BBI2002

Introduction to Academic English

Unit 4: Written Responses to Academic Tasks

Part 1: Structuring Appropriate Written Responses to Spoken Texts

Part 2: Structuring Relevant Short Written Responses to Written Texts

Part 3: Structuring Relevant Long Written Responses to Written Texts

• Comprehension of task requirements

• The structure of relevant answers

- Determining ideas in written responses

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 UNIT 4: WRITTEN RESPONSES TO ACADEMIC TASKS

PART 1: Structuring Appropriate Written Responses to Spoken

Texts

Identifying the central idea of a spoken text

Students usually listen for the central idea on their first encounter with a spoken text
in the classroom. It is important for them to grasp the overall communication intention
of the speaker.

Some examples of typical questions on the central idea:

What problem is What is the What issue are

the speaker listening text they talking
discussing? about? about?

What is the What is the main What is the

subject of the idea of the purpose of the
talk? speech? interview?

Finding the central idea can sometimes be easy, but sometimes not. Usually, the main
theme or idea of a text is directly stated at the beginning. However, that is not always
true as sometimes you need to listen to the whole text and put together all the
information before the central idea becomes clear.

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 Constructing short written responses based on spoken texts

Listening comprehension is an important skill to develop. Listening comprehension is

not just hearing what is said, but also the ability to understand the words and relate to
them in some way.

For example, when someone hears a speech, good listening comprehension skills
enable them to understand the speech, remember it, discuss it, and even retell it in
their own words.

Strategies for answering listening comprehension questions:

Be aware of
Listen for Pay attention to
active-passive
keywords synonyms switch

i. Listen for keywords

Examples of keywords are the ones in red:

● What is the origin of the term asteroid?
● When was John Smith born?
● Where did John Smith open his first factory?

ii. Pay attention to synonyms

The question may be, “Where did John Smith open his first factory?” In the listening
text it may say, “This famous entrepreneur built his first manufacturing plant in Detroit.”
• factory and manufacturing plant are synonyms

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iii. Be aware of active-passive switch

In the passage it may say, “The word asteroid was first used in the 19th century.” This
is in the passive voice. In the question, it may say, “Scientists started to use the word
asteroid in the 19th century.” This is in the active voice.

Common types of listening comprehension questions:

a) Detail Question
b) Content Question

a) Detail Question

Often asked following a

lecture, though is Asks regarding a minor
sometimes asked following detail mentioned in the talk.
other text types as well.

Can be difficult because it

Usually an example(s) can be any detail about the
provided in the lecture. spoken text, even minor
ones.

To assist with responding to

these questions, listeners Example:
can first read through the What types of animals does
questions in order to the professor mention as
prepare themselves for the being supported by coral
keywords to be mentioned reefs?
in the spoken text.

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b) Content Question

Can be easily recognised

Asks listeners to identify
because it uses phrases
the main idea of the talk
like “mainly about”,
or lecture.
“mainly discussing”, etc.

Example:
What are the two effects
of open burning that the
professor mainly
discusses?

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EXERCISE 1 (Audio Track 6)
Listen to a talk on ‘Aspects of Life in the United Kingdom’ and answer the following
questions.

1. What are the two factors that make social contact when living in a foreign
country more difficult?
a. .
b. .

2. Foreigners who are working in the United Kingdom will most probably live in
.

3. What are some local community groups mentioned by the speaker that the
foreigners can get involved in?
a. .
b. .
c. .

4. Where are the two best places to find information about community activities?
a. .
b. .

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EXERCISE 2 (Audio Track 7)
Listen to a lecture on panda conservation and answer the following questions.

1. What is the lecture mainly about?

2. What are the causes of panda endangerment?

•
•
•

3. Why do some believe that zoos are irrelevant?

4. How are zoos beneficial?

5. What action has the government taken to save pandas from extinction?

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EXERCISE 3 (Audio Track 8)
Listen to the talk on ‘Cloud Computing’ and answer the following questions.

1. What is the talk mainly discussing?

2. What are the examples of additional capacity that people can get access to with
cloud computing?
●
●
●

3. What is the second advantage of cloud computing?

4. Why is cloud computing greener?

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EXERCISE 4 (Audio Track 9)
Listen to the talk on ‘Cloud Computing’ and answer the following questions.

