ASSIGNMENT

_________________________________________________________________________
BPAW7103
TECHNICAL/ACADEMIC WRITING
MAY SEMESTER 2022

SPECIFIC INSTRUCTION

1. Answer in English.

2. Number of words: 6,000 – 10,000 words excluding references.

3. Submit your assignment ONCE only in a SINGLE file.

4. Submit your assignment ONLINE.

5. Submission date: 6th AUGUST 2022.

6. This assignment accounts for 100% of the total marks for the course.

1
 ASSIGNMENT QUESTION

QUESTION/TASK 1 (30%):

OBJECTIVE:
Task1 focuses on selected features of academic writing, covering multi-
word verbs, the structure of research questions, using owned words and
citation style, paraphrasing style, and transitional expressions.

REQUIREMENT:
Answer all the questions in SECTIONS A, B, C, and D.
_________________________________________________________________

SECTION A (5 marks)
Identify the two-word verbs found in each of the five sentences below. Then
rewrite the sentences by replacing the identified verbs. Underline the changes
made.

1. A primary education system was set up throughout Ireland as early as

1831.
2. This will cut down the amount of drug required and so the cost of
treatment.
3. Thus, he should have looked into how the patient has coped previously.
4. The aggregate of outstanding balances went up and down quite
violently.
5. Dieters often feel that they should totally get rid of high-fat and high-
sugar foods.

SECTION B (7 marks)
Three sets of research questions are given. For each set, choose the best
research question out of the three (A, B, and C). Give reasons for NOT choosing
the other 2 options.

Set 1 
Question A: What marketing strategies does the Coca-Cola company currently
apply?

Question B: What is the Coca-Cola company's future marketing plan?

Question C: What marketing strategies has the Coca-Cola company used in the
past?

2
Set 2
Question A: What impact has deregulation had on the airline industry?

Question B: What percentage of commercial airline crashes was traced to

negligent maintenance during the ten years immediately preceding and following
deregulation?

Question C: What impact has deregulation had on commercial airline safety?

Set 3
Question A: Do children sent to daycare or preschool start kindergarten with
more-developed skills?

Question B: Do children sent to daycare or preschool start kindergarten with more

highly-developed language skills?

Question C: Do children sent to daycare or preschool start kindergarten with

larger vocabularies?

SECTION C (12 marks)

PART 1

Below is a quotation followed by three samples of writing. Identify what

each sample is in terms of a paraphrase, a summary, and a plagiarized
work.

Quotation: "Empire State College has a policy describing the conditions under
which students may be warned or withdrawn from the College for such unethical
academic behavior as plagiarism, forgery, misrepresentation, or other dishonest
or deceptive acts which constitute grounds for warning or administrative
withdrawal” (From Student Handbook 5, p. 5.)

Writing Samples

1. The Student Handbook states that the College may dismiss students who
in any way present others' work as their own (Student Handbook, 1992: 5).

2. According to policy in the Student Handbook, Empire State College may

take punitive action (including dismissal) against students who act
fraudulently. Fraudulent action includes using the words or ideas of others
3
 without proper attribution, falsifying documents, or depicting the words of
others as one's own (Student Handbook 5,1992: 5).

3. The Student Handbook states that the College has a policy that describes
the different instances under which students may be withdrawn from the
College. These instances include plagiarism, forgery, misrepresentation,
and other instances that show dishonest or deceptive practice (Student
Handbook 5, 1992: 5).
_______________________

PART 2

Given below is a quotation and the source of the quote. Paraphrase the
quote by using two different formats of acknowledging the source.

QUOTE: “Consequently, technology can be understood, given meaning,

managed, and changed only in a historical organizational institutional context”.

SOURCE: Robert J. Thomas What Machines Can't Do: Politics and Technology in
the Industrial Enterprise. University of CA Press 1994 pp. 35-42.

________________________

PART 3

Examine the meaning of the given sentence carefully. It can be paraphrased

in several ways to express the same basic meaning.

Sentence: It is eleven years since the FDA Conference was last held here in
Malaysia.

Complete the five sentences below in ways that express the same meaning
as the one above.

An example question and answer are given.

Example Sentence: It is eleven years …

Answer: It is eleven years since the FDA Conference was last held here in
Malaysia.

Sentences for completion:

1. The last time ...

4
 2. The FDA Conference… last...

3. It… in 2000 ...

4. Eleven years have ...

5 This is the first ...

SECTION D (6 marks)

Read the three paragraphs selected from an essay on whether human

activity has made the world a better place.

