Vocabulary handout and exercises

How to write and talk in academic English?

1 Vocabulary

Formal style Informal style Non-phrasal verbs Phrasal verbs (e. g. look into, take a look at), Words of Anglo-Saxon origin

Technical terms, field specific vocabulary

(e. g. discourse, discipline, structure, deconstruct, paradigm, text)

Proverbs, maxims, metaphors, similes, catchphrases, slogans, colloquial phrases Shortened verb forms (can’t, won’t) Abbreviations, acronyms (etc, e.g., LOL, BFF, 9 pm, 2row) Hesitation fillers (Well, Um, Er, I mean, Pardon?, Anyway, Anywho, in a way, like, you know)

First names, nicknames (Mike, Johnny, TC)

Titles (Dr. Mr. Professor)

2 How to write and talk in academic English? Tone, punctuation and grammar

Formal style Informal style Active voice (e. g. “People accept his theory”) A large proportion of NOUNS that convey information A large proportion of verbs

It sentences

For example: It is highly important to find such a person.

Direct reference to the reader / writer

(e.g. “Is there anyone who can show me such a person?” “It is certainly true, is it not?”)

Impersonal language (e. g. they, one)

…………………………..

………………………….

…………………………..

………………………….

Imperative structures, questions; dramatic impact on the reader

(e.g. “For God’s sake, Sherlock Holmes died twice!”)

Cautious language (e. g. appears to, almost, likely to, supposedly, presumably, probably, there is some evidence to suggest, it can be argued that)

…………………………..

………………………….

(e. g. “Everybody loved Avatar”; “girls learn languages better than boys”; “cooking is easy”).

Relative pronouns (which/that) are explicitly used.

For example:

”the woman………………..

……she admired

Relative pronouns omitted.

For example: “the woman she admired”

Special and more formal linking words, such as

…………………………..

………………………….

Simple coordinating and subordinating linking words (and, or, but, so, also, then) used at the beginning of the sentence List items separated with…. Long listings connected with commas (run-on and comma splice) Precise punctuation marks, such as… Simple punctuation (for example, - instead of – )

Practice

1 Use passive where possible – focus on and modify the italicized phrases.

Oshima – Hogue

Everybody, after a while, by and large accepted the date 753 BC.

The rules require the subject to answer if the statement is true or false.

People consider that this surgeon is a brilliant practitioner.

Somebody claims that the drug produced no undesirable side effects.

If one person chooses to cause serious injury to another, we should presume that he or she realises that there is always a risk of death.

2 Use nouns instead of verbs; use passive where possible. Remove the informal word / structure. Focus on and modify the italicized phrases.

You really need to discuss how much cultural and biological evolution can be explained by similar principles.