1. What is the Cloud Security Alliance?

2. What are the examples of risks if the user becomes too dependent on cloud
computing?
●
●

3. What is the third issue with cloud computing?

4. When does using cloud computing tend to make sense?

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EXERCISE 5 (Audio Track 10)
Listen to the talk on the possible solutions to the future of energy supplies and
answer the following questions.

1. What are the three types of renewable energy that are discussed in the talk?
a)
b)
c)

2. What are the benefits of using solar energy?

3. Why do people believe that wind power is unreliable?

a)
b)
c)

4. How can the issue with wind energy be solved?

5. Why does the equipment have to be tough to get wave energy?

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 PART 2: Structuring Relevant Short Written Responses to Written
Texts

Understanding different types of task requirement

Understanding different parts of the questions will help further the understanding of
the task and assist students in answering the questions successfully. Assignment
questions can usually be broken down into three (3) parts: task words, content
words and limiting words.

Example:

Computers have had a significant impact on education in the 21st Century.

Discuss the changes they have made.

Task Word : Discuss

Provide opinion of the topic with evidence

Content Words : education, computers

Focus on computers and education.

Limiting Words : changes, significant impact, 21st Century

Describe SIGNIFICANT IMPACT made by computers on
education starting from 2001.

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EXERCISE 1
Identify the task words, content words and limiting words in the following assignment
questions.

1. List two characteristics that distinguish fungi from plants.

Task words :
Content words :
Limiting words :

2. Discuss two concepts that are important to the understanding of group dynamics
and describe how the two are related and or connected.

Task words :
Content words :
Limiting words :

3. With the development of technology, children are now living in a world that is
completely different to what it was 50 years ago. Describe the problems that the
development of technology might cause to society.

Task words :
Content words :
Limiting words :

4. An increasing number of people are now using the internet to meet new people
and socialise. Some people think this has brought people closer together while
others think people are becoming more isolated. Compare the effects of using the
internet on users.

Task words :
Content words :
Limiting words :

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Constructing Appropriate Short Responses

A good short written response depends upon how well a question is understood and
how effective a response is. It is vital for you to know the types of questions in order
to be able to respond to them appropriately and accurately.

Factual

a. Comprehension

Comprehension means understanding or mentally grasping the meaning of

something. The answer to a comprehension question is usually something students
can point to in the paragraph or passage.

Examples of comprehension question:

▪ It is clear from this passage that…

▪ According to this paragraph/article/book, …
▪ According to this passage, state what Lina plans to do after she has
finished her studies.

Strategies for answering comprehension questions:

▪ Look for the keywords or key phrases that provide clues to the kind of
answer that the question needs.
▪ Some of the keywords may have been paraphrased, however the
meaning should still be the same.

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b. Detail

Detail questions require more specific information than comprehension questions. The
answers usually deal with specific, small items in the paragraph or passage such as a
number, a date or a name.

Examples of detail question:

▪ Describe the factors that influence global warming.

▪ How old was Alice when she won the Pulitzer Prize?
▪ List the advantages of time management for university students.

Strategies for answering detail questions:

▪ Look for answers in the paragraph or passage that are limited to only
one or a few words, a date, some numbers and other very specific
items.
▪ Provide an itemised series of points; such answers should be concise.

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 c. Main Idea

The main idea covers most of what a paragraph or passage is about; it may answer
who, what, where, when, why, or how. It includes a topic and something specific about
that topic.

Examples of main idea question:

▪ Article tells as a whole .

▪ Passage talks mainly about .
▪ This paragraph is mostly about .

Strategies for answering main idea questions:

▪ In the answers, look for topic sentences of the passage.

▪ Refer to the key words in the written texts:
- If you find mostly reasons or explanations, the main idea will
deal with why.
- If most of the sentences talk about a place, the main idea will
deal with where.
- If most of the sentences are about time, the main idea will deal
with when.
- If most of the sentences give steps to do or make something,
the main idea will deal with how.
- If most of the sentences are about one person or several
people or even a group of people, the main idea will deal with
who.
- If most of the sentences describe something, or, if none of the
other answers seems right, then the main idea may deal with
what because it can be referring to different kind of things.

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Cause and Effect

Cause are reasons that things happen; effects are results or outcomes. They can also
be referred to as reasons and results. There are some clue words (some of them are
subordinate conjunctions) that indicate causes and effects:

Cause Effect

hence
thus
the reason(s) as a consequence
the result(s)
the cause(s) on that account
the effect(s)
is due to was caused by
the outcome
was caused by resulted in
consequently
led to results in
the final product
resulted from is due to
therefore
resulted from

Subordinate Conjunctions
since
because

Examples of cause and effect question:

▪ What does [cause] lead to? (Answer will be the effect)

▪ What is the reason for [effect]? (Answer will be the cause)
▪ How can [effect] be explained? (Answer will be the cause)

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Strategies for answering cause and effect questions:

● Always ask why.

“Why do people continue to commit crimes after being
released from prison?”
● Justify the answer after answering the Why questions,
“How do you know?”
“What is your evidence?”
Cause
● Consider multiple causes of events. Make lists of possible
causes of events, and then try to determine which are more
likely, or important, than others.
● Develop the vocabulary and use qualifiers such as partly
responsible for and largely because of.

● Consider multiple consequences.

“How did World War II change life in America?”
“What happens when we waste electricity?”
“What are some of the likely consequences of global
warming?”
Effect
“What consequences does the behaviour of a character in a
story have on the lives of other characters?”
● Develop the vocabulary and use power words such
as consequence, consequently, influence, and as a result.

● Use graphic organisers such as cause and effect

chains, flow charts and feedback loops, in order to help
determining the complex cause and effect relationships.
Cause-
● Qualify cause and effect statements with words such
Effect
as possibly, probably, or almost certainly because qualifying
words actually strengthen an argument.

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Compare and Contrast

A comparison-contrast presents similarities (comparisons) between two or more

things, differences (contrasts) between two or more things, or both similarities and
differences. As a reader, students have to determine what is being compared or
contrasted and the ways in which they are similar or different. There are some clue
words (some of them are subordinate conjunctions) that indicate comparison and
contrast:
Comparison Contrast
similarly
likewise
both
same; alike
some; others
also in contrast
nonetheless
resembles however
conversely
parallels as opposed to
in the same manner nevertheless
words that have opposite
in the same way different; difference
meanings (such as men
conversely
and women, ancient and
words that compare on the one hand; on the
modern, rich and poor,
(adjectives that describe other hand
etc.)
comparisons, such as
safer, slower, lighter,
more valuable, less
toxic, etc.)
Subordinate Conjunctions
whereas
while
although
instead (of)
unlike; dissimilar
rather than

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 Examples of compare and contrast questions:

▪ Compare the benefits of urban and rural farming.

▪ What are the differences between sales taxes and income taxes?
▪ Discuss in brief the similarities and differences of studying locally and
studying abroad.

Strategies for answering compare and contrast questions:

▪ Look for similarities/differences

▪ Conclude which subject matter is preferable if the question ask you to
compare

Inferential

In contrast to facts or information stated directly in the paragraph or passage,

inferences are decisions, conclusions or judgments the reader makes from information
in the paragraph or passage. The information is like a hint, and the inferred ideas are
not stated directly. The reader must reason or think about her answer.

Examples of inferential question:

▪ What can we expect from…?

▪ Which is more likely to happen…?
▪ What could be the reason behind…?

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Strategies for answering inferential questions:

▪ Look for comparisons: (a) two things may be compared in the

paragraph or passage; or (b) one thing in the passage may be
compared to something you already or should already know.

▪ Look for logical results or endings of a chain of reasons or events.

Then, predict what will probably happen next.

▪ Look for pairs of concepts in special relationships such as cause and

effect, general and specific, or time and place. The best answer will
be one part of the pair.
- For example, “President Jordan is the first deaf president of
Gallaudet University”. You can generalize, “Deaf people can
get good jobs now.” This example shows a specific fact and it
chooses a generalisation which matches that specific fact.

▪ Look for evidence for inference in the reading passage.

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EXERCISE 2
Study the following questions and answer them based on the text.

Text 1
There are many social problems that teenagers go through nowadays. Drug use is an
increasing problem among teenagers in today’s high schools. Most drug use begins
in the preteen and teenage years when the most crucial stage in the maturation
process takes place. During these years, adolescents are faced with difficult tasks of
discovering their self-identity, clarifying their sexual roles, assenting independence,
learning to cope with authority and searching for goals that would give their lives
meaning.

1. State the challenges teenagers face on a daily basis.

2. Drug abuse among teenagers leads to depression and suicide. Discuss briefly.

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Text 2
There are over 700 million motor vehicles in the world and the number is rising by
more than 40 million each year. The average distance driven by car users is growing
too, from 8 km a day per person in Western Europe in 1965 to 25 km a day in 1995.
This dependence on motor vehicles has given rise to major problems, including
environmental pollution, depletion of oil resources, traffic congestion and safety. While
emissions from new cars are far less harmful than they used to be, city streets and
motorways are becoming more crowded than ever, often with older trucks, buses and
taxis which emit excessive levels of smoke and fumes. This concentration of vehicles
makes air quality in urban areas unpleasant and sometimes dangerous to breathe.
Some capital cities around the world are afflicted by congestion and traffic fumes
where vehicle pollution has become a major health hazard.

1. Describe the increase of motor vehicles around the world and the increase of the
average distance driven by car users in Western Europe.

2. State the major problems caused by the dependency on motor vehicles.

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3. Based on the text, what are the ways to overcome congestion and traffic fumes in
big cities? Justify your view.

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 PART 3: Structuring Relevant Long Written Responses to Written
Texts

Preparing a written response in the form of a paragraph

Some questions require a long response and need organisation of the response. An
effective way to write a written response is in the form of paragraphs. A paragraph is
a group of sentences which elaborate a single idea.

The paragraph below answers the question of whether or not students should be
allowed to use smartphones in the classroom. In order to answer a question such as
this, you need to first state your stand, then justify your view with elaborations and
examples.

In my opinion, schools should ban the use of smartphones in the

classroom because they distract students from the lesson and
encourage plagiarism. Firstly, the use of smartphones can cause
students to lose focus as they might be inclined to interact on social
networking sites while they are in the classroom. Secondly, students
might also be inclined to plagiarise when they use their smartphones
in the classroom. For example, students can directly copy answers
for exercises from websites such as CliffNotes and SparkNotes rather
than think of their own answers.

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 In my opinion, schools should ban the use of
smartphones in the classroom because they distract
Statement of Stand
students from the lesson and encourage plagiarism.

i- distract students from the lesson

Justifications/Reasons ii- encourage plagiarism

Firstly, the use of smartphones can cause students to

lose focus as they might be inclined to interact on social
networking sites while they are in the classroom.
Elaborations

Secondly, students might also be inclined to plagiarise

when they use their smartphones in the classroom.
Firstly, Secondly, For example
Transition signals
For example, students can directly copy answers for
exercises from websites such as CliffNotes and
Example(s)
SparkNotes rather than think of their own answers.

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EXERCISE 1
Identify the elements of the given paragraph and complete the table.

In my opinion, students who take their homework seriously will get more practice and
perform with flying colours in the examinations. Firstly, when students attempt to
complete their homework, they are actually internalising what they have learnt earlier
in school unconsciously. Secondly, teachers may also set test and examination
questions based on the coverage of homework given to students.

Statement of
Stand

1.
Justifications/
Reasons 2.

Elaborations

Transition
Signals

Example(s)

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EXERCISE 2
Answer the questions below in paragraph form. In your response, state your stand
and justify your view. Write your response between 150-200 words.

1. Technology is causing a rise in unemployment. What is your opinion?

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2. Western media has a negative impact on local culture. What is your opinion?

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Writing clear, coherent and concise paragraphs

There are two basic features of strong sentence structure:

Clarity: meaning of the sentence is clear; not ambiguous

Conciseness: each word in sentence has purpose and power; no
unnecessary words

Clarity

It is very important that each sentence you write is clear to the reader so that your
message is understood as it was intended and not misinterpreted.

Below are some strategies to improve sentence clarity:

i. Use parallel constructions

When you have a series of words, phrases or clauses, put them in