Fill in an appropriate signal word or phrase for each blank found in the text.
State the corresponding functions of the words.

Your answers should be presented in a table.

ESSAY

History shows that human beings have come a long way from
where they started. They have developed new technologies which means that
everybody can enjoy luxuries they never previously imagined. (1)__________
the technologies that are temporarily making this world a better place to live
could well prove to be an ultimate disaster (2) _______, among other things,
the creation of nuclear weapons, increasing pollution, and loss of animal species.

The biggest threat to the earth caused by modern human activity comes from

the creation of nuclear weapons. (3) _______  it cannot be denied that countries
have to defend themselves, the kind of weapons that some of them currently
possess are far in excess of what is needed for defence. If these weapons were
used, they could lead to the destruction of the entire planet.

(4) ________ harm caused by human activity to this earth is pollution. People

have become reliant on modern technology, which can have adverse effects on
the environment. (5) _________  reliance on cars causes air and noise pollution.
Even seemingly innocent devices, (6) ________ computers and mobile phones,
use electricity, most of which is produced from coal-burning power
stations, which further adds to environmental pollution. If we do not curb our
direct and indirect use of fossil fuels, the harm to the environment may be
catastrophic.

5
(7) ________ there is no doubt that current human activities such as  
the creation of nuclear weapons, pollution, and destruction of wildlife,
are harmful to the earth. It is important for us to see not only the short-
term effects of our actions, but their long-term ones as well. (8)________, human
activities will be just another step towards destruction.

[Total: 30 marks]

_________________________________________________________________________
QUESTION/ TASK 2 (70%):

OBJECTIVE:

Task 2 focuses on the writing of summaries based on relevant literature review,

formulation of research questions, the writing of a supporting critical review, and
a write up of specific aspects of methodology targeted to obtain data for the stated
research questions.

REQUIREMENT: Complete all the sections, A, B, and C for Task 2.

A. Summarise the sections on research implications (from five data sources).

This section is usually found in chapter 5 of a dissertation that have
relevance for your intended field of study. Prior to the presentation of the
summaries, state your intended field of study.
(20%)

B. Pick out one summary and build two research questions for your study.
Write a short critical literature review to support the two research questions
(review 5 other relevant support articles for EACH research question).
(25%)

C. For each research question, describe the methodology involved.

Concentrate only on the following aspects:
 underlying research philosophy
 sampling methods
 instrument development (with 5 sample items shown), and
 validity issues.
(25%)

NOTES
6
  Your answers should be presented according to the individual parts, A, B,
and C.
Make use of sensible headings and sub-headings where appropriate in
your answers.
 You may include visuals where appropriate
 To answer Section C, you can tap on prior knowledge on methodology and
use relevant supports for your write-up.
 For each section, present your information according to the broad divisions
of introduction, body and conclusion.

Length and format of assignment: The answer should be within 15 to 20

pages. Font size 11 Arial, 1.5 spacing.

[Total: 70 marks]

[GRAND TOTAL: 100 MARKS]

