academic skills advice teach yourself - university of · pdf fileteach yourself be tt er...

a c a d e m i c s k i l l s a d v i c eU G / p GT E AC H YO U R S E L FUO B

AcAdemic SkillS Advice

Teach Yourself

GrammarSpelling

Punctuation

Better Language Skills:

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introductionThis Teach Yourself Booklet covers the basics in terms of the mistakes that often occur in students’ academic writing for Higher education.

The booklet contains information for you to read and activities to practise what you have learnt. all answers can be found at the back of the booklet.

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if you try working through the booklet and feel

you would benefit from further skills advice and

guidance, just email (academic-skills@

bradford.ac.uk) or telephone us

(01274 236 849).Grammar - Rules for articles (a, an, the)five Simple rules

five more rules

1. We use a or an when: ‘we do not know which one’

nbecause there are a lot of these kinds of things

nit is not the only one of its kind (not unique)

nit has not been discussed before in your assignment

e.g. a theoretical framework is identified to guide the research.

2. We use the when: ‘we know which one’

nbecause it has been discussed before

nit is defined by a phrase or clause which follows

nit is the only one of its kind in this context

e.g. Once it has been identified, the theoretical framework provides the parameters of the study.

3. We use no article when we make generalizations using plural or uncountable nouns,

e.g. Qualitative research places an emphasis on unpacking the meaning of a phenomenon for participants.

4. We normally use no article with the names of people or places (but there are exceptions to this rule see Part 2 below).

e.g. according to Jones (2004), ...; Research conducted at london University...

5. We use the / a as part of a fixed phrase, e.g. a number of, the end of

1. With: prison, college, church, home, hospital, etc. - when you discuss the normal purpose of institutions, rather than a particular building you don’t use an article,

e.g. to be in prison, to leave school, to go to university

BuT when you are talking about a specific building you use an article,

e.g. the university is outside the town centre

2. We use a or an with jobs, e.g. [Name] is a researcher at...

3. We use the in superlative phrases,

e.g. the most rigorous study

4. Normally with phrases of time, there is no article,

e.g. the 25th of december, but on Friday, at lunch, last semester, in 1997.

5. Generally there is no article with place names,

e.g. in africa, in Oxford street, in Bradford, etc. but, in the U.k., the Rocky mountains, the suez canal, the United states

adapted from: cunningham, s. and moor, P. 2000. cutting edge Upper intermediate, longman by marion Bowman.

w w w . B r a d f o r d . a c . u k / a c a d e m i c - S k i L L S 3U O B T E AC H YO U R S E L F

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activity 1 Test yourself on articles(answers are at the end of the booklet)

check the statements for either unnecessary or missing articles. mark these on in coloured ink.

1. The research is important as it improves the nursing practice.

2. One of strengths of qualitative research is that it captures participants’ real experiences.

3. The defendant was then sent to the prison to serve a five year sentence.

4. The aim of this essay is to critique the research article on evidence based practice. a research article is a longitudinal study of a small number of participants.

5. according to a study by the Hornville and Jowell (1994), conducted at the leeds University, qualitative research is more suitable when there is not specific theory being tested.

6. The third study had largest sample size, however, the research was conducted by research assistant. This may have resulted in bias.

7. Researcher recruited participants by advertising in the professional magazine providing details about a study.

8. The researcher conducted the semi-structured face-to-face interviews to have better understanding of the phenomenon under study.

Grammar - 3rd person singular with regular verbsNouns are singular or plural and so too are verbs – this means they have to match when a verb is used alongside a noun. This is especially easy to get wrong with the array of reporting verbs we use in academic work.

This can be confusing because we are used to verbs being action/feeling words to tell us what something or someone is doing or feeling. This becomes important as ‘it’ (as a neutral subject pronoun) is used a good deal in academic work. it always takes the 3rd person singular addition of an –s.

even reporting verbs have to match the implied ‘number’ of the noun they go with. This is called subject-verb agreement.

all sentences have a verb and a subject. so we tend to be used to these forms of sentence:

nHe plays play badminton.

nevery horse eats hay.

nThe course starts in september.

But we sometimes forget about more ‘abstract’ forms that still need the added –s.

nmy car needs a new tyre.

nThe hatred grows amongst rival groups.

nThe report closes with key recommendations.

This equates to reporting and discussing authors and research or covering events in your writing. For example:

nsmith and khan state... (they state) but smith states... (he/she or even ‘it’ referring to the research).

