1. From your reading of the passage, what does the term ‘Google-Fu’ refer to? (2)

2. Read the sentence below and answer the questions that follow:

‘Jana’s experience is not unique- at some point, most of us who ‘surf’ the World Wide Web
or an online database for information have experienced that frustrating sense of defeat’ (p
94).

i) What does the word ‘surf’ mean in the context in which it is used in the above sentence?
(2)
ii) What part of speech is the word ‘surf’ ? (1)

3. In your own words, explain the difference between the internet and the World Wide Web. (4)

4. List the three steps in the ‘three-step approach’ to finding relevant phrases. (3)
(Refer to 5.4.1, Developing search phrases)

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5. What does the author mean by the statement ‘When you conduct a Google-search, the results
that are returned on the first page are like the tip of an iceberg, whose greater mass is hidden
underwater’? (Refer to 5.1).
(2)

6. With reference to the text, briefly discuss why online search engines are important? (3)

7. Choose the correct option from the words in brackets:

i. We use a metaphor related to various martial arts (practises/ practices). (1)

ii. You will be provided with a step-by-step approach to selecting credible
(sauces/sources) from your returned results so that you can use them (farther/further)
in your studies.
(2)

(20 marks)

Question 2

Provide the synonyms of the following words.

1. Browse

2. Database

3. Iceberg

4. Mass

5. Source
(5 marks)
Question 3

Identify the following punctuation marks and explain how you use them in a sentence.

Example:

a) An apostrophe
b) An apostrophe can be used to show possession. If the owner or possessor is singular,
the letter ‘s’ is used after an apostrophe to show ownership.
1) , (2)

2) ; (2)

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 ENG1511/Sem 01/ Assignment 01/2023

3) : (2)

4) … (2)

5) ! (2)

(10 marks)

Question 4
Background
ENG1511 is an online module, and it is important for students to engage with their lecturers and
their fellow students to ensure that the teaching and learning is delivered successfully.

Instruction
Participate in any two topics created by your lecturers, e-tutors, fellow students on the
ENG1511 discussion forum platform on myUnisa. To serve as evidence of your participation,
take a screenshot/picture and attach it on your assignment. Your screenshot/picture should
display your surname and initials.
(15 marks)

Total: 50 x 2 = 100

© UNISA

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Addendum

Please read through the marking code and the marking assessment grid below as this will
give you an indication of how your assignment will be marked.

Marking code

Symbol Error Explanation

abb Abbreviation Do not use abbreviations or
contractions (such as can't, don't, etc.) in formal
writing (e.g., a written assignment
agr (s/v) Agreement error Your verb does not agree with your subject
in number. Check whether your subject is
singular or plural.

A plural subject takes a plural verb: The students

read the book.

A singular subject takes a singular

verb: The student reads the book.

amb Ambiguity Your statement could have two meanings.

Rephrase.

ap Apostrophe error An apostrophe is a comma that hangs above the

line.

An apostrophe is used to indicate possession.

• The boy’s hands are dirty (the hands of the
boy).
• Mandela's leadership (the leadership of
Mandela).
• The boys' privileges (the privileges of the
boys).
An apostrophe is used to indicate when letters are
left out (contraction or omission).
• We'll (we will)
• Can't (cannot)
• I've (I have)
• It's (it is)
Contractions such as these are unacceptable in
formal writing.
NB: 'its' (without an apostrophe) is the
possessive form. The dog chewed its bone.
arg Argument Your argument/explanation is not
methodical/coherent/relevant. A clear and logical
line of thought needs to emerge.
art Article error You have used a instead of the, or the
instead of a, or you have omitted to use a or
the where you should have. Alternatively, you
have used a or the with a word that should not
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 ENG1511/Sem 01/ Assignment 01/2023

have an article.
awk Awkward phrasing Your sentence sounds awkward and clumsy.
You need to revise your word choice and word
order.
cap Capital letter The word should begin with a capital letter,
either because it begins a sentence, or because
it is a proper noun.
c/s Comma splice You have joined two ideas (i.e., two separate
sentences) without using a connecting word or
proper punctuation. Either add a connecting
word, or change the comma t o a semi-colon,
or break the comma-spliced sentence into
two separate sentences.
exp Expression faulty Your sentence is difficult to understand because
of errors too numerous to list.
Frag/inc Fragmentary Your sentence does not have a verb and,
sentence therefore, is only a fragment of a sentence.
/Incomplete
sentence You have left out part of the sentence.
l/c Lower case This word does not begin with a capital letter.
irr Irrelevant What you have said has nothing to do with the
topic.
L?/ill Logic faulty/illogical Illogical, or your writing does not make sense
here.
N.P. New paragraph You have started discussing a new idea, so you
need a new paragraph.
Para Paragraph structure A paragraph consists of a main idea
(usually expressed in a topic
sentence) a n d s e v e r a l supporting
sentences t h a t explain the main
idea or give examples and/or details
concerning the main idea. Single
sentence paragraphs are not
acceptable because a single
sentence cannot develop or expand
the main idea.

Your paragraph is too long and needs to be

divided where appropriate.

p Punctuation You have misused a punctuation mark or

omitted one where it was necessary.
sp Spelling You have misspelt a word. Try to get into the
habit of using a dictionary consistently.
T Tense error Your verb is in the wrong tense.

Note: Use the present and related tenses when

discussing a literary work, such as ‘Bosman's
humour has a strong South African flavour.’
‘In her short stories, Nadine Gordimer touches on
issues ...’
voc/ Vocabulary error/ You have used the wrong word, or you could
have used a better one. (Look up the word you
have used in the dictionary. You will find that its

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 meaning is either not correct or not appropriate
in your sentence).
wdy Wordiness You have used too many words to say
something t hat could be said for more simply
and concisely.
WO Word order The words in your sentence are in the wrong
incorrect place. Your marker will have used arrows.

/ Instead of Replace with what is suggested instead.

0! Delete 0!
Omit this
word/phrase/
explanation.
/\ Insert /\
A word or a letter is
missing here
[ New Paragraph You have started discussing a new idea.
st style slang/colloquial/SMS language-rewrite in formal
English
vague or puzzling
??

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 ENG1511/Sem 01/ Assignment 01/2023

Honesty declaration form

NB. No assignment will be accepted without this declaration.

Copy and paste the declaration form at the end of your assignment. Also type in your full names on
the signature space if you do not have tools to sign the form.

Name: ..............................................................
Student number: ..............................................
I declare that this assignment is my own original work. I have not copied anyone else’s work or
allowed anyone else to copy mine. I am aware that plagiarism is fraud and may be punished by
the cancellation of an offending student’s registration.

Signature: ........................................................