VV064 Week 3 Formal and informal language exercise: (adapted from Swales and Feak. Academic Writing for Graduate Students. 3rd ed. Michigan. 2013.) In the space provided, write phrasal verbs that could be used in place of the one in italics. What other changes would you make if you were to use the sentences below in your presentation? 1) A number of models have been discovered to describe the effect of certain cola drinks on dental enamel erosion. 2) AIDS researchers have encountered a variety of unexpected problems in their efforts to develop an effective vaccine. 3) Recent studies on car scrapping have raised the important question as to whether C02 emissions can be significantly reduced by decommissioning old cars. 4) Problems with the new data management software were encountered soon after it was launched. 5) In the past five years, the effect of different grassland management practices has been scrutinized many studies. Which of the italicized expressions might be more suitable for an academic paper? Can you think of additional alternatives? 1) Crash test dummies are really important for / an integral part of automotive crash tests. 2) According to a recent study just about/nearly 25% of all cell phone users view text messaging as an important source of entertainment. 3) There has been a lot of/considerable interest in how background sounds such as music affect individual's ability to concentrate. 4) We obtained robust/nice results using structural bamboo rather than timber. 5) Consumer interest in electronic billing and payment is getting bigger and bigger/increasing. VV064 Week 3 Reporting Verbs 1) Separate the following reporting verbs into three categories: Suggest, describe, reveal, argue, note, show, speculate, point out, reject, strongly believe that, propose, deny, negate, report, challenge, take into consideration, study, imply, emphasize, recommend, demonstrate, postulate, claim, examine, go on to say that, state. Neutral Tentative Strong 2) Rephrase the following sentences with an appropriate reporting verb. Make sure you use a reporting verb of the same/similar meaning! "I certainly didn't leave the car door open," said František. František... "Remember you have to go to the butcher's," said my mother-in-law. My mother-in-law... "I definitely can't agree with this proposal," Professor Mikulka declared. Professor Mikulka... "As you can see, the results show that the project was an utter failure." The presenter... "Therefore, it is better to follow the proposed plan." The paper... "Hey, how about we work on the project together?" said Maxmilián. Maxmilián ... "I am happy to announce that the budget proposal has been accepted," Dean Lišák said at the meeting.. Dean Lišák... "Sorry I'm late, there was a huge traffic jam in the city center," he said. He ... "This update should be accepted with utmost caution," said Bob to Bedřich. Bob ... "I'm not following your orders anymore, Tim!" Dobromila exclaimed. Dobromila... VV064 Week 3 Seminar Discussion 1) You are going to take part in a seminar discussion. Work in groups and select one of the statements on education to discuss. a. Students in higher education should be required to learn a foreign language. b. Having a university education is necessary for a person's success in life. c. With the rise of modern technologies people should be able to understand these technologies and know how to use them. 2) Work alone and prepare for the discussion. Note down your views on the selected statement using the following headings. a. Topic and focus b. Your view c. Main arguments for d. Main arguments against e. Examples and reasons f. Conclusions 3) Work in groups and discuss your selected statement. Use the following stages to help you. a. Express your main points b. Get reactions c. Allow others to make their points d. Listen and respond 4) Select one person from your group to take notes of the main points from your discussion and then present them to the class. 5) Expanding notes into sentences: look at your notes from the previous exercise. Can you expand them into sentences?