Research: B2+. Anneli Williams
Чтение книги онлайн.

Читать онлайн книгу Research: B2+ - Anneli Williams страница 8

Название: Research: B2+

Автор: Anneli Williams

Издательство: HarperCollins

Жанр: Иностранные языки

Серия:

isbn: 9780008101800

isbn:

СКАЧАТЬ they require mainly description or mainly argument in the response.

       Tip

      

Remember that to achieve higher marks it is usually necessary to critically evaluate information and present a strong argument.

      

Exercise 6

      Look again at the instruction words a–l below and answer questions 1–3.

a assess b compare c contrast d discuss e examine f give an account
g justify h outline i trace j comment on k illustrate l relate

      1 Which require mainly description?

      2 Which definitely require you to give your opinion?

      3 Which instruction word is most common?

      Note that the answers given in the answer key are suggestions only. In practice, you should interpret each assignment task in the context in which it has been set. Remember that certain instruction words, for example, ‘compare and contrast’, sometimes require a more descriptive response and sometimes a more evaluative response.

      For example: Compare and contrast horizontal axis design wind turbines and vertical axis design wind turbines.

      This instruction requires a straightforward description of the similarities and differences between two types of wind turbine.

      For example: Compare and contrast electricity generation from wind power versus electricity generation from hydropower in terms of efficiency, value for money and environmental impact.

      Here you have to describe the similarities and differences between two forms of electricity generation in order to make judgements about them.

       Understanding long and complex essay assignments

      Sometimes essay assignments can be wordy and complex. However, these too can be broken down into parts:

       Glossary

      preamble A preamble is an introduction that comes before something you say or write.

      1 The preamble: background information about the context of the question.

      2 The question (or questions): what you need to find out.

      The preamble gives you important information about the topic and its limitations. Notice that you need to focus your discussion on secondary school pupils (not primary school pupils or university students) and their performance in three subjects: language, mathematics and science.

      Note that there are several questions that need to be answered.

      Question 1 requires you to describe similarities and differences and to analyse the two sets of figures in order to identify the most significant trends.

      Question 2 requires you to evaluate the evidence that the trends you have identified were caused by changes to national educational policy. Here you need to present an argument.

      Question 3 requires you to consider at least one other possible explanation for the trends you have identified. Here too you need to present an argument.

       Tips

      

Divide long assignment instructions into parts: the preamble and the question or questions.

      

Study the preamble for information about the topic.

      

Analyse each question separately.

      

Make sure you answer each question when you do your research.

       Writing your own essay question

      Sometimes you may be asked to write you own essay question. This is more likely to be the case towards the end of your course when you have had some experience of writing research essays. To write an essay question you can follow steps which are similar to those involved in interpreting a set essay question. Select:

      1 The topic: the general area you want to investigate.

      2 The focus: what you want to find out about the topic.

      3 The approach: how you are going to investigate it.

       Choosing a topic

      You will probably spend a lot of time and effort on your research, so it is important to pick a topic that interests you. However, your topic should also be relevant to your course. You need to use your essay assignment to demonstrate that you can think more deeply about an issue covered in your lectures and/or reading.

      If you have difficulty identifying a suitable topic, try looking at your course outline and lecture notes. List the topics that are most interesting to you and that seemed important to your lecturers. Put your list away for a time. When you come back to it, see what grabs your attention most.

       Narrowing the topic down

      Once you have chosen a topic, you need to narrow it down until you have a focus. If you write about a topic without first identifying your focus, you will probably end up conveying a lot of information without examining it in any depth.

       СКАЧАТЬ