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Grammar - verb Tenses: Present Perfect and Past simpleThese tenses crop up often in academic writing, so it’s a good idea to understand the difference between them.

when are they used?nPresent perfect is first and foremost a

present tense. Whatever is being stated as a direct impact on ‘now’.

nPast simple can only relate the past, even if it is used to generalise.

so, the present perfect cannot be used if there is no link (implied or real) with the present situation or condition. and the past tense in its simple form should not be used to describe something in an academic report or essay that does actually have a bearing on the present context or circumstances.

nThe present perfect is used to convey new information but if the item is continued in the writing, the past simple would then be used:

‘andersen et al. (1990) have suggested that using integrative treatments with males increases the chance of recovery. They studied two hundred men, aged between 18-25, to obtain their results.’

This shows you are using their work as having relevance to your discussion now but the continued use of present perfect to make have studied might have implied that the study itself is actually still ongoing.

activity 2 Practical application of Present Perfect & Past Simple(answers are at the end of the booklet)

Put the verb given in its infinitive form in brackets into either the present perfect or past simple then check your answers.

1. “Where’s your key?” “i don’t know. i it.” (to lose)

2. i very tired, so i lay down on the bed and went to sleep. (to be)

3. mary abroad for a while but she is back again now. (to go)

4. Bob out but he’ll be back in an hour if you need to talk to him. (to go)

5. i did German at school but i most of it. (to forget)

6. i meant to phone my dad last night but i . (to forget)

7. i a headache earlier but i feel fine now. (to have)

8. look! There’s an ambulance over there. There an accident. (to be)

9. They’re still building the new road. They it. (not/to finish)

10. “is Helen still here?” “No, she out.” (just/to go)

11. The police three people but later they let them go. (to arrest)

12. anne me her address but i can’t visit, i’m afraid i it. (to give, to lose)

13. Where’s my bike? it outside the house. it ! (to be, to go)

14. What do you think of my grammar? do you think i ? (to improve)

adapted from: murphy, R. (1994) english grammar in use : a self-study reference and practice book for intermediate students : with answers. cambridge: cambridge University Press.


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forming the Present perfect and Past SimpleRegular verbs form the past participle using –(e)d, e.g. i walk (present simple), i have walked (present perfect), i walked (past simple) to university. simple!

However, there are about 100 common verbs which form the past and past participle in other ways – these are ‘irregular verbs’. For example: the verb ‘to see’ –

Present simple Present perfect(the past participle)

Past simple

see seen saw

i see my personal tutor regularly.i have seen my personal tutor this morning.i saw my personal tutor often last year.

activity 3 fill in the gaps in the verb table.(answers are at the end of the booklet)

Present simple Present perfect (the past participle)

Past simple

1 cHOOse2 FelT3 PUT4 Paid5 GROWN6 call

7 Gave8 seem9 lOsT10 sell11 BeaTeN12 TOld13 caTcH14 Became15 keeP16 FalleN17 cOsT18 aTe19 dRiveN20 sHOWed

activity 4 irregular verb formation patterns.(answers are at the end of the booklet)

even irregular verbs follow some patterns, however. see if you can identify which of these has a different pattern to the others in the list. an example is shown.

example: To cut, to see, to hit, to shut

to see is the right answer (see, seen, saw). all the others are the same in present simple, present perfect and past simple forms (cut, cut, cut; hit, hit, hit; shut, shut, shut).

The odd one out:

1 To drink, to think, to swim, to sing, to begin:

2 To fight, to think, to bring, to buy, to teach:

3 To break, to speak, to steal, to wear, to wake:

4 To stand, to lend, to build, to spend, to bend:

5 To burst, to let, to set, to hurt, to shoot:

6 To throw, to say, to know, to fly, to blow:

adapted from: allsop, J. (1989) making sense of english grammar exercises. london: cassell.

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Grammar - Using the passive voiceusing the passive voice in an introduction to an essayBefore we look at the use of the passive voice, let’s look at an example of an introduction below.

activity 5a read through the example and identify the following types of statements:(answers are at the end of the booklet)

1. The broad global context for the topic

2. The main topic of the report / purpose of the report

3. The main argument and main source of evidence

4. The structure of the report

5. The limitations of the essay and the type of recommendations that will be made

GeneraL ideaS

SPecific ideaS

if you are unfamiliar with the passive voice, you are looking for a sentence where the subject of the sentence (the person doing something at the front of the sentence), has been left out; instead the passive is used, e.g.:

nPassive: This topic will be analysed.

NOT

nactive: i will analyse this topic.

Using the passive voice can make your work sound more formal in style. Notice the form of the passive voice, i.e. (a form of ‘be’ + verb with –ed ending). it can be used in any verb tense: present, past, future or conditional.

introduction examplechina is currently experiencing rapid economic reform. The company, elixir, part of

china’s car manufacturing industry is facing a new and highly competitive market-based

economic environment. This report addresses the issues of what would be the most

appropriate decision–making model for this company to use in order to compete profitably

in the new market situation. The company needs to develop a more sophisticated model

to compete on equal terms with foreign car manufacturers if it is to survive. The report

first examines the present decision-making model used in elixir. secondly, the main steps

and techniques in effective decision-making are outlined. Finally, a comparison is made

between the company’s current practices and new decision-making models which are

more suitable to a market-lead economy. although it is acknowledged in this report that

there are likely to be some organisational and financial difficulties in introducing these

changes, recommendations will be made for more decision-support systems and modern

business decisions-making techniques to be introduced within the next two years.

activity 5b Spot the Passive construction.(answers are at the end of the booklet)

Now see if you can identify any examples of the passive voice in the introductory paragraph above. mark these up in coloured ink.


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activity 6 creating Passive constructions.(answers are at the end of the booklet)

Practice sentences: Try to put the passive voice in each of these sentences that might appear in an introduction.

1. Three factors (be + consider) in this report. Firstly, …

2. The proposal (be + evaluate) in the light of these new developments.

3. The problem (be + define) as essentially an HR matter.

4. The following three topics (be + cover) in this report.

5. Firstly, a comparison (be + make) between tangible and intangible factors, then…

as you can see from the examples above, the present tense, e.g. is analysed, or future tense, e.g. will be analysed, are the two passive forms most often used in an introduction.

using the passive voice in a conclusionThe passive voice can also used in the conclusion, but in slightly different ways. Here are some examples:

1. in this essay..(topic x).. has been evaluated…/ has been analysed (summarising)

2. The argument can be summarised as follows:… (summarising)

3. it is recommended that the company should introduce… (recommending)

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advice/advisenadvice (with a c) is a noun e.g. “The study

skills adviser gave me good advice”.

nadvise (with an s) is a verb e.g. “They advised me to always read my work carefully for spelling and grammar errors”.

The same rule applies to:

nPractice is a noun e.g. “are you going to football practice tonight?”

nPractise is a verb e.g. “You’ll have to practise more if you want to make the team.”

Both/eachBoth does not mean the same as each – “There is a house on both sides of the street” means that the house somehow reaches across the street, to be on both sides at the same time. if you mean that there is a house on the left side of the street and another on the right side, you should write “There is a house on each side of the street”

effect/affecteffect = noun e.g.

nexercise has an effect on health

nThe effects of smoking are well known.

affect = verb e.g.

nexercise affects health

nHis work was badly affected by his illness.

fewer/less and number/amount:Fewer/number applies to plural, countable nouns. so: “i have fewer coins in my pocket than you” or “i have a smaller number of coins”.

less/ amount applies to singular, non-countable nouns. so: “i have less money in my pocket than you” or “i have a smaller amount of money.”

if in doubt, think about whether you could sensibly talk about one of a thing – you could say “one coin” but you couldn’t say “one money”. similarly, you could have less water (because you wouldn’t say “one water”) but fewer pints (because you would say “one pint”). in the same way, you would have an amount of water, but a number of pints

Hopefullyif you write: “This essay will hopefully explain how Freud’s theory of the ego can explain much human behaviour”, you imply that you have no control over what the essay will do – just as if you said “Hopefully, i will get a

new iPhone for my birthday”. Be positive in your statements of aim i.e. “This essay will explain…”

HoweverYou should not use an adverb, such as however, to join two sentences. so:

n“Reflection is central to good practice, however it is only effective if the reflection results in action.” = WRONG

n“Reflection is central to good practice. However, it is only effective if the reflection results in action.” = RiGHT

includes/comprisesincludes/ including should not be used to describe the complete set referred to. it implies a sub-set of the whole.

so “Gibbs’ reflective cycle includes four stages: description, feelings, evaluation, analysis” would be wrong because you have listed all the four stages.

if you wrote “Gibbs’ four-stage reflective cycle includes evaluation and analysis” you would be correct because you have only listed part of the set.

if you want to describe the whole set, use “comprises” i.e. “Gibbs’ reflective cycle comprises four stages: description, feelings, evaluation, analysis.”

invariably/inevitablyThese mean on every occasion, without exception.

so, if you write “Nurses invariably transfer infections between patients”, you are telling your reader that this happens every time, for every nurse, and every patient.

if you write “Nurses transfer infections between patients”, the statement is not quite so strong, but there is still an implication that this always happens.

instead use:

n“frequently” (if it happens a lot but not all the time)

n“occasionally” (if it happens sometimes but not always)

n“infrequently/rarely” (if it only happens now and again)

ne.g. “Nurses occasionally transfer infections between patients. “

You can also use a conditional “can/could….if…” e.g. “Nurses can transfer infections between patients if they do not observe proper hygiene protocols.”

spelling and vocabulary - common mistakes


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Loose/lose“to loose” means to set free or detach something voluntarily or deliberately e.g. To loose the dog from his lead means you chose to let the dog run free.

“to lose” means to be deprived of something by accident, negligence, misadventure etc. e.g. if you say “i lost my wallet at the fair”, you don’t mean that you chose to let the wallet go; it happened by accident, or someone took it against your will.

so, if you write: “Without respect, individuals will not feel part of the community and they loose their sense of belonging,” you are suggesting that these people will freely and deliberately give up their sense of belonging. if you want to make it clear that they will have it taken away without their consent, you should use “lose”.

numbersWithin a sentence, use words for twenty or fewer and numerals for anything above twenty:

nThere is only one exit from the building

nThe journey takes fifteen minutes

nThere are 22 members of the group

nThere are 153 entries in the catalogue.

BuT, if the number is prefixed or affixed with a symbol – for example, £10 or 5% - then use the numerals.

research (also advice, evidence)These words are non-countable nouns, like water, air, knowledge and therefore never take the indefinite article “a”. so, just as we would not write:

n“a water is leaking through the ceiling”

n“a research has shown that…”

but instead:

n“Research has shown that…” or…

n“a [research project] or [research study] has shown….”

However, words like research can take the definite article “the”, where you are writing about a specific instance, just as other non-countable nouns, such as water, can. so, we could write:

n“The water is leaking through the ceiling…”

n“The research has confirmed that…”

Says/writes/states“smith (2010) says that ….” – avoid this when referring to sources you have read. The author is not speaking to anyone, he/she is writing, so: “smith (2010) writes…”. You can avoid the problem altogether by using words like “argues”, “describes”, “points out” etc, which can refer equally well to written or spoken language.

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w w w . B r a d f o r d . a c . u k / a c a d e m i c - S k i L L SU G / p GT E AC H YO U R S E L F1 0

spelling & vocabulary - linking wordslinking words, also called ‘transition words’ indicate to a reader that the text is moving on in some way or that there is a connection between two elements or more. They allow you to control the way the reader responds to your work and are part of managing flow.

activity 7 categorising linking words.(answers are at the end of the booklet)

Put the linking words below into the correct columns:

firstly although despite the fact that

in addition finally in contrast

due to as a result of in general

On account of secondly in order to

initially Nevertheless On the whole

However as well as in conclusion

Ultimately Furthermore Hence

because

Sequence / time adding another idea

contrast cause and result

concluding, generalising

activity 8 Practice sentences - fill in the gaps using the words from the table above.1. The privatisation project was organised improve the supply of water to

the urban areas.

2. a much greater percentage of people in urban areas has access to clean water,

the majority of people in rural areas still lack safe water and sanitation.

3. The contract had to be cancelled the poor performance of the private company.

4. , privatising water provision in developing countries has not yielded the expected results. (This sentence is at the end of the essay).

5. Privatisation results in greater investment in infrastructure, it provides employment for the local population.

6. as part of his speech, mr Jones made three major points: that city Water had not been at fault, that the kenyan government was trying to make a political point and that the company had in fact supplied 200 000 new customers with water.

w w w . B r a d f o r d . a c . u k / a c a d e m i c - S k i L L S 1 1U O B T E AC H YO U R S E L F

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spelling & vocabulary - academic Reporting verbswhy think about your use of reporting verbs?We use reporting verbs all the time – it’s that he said X..., she told me about Y... We often relate to another person, what someone else has said. The problem happens with our approach to academic written work.

ndegree work is supposed to be reasoned, critical, intellectual, informed, and, above all, logical.

nYour choice of language gives your reader (your marker) a clear impression of whether you are achieving this.

what types of verbs should be avoided in academic written work?What this means in practice is that unless you know the rules of academic style so thoroughly, and have sufficient mastery and experience to be allowed to ‘break’ these rules, it’s just not logical to claim that a source, text or scholar can actively instruct us from the page.

so verbs or verb phrases such as to see, to look at, to talk about, to show, to say, to tell, to think, to move on are rather redundant – unless you are actually conveying what someone said during a speech, for example.

to describe to dispute to comment to observe

to discuss to state to argue to evaluate

to predict to suggest to define to proceed

to illustrate to believe to assert to conclude

to recognise to purport to investigate to estimate

to criticise to demonstrate to concede to report

to indicate to highlight to confirm to examine

to advance to imply to hypothesise to theorise

to posit to challenge to postulate to defend

what can you use instead?When referring to what your paper’s argument or the sources or their authors are conveying here are some verbs you might try using:

How are they used?They can be used in an active sentence in the present tense:

nHenson (2010) implies here that should further research be commissioned its focus should...

nThe researchers assert that their findings were conclusive, not merely suggestive (Fenwick et al., 2008).

They can be used in an active sentence in the past tense:

nPeshan’s study of the previous decade investigated the effect of blood glucose on perceived concentration levels (2010).

ncross hypothesised that over-exposure to ‘sanitised violence’ could lead to propensity for aggressive response (2002).

They can be used in passive constructions in the present tense:

nit is argued in this essay that in certain cases there is little evidence to support...

nThe worsening situation within this sector is demonstrated in the report which follows.

Likewise, they can be easily used in passive constructions in the past tense:

nit has been suggested by two recent studies that...

ndiscrepancies in the data have been criticised by current studies and these criticisms form the basis of this paper’s argument.

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They can also be used in active, personal pronoun sentences when reflective writing is being used, in either present or past tense:

nin the following reflection, i argue that it was appropriate to defer to my mentor in this case due to my clinical experience being limited.

ni assert that neither theory is adequate in its totality; however, a combination of the effective elements of both is more effective and directly applicable.

When are they used? Deciding the ‘expressive strength’ of reporting verbs.

nFairly neutral reporting verbs become less neutral if they are taken as the key point of somebody’s hypothesis or theory. if an experimental paper set out to ‘describe’ features of something, then this becomes the author’s main focus – not just something used to explain a scenario or situation, for instance.

nsome reporting verbs feel obvious when compared with one another: purporting is ‘weaker’ than claiming something; arguing is ‘stronger’ than suggesting; challenging is ‘weaker’ than disputing something.

nWhat it is important to remember is that once you know what all the verbs mean then they can be used appropriately as you like with varying degrees of ‘expressive strength’.

ndon’t forget, the list above is not exhaustive – there are many more you are likely to come across within your reading.


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Punctuation - apostropheswhen to use an apostrophe (and when not to)Use an apostrophe: When a letter is missed out in a contraction. Contractions are used in informal writing to reflect the way we speak:

ni am = i’m (the apostrophe replaces the letter ‘a’)

nThey are = They’re (the apostrophe replaces the letter ‘a’)

nit is = it’s (the apostrophe replaces the letter ‘i’)

nWho is = Who’s (the apostrophe replaces the letter ‘i’)

in practice, you should avoid using contractions in formal/ academic writing – they are too conversational. in academic writing alWaYs use the full form.

To indicate possession or belonging:

Where something belongs to an individual, or a single thing, use ’s

nThe doll belonging to a single girl = the girl’s doll

nThe book belonging to sarah = sarah’s book

nThe duties of a single nurse = the nurse’s duties

nThe tail of a dog = the dog’s tail

nsainsbury’s (as in the supermarket belonging to mr sainsbury)

To indicate things belonging to a group of people or things, use s’

nThe girls’ dolls (all the dolls belonging to all the girls)

nThe nurses’ training (the training of a group of nurses)

nThe boys’ game (one game played by a number of boys)

nThe dogs’ tails (the tails of a number of dogs)

so, “The Queen’s visit to Bradford” means that one queen visits, but “The Queens’ visit to Bradford” means that there are several queens all visiting together!

BUT NOTE THE EXCEPTION

its – as in “the dog wagged its tail” has no apostrophe (just as his, ours, theirs etc. don’t have one)

do noT use an apostrophe:in plurals (when you are referring to more than one of a thing or person):

nThe nurses came on duty at 8am

nThe dogs barked (more than one dog was barking)

nThere are many theories to explain this

…and this applies even if the plural is an abbreviation:

nThe mPs voted against the Bill (not mP’s)

ni got three cds for £10 (not cd’s)

Don’t forget:

nPlural forms such as women and children take the form women’s or children’s as possessives

nThe correct form to indicate possession is whose e.g. Whose turn is it? Who’s always means “who is” or “who has”

nWhen writing about decades e.g. 1980s is correct, NOT 1980’s

activity 9 are the apostrophes in the correct places in the following sentences?(answers are at the end of the booklet)

1. if a child see’s their mother reading they are more likely to do it themselves with their own children.2. The dogs stole the cats milk.3. social worker’s must follow a strict code of practice.4. Guidelines are provided to help nurse’s follow the correct procedures.5. The student nurse’s main role in the scenario was as an observer.6. asBO’s are often issued to young people.7. The case was heard at the law courts.8. The court’s decision was to sentence the man to ten years’ in prison.9. i bought my lunch from Greens bakery.10. i had cheese and tomato sandwiches’.

for more information on the use of the apostrophe, try:nThe apostrophe Protection society: http://www.apostrophe.org.uk/nTrask’s Guide to Punctuation. available online at: http://www.informatics.sussex.ac.uk/

department/docs/punctuation/node00.html nFor a detailed online tutorial: http://www.writing-kit.com/apostrophes/index.htmln…and to test your knowledge: http://www.writing-kit.com/apconsol/index.html.

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Punctuation - Using commascommas are important because they make your writing easier to understand. The way it works, is that commas give readers a short break, so that they can fully understand the meaning of the phrase that they have just read. This is especially important if the meaning of the next phrase / clause (section of a sentence containing a verb) is a bit different to the previous clause.

a. Between two clauses of a sentence (often in front of linking words, e.g., however, and...)

B. To separate items in a list

c. Where you could use brackets to show that this is a piece of extra background information (non-defining relative clauses)

d. after the introductory clause at the start of a sentence that sets the scene, e.g. in addition, ... during the data collection phase, ...

Commas are needed...

activity 10 match examples 1 – 6 below with functions a to d above(answers are at the end of the booklet)

1. The data was then recorded, anonymised, and coded.

2. The data transformation process should continue throughout the study, and should not be seen as distinct from data analysis.

3. The sample size, which consisted of 11 student nurses, was relatively small.

4. Whilst the study was qualitative, there were quantitative elements within it.

5. The study was made more rigorous by the fact that the interviews were conducted by one researcher, and the data analysis was undertaken by another independent researcher.

6. in conclusion, the research made a valuable contribution to this field of study, despite there being some limitations.

activity 11 Punctuate the following sentence…(answers are at the end of the booklet)

One disadvantage associated with conducting face to face interviews is that they are time

consuming. However telephone interviews may not always be suitable as participants may

not feel comfortable disclosing personal information over the phone and it is difficult for

researchers to build rapport (Polgar and Thomas 2000).


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Grammar, spelling, vocabulary & Punctuation - Formal and informal Writingactivity 12 Language features of formal and informal writing(answers are at the end of the booklet)

Now that you have explored the most common issues of grammar, spelling & punctuation, see if you can relate some of these rules to your academic writing. identify which these language features are indicative of formal (academic) writing and which indicate an informal style.

language features Formal writing

informal writing

1. contractions, e.g. i’d, He’s

2. Phrasal verbs, e.g. get on with

3. Passive voice, e.g. The price has been increased

4. adjectives, intensifiers, extreme language e.g. absolutely unbelievable

5. Using a lot of the following punctuation marks: ! - ?

6. linking words like, e.g. nevertheless, furthermore, conversely, at present

7. leaving out words in short phrases, e.g. Just read your note

8. linking words like, e.g. i mean, so, by the way, at any rate, talking

about, and, but… 9. single word verbs e.g. to retain, to depart

10. starting a sentence with ‘and’ or ‘But’ or ‘Because’

11. colourful language for expressing opinions and emotions e.g. To be quite honest, Believe it or not, Guess what?

12. Phrases for shared knowledge, e.g. as you know, Just like you said, if you know what i mean

13. Personal pronouns, e.g. i, you, me, they

14. complex sentences, i.e. sentences using a number of clauses linked by linking words

15. vague language, e.g. thing, stuff, it, this, those

16. Rhetorical questions, e.g. did you know that…?

17. expressing ideas strongly, e.g. Nuclear power is the only way forward.

18. Using tentative / hedging language e.g. it is possible that nuclear power… / it seems that…

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activity 13 formal versus informal Language - Swap it out(answers are at the end of the booklet)

Read the informal statements and try to write a formal alternative. compare your formal version with ours at the back of the booklet.

informal statement Formal alternative

1. i think that…

Tip: Be tentative (soft language) when giving your judgement.

2. Finding enough water for everyone in the world is still a huge problem...

Tip: Use formal nouns and adjectives not emotional or extreme language.

3. nobody can say how climate change will affect water supply.

Tip: don’t use words which refer to people informally (i, you, them, everyone, nobody)

4. They did a survey on the way people use water.

Tip: Try the passive voice.

5. and us? we should use water more carefully at home.

Tip: don’t start the sentence with ‘and’, don’t ask the reader questions and take the personal pronoun out (we).

6. Because the world’s water supply is finite…

Tip: don’t start a sentence with ‘and’, ‘but’ or because. Use formal linking words instead.

7. in this essay, i will look at...

Tip: Get rid of ‘i’, formal verb for ‘look at’


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answers to all activitiesactivity 1 Test yourself on articles

1. Research is important as it improves the nursing practice. (see Part 1, rule 3)

2. One of strengths the of qualitative research is that it captures participants’ real experiences. (see Part 1, rule 5)

3. The defendant was then sent to prison to serve a five year sentence. (see Part 2, Rule 1).

4. The aim of this essay is to critique a research article on evidence based practice. The research article is a longitudinal study of a small sample number of participants (see Part 1, Rule 1 and 2).

5. according to a study by Hornville and Jowell (1994), conducted at leeds University, qualitative research is more suitable when there is not specific theory being tested. (see Part 1, rule 4)

6. The third study had the largest sample size, however, the research was conducted by a research assistant. This may have resulted in bias. (see Part 2, rule 3 and 2)

7. The researcher recruited the participants by advertising in a professional magazine providing details about the study. (see Part 1, rules 1 and 2)

8. The researcher conducted the semi-structured face-to-face interviews to have a better understanding of the phenomenon under study.

activity 2 Practical application of Present Perfect & Past Simple1. Have lost / ‘ve lost2. Was3. Went4. Has gone / ‘s gone5. Have forgotten / ‘ve forgotten6. Forgot7. Had

8. Has been / ‘s been9. Haven’t finished10. Has just gone / ‘s just gone11. arrested12. Gave ... have lost / ‘ve lost13. Was ... has gone / ‘s gone14. Have improved / ‘ve improved

Present simple Present perfect (the past participle)

Past simple

1 cHOOse cHoSen cHoSe

2 feeL FelT feLT

3 PUT PuT PuT

4 PaY Paid Paid

5 Grow GROWN Grew

6 call caLLed caLLed

7 GiVe GiVen Gave

8 seem Seemed Seemed

9 LoSe lOsT LoST

10 sell SoLd SoLd

11 BeaT BeaTeN BeaT

12 TeLL ToLd TOld

13 caTcH cauGHT cauGHT

14 Become Become Became

15 keeP kePT kePT

16 faLL FalleN feLL

17 cOsT coST coST

18 eaT eaTen aTe

19 driVe dRiveN droVe

20 SHow SHown sHOWed

activity 3 fill in the gaps in the verb table

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The odd one out:

1 To drink, to think, to swim, to sing, to begin: To THink – think, thought, thought

2 To fight, to think, to bring, to buy, to teach: TO TeacH – teach, taught, taught

3 To break, to speak, to steal, to wear, to wake: To wear – wear, worn, wore

4 To stand, to lend, to build, to spend, to bend: To STand – stand, stood, stood

5 To burst, to let, to set, to hurt, to shoot: TO sHOOT – shoot, shot, shot

6 To throw, to say, to know, to fly, to blow: To SaY – say, said, said

activity 4 irregular verb formation patterns

activity 5a & 5b activity b identify the types of statements & Spot the Passive constructionchina is currently experiencing rapid economic reform (1). The company, elixir, part of china’s car manufac-turing industry is facing a new and highly competitive market-based economic environment (2). This report addresses the issues of what would be the most appropriate decision–making model for this company to use in order to compete profitably in the new market situation (2). The company needs to develop a more sophisticated model to compete on equal terms with foreign car manufacturers if it is to survive (3). The report first examines the present decision-making model used in elixir. secondly, the main steps and tech-niques in effective decision-making are outlined (4). Finally, a comparison is made between the company’s current practices and new decision-making models which are more suitable to a market-lead economy (4). although it is acknowledged in this report that there are likely to be some organisational and financial diffi-culties in introducing these changes, recommendations will be made for more decision-support systems and modern business decisions-making techniques to be introduced within the next two years (5).

activity 6 creating Passive constructions1. Three factors will be considered OR are considered in this report. Firstly, …2. The proposal will be evaluated OR is evaluated in the light of these new developments.3. The problem will be defined OR is defined as essentially an HR matter.4. The following three topics will be covered OR are covered in this report.5. Firstly, a comparison will be made OR is made between tangible and intangible factors, then…

Sequence / time adding another idea

contrast cause and result

concluding, generalising

firstly secondlyfinallyinitially

in additionas well as furthermore

althoughdespite the fact thatin contrast nevertheless however

due to because as a result of on account of to / in order to

in general on the wholein conclusion ultimately

activity 7 categorising linking words

activity 8 Practice sentences - fill in the gaps using the words from the table above.1. The privatisation project was organised in order to improve the supply of water to the urban areas.2. a much greater percentage of people in urban areas has access to clean water, however / in contrast

/ nevertheless / despite the fact that, the majority of people in rural areas still lack safe water and sanitation.

3. The contract had to be cancelled due to / as a result of / on account of the poor performance of the private company.

4. In general / In conclusion / On the whole / Ultimately, privatising water provision in developing countries has not yielded the expected results.

5. Privatisation results in greater investment in infrastructure, in addition / furthermore, it provides employment for the local population.

6. as part of his speech, mr Jones made three major points: firstly, that city Water had not been at fault, secondly, that the kenyan government was trying to make a political point, and finally, that the company had in fact supplied 200 000 new customers with water.

activity 9 Practice sentences - fill in the gaps using the words from the table above.1. if a child sees their mother reading they are more likely to do it themselves with their own children.2. The dogs stole the cat’s milk. (If only one cat; cats’ if more than one cat).3. social workers must follow a strict code of practice.4. Guidelines are provided to help nurses follow the correct procedures.5. The student nurse’s main role in the scenario was as an observer. NO CORRECTION NEEDED –

SINGLE NOUN WITH POSSESSIVE APOSTROPHE.


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activity 10 match examples 1 – 6 below with functions a to d above1>>>B2>>>a3>>>c4>>>d5>>>a6>>>d then a.

activity 11 Punctuate the following sentence…One disadvantage associated with conducting face to face interviews, is that they are time consuming. However, telephone interviews may not always be suitable, as participants may not feel comfortable disclosing personal information over the phone, and it is difficult for researchers to build rapport (Polgar and Thomas 2000).

language features Formal writing

informal writing

1. contractions, e.g. i’d, He’s X

2. Phrasal verbs, e.g. get on with X

3. Passive voice, e.g. The price has been increased X

4. adjectives, intensifiers, extreme language e.g. absolutely unbelievable X

5. Using a lot of the following punctuation marks: ! - ? X

6. linking words like, e.g. nevertheless, furthermore, conversely, at present X

7. leaving out words in short phrases, e.g. Just read your note X

8. linking words like, e.g. i mean, so, by the way, at any rate, talking about, and, but…

X

9. single word verbs e.g. to retain, to depart X

10. starting a sentence with ‘and’ or ‘But’ or ‘Because’ X

11. colourful language for expressing opinions and emotions e.g. To be quite honest, Believe it or not, Guess what?

X

12. Phrases for shared knowledge, e.g. as you know, Just like you said, if you know what i mean

X

13. Personal pronouns, e.g. i, you, me, they X

14. complex sentences, i.e. sentences using a number of clauses linked by linking words

X

15. vague language, e.g. thing, stuff, it, this, those X

16. Rhetorical questions, e.g. did you know that…? X

17. expressing ideas strongly, e.g. Nuclear power is the only way forward. X

18. Using tentative / hedging language e.g. it is possible that nuclear power… / it seems that…

X

activity 12 Language features of formal and informal writing

activity 13 formal versus informal Language - Swap it out

Possible formal alternative version

1. from the evidence presented above, it seems that… ORit could be argued that…

2. Finding sufficient water for the global population remains a significant challenge.

3. It is impossible to predict how climate change will affect water supply.

4. a survey on water usage was conducted.

5. Domestic water usage should be more carefully monitored.

6. Due to the fact that the world’s water supply is finite

7. in this essay, x y z will be discussed / analysed / evaluated etc.

6. ASBOs are often issued to young people.7. The case was heard at the law courts. NO CORRECTION NEEDED.8. The court’s decision was to sentence the man to ten years in prison.9. i bought my lunch from Green’s bakery. (If the bakery is owned by one person called Green;

Greens’ if owned by a family called Green)10. i had cheese and tomato sandwiches.

How can you contact us?

01274 236849academic-skills @bradford.ac.uk

www.bradford.ac.uk/academic-skills/

We can arrange for this material to be transcribed into an accessible format such as Braille, large print, e-text (compatible with screen-reading software) or

digital audio such as cd.

@uniBradSkills

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