7

ASSIGNMENT RUBRICS
BPAW7103 TECHNICAL/ACADEMIC WRITING / MAY SEMESTER 2022
QUESTION/TASK 1 (30%)
Excellent
*QN CLO Criteria Weight
4 3
SECTION A Highly accurate answer
Identify the two-word verbs found in each of the with correct
five sentences below and substitute them with identification and
1 1 formal academic verbs. substitution.
1.25
SECTION B Highly accurate answer
Choose the best research question out of the with correct
given three. Give reasons for not choosing the identification and
2 other 2 options. 1.75 plausible and logical
reasons for not
choosing the other
options.
SECTION C Highly accurate answer
PARTS 1 with correct
identification and
Identification of paraphrase, summary and 1.0
paraphrases that use
plagiarised work.
owned words.
Paraphrase the quote by using two different
formats of acknowledging the source.
3 Satisfactory answer
PARTS 2 Highly accurate answer
Identification of paraphrase, summary and with correct
plagiarised work. identification and
1.0
Paraphrase the quote by using two different paraphrases that use
formats of acknowledging the source. owned words.
No mistakes are
detected at all in the
PART 3 1.0
sentence construction.
Complete the five sentences below in ways that
The original meaning is
express the same meaning as the one above.
maintained.
ATTACHMENT
Good Fair Poor Unsatisfactory
Max
2 1 0 Marks
Accurate answer with Satisfactory answer Poorly written answer Answer is highly
correct identification with some inaccuracies with many inappropriate in task
and substitution with in identification and inaccuracies in fulfilment.
one or 2 mistakes. substitution. identification and
5
substitution.
Accurate answer with Satisfactory answer Poorly written answer Answer is highly
correct identification with some inaccuracies with many inappropriate in task
and good reasons for in identification and inaccuracies in fulfilment.
not choosing the other satisfactory reasons identification and 7
options. for not choosing the illogical reasoning for
other options. not choosing the
other options.
Accurate answer with Satisfactory answer Poorly written answer Answer is highly 4
correct identification with some inaccuracies with many inappropriate in task
and good paraphrases in identification and inaccuracies in fulfilment.
that use owned words. paraphrases showing identification and
some inadequacies in poorly written
using owned words. paraphrases with
heavy borrowings
from original source.
Poorly written answer
Accurate answer with with some inaccuracies with many Answer is highly 4
correct identification in identification and inaccuracies in inappropriate in task
and good paraphrases paraphrases showing identification and fulfilment.
that use owned words. some inadequacies in poorly written
using owned words. paraphrases with
heavy borrowings
from original source.
One or two negligible Some mistakes Glaring mistakes are
mistakes are detected l detected in the detected in the
in the sentence sentence construction. sentence Every single sentence 4
construction. The The original meaning construction. The is poorly
original meaning is is satisfactorily original meaning is constructed . Original
maintained. maintained. poorly maintained. meaning is not
conveyed.
1
 SECTION D Highly accurate answer Accurate answers with Some mistakes are Many mistakes are More than ¾ of the
Fill in an appropriate signal word or phrase for with no mistakes in one or two mistakes in identified in word made in word answers are
each blank in the text. State the corresponding word accuracy and word accuracy and accuracy and purpose accuracy and purpose inappropriately in
2 1.5 6
functions of the words. purpose explanation. purpose explanation. explanation. explanation. signal word choice
and purposes are
mostly inaccurate .
Total 7.5 30
*QN = Question Number

QUESTION/TASK 2 (70%)

Excellent Good Fair Poor Unsatisfactory

Max
*QN CLO Criteria Weight
4 3 2 1 0 Marks

Section A
Summarise the sections on research implications
(from five data sources). Prior to the presentation Excellent
2 3 of the summaries, state your intended field of 5 comprehensive
study. summaries of research
implications, with very
clear relevance to the
stated research
intention.
Well written Fairly comprehensive Poorly written and Summaries are almost
comprehensive summaries of research unfocused unintelligible, with
summaries of research implications, with summaries of very little link to the
20
implications, with clear sufficient clarity in research implications, stated research
relevance to the stated relevance to the stated with poor relevance intention.
research intention. research intention. link to the stated
research intention.

3 Section B
Pick out one summary and build two research Comprehensive Unclear framing of Research questions
Accurate and
questions for your study. Excellent and accurate framing of research research questions do not follow general
comprehensive
Write a short critical literature review to support framing of research questions with some with glaring language principles of research
framing of research
the two research questions (review 5 other 6.25 questions with no language problems. problems. question 25
questions with almost
relevant support articles for EACH research language problems. construction. Meaning
no language problems
question). is very poorly
conveyed.

3 Section C
For each research question, describe the
methodology involved. Concentrate only on the 6.25 Excellent, detailed
following aspects: and easy -to- follow
 underlying research philosophy description of
underlying research
 sampling methods
philosophy, sampling
 instrument development (with 5 sample methods, instrument
items shown), and development,
 validity issues. and
validity issues.
25
Most details are Some details are Many details are A very shallow
included and they are lacking but they are lacking and they are presentation of
easy -to- follow with a quite easy -to- follow not quite easy to details; they are
good description of with a satisfactory follow; the totally not in line with
underlying research description of descriptions of the research
philosophy, sampling underlying research underlying research questions; the
methods, instrument philosophy, sampling philosophy, sampling descriptions of
development, methods, instrument methods, instrument underlying research
and development, development, philosophy, sampling
validity issues. and and methods, instrument
validity issues. validity issues are development,
poorly attended to. and
2
 validity issues are
extremely poorly
delivered.

17.5 70
*QN = Question Number

NOTES:
You are to work in groups of 2/3 members if the classroom enrolment has about 10 students.
If the enrolment number is 12 or more, work in groups of 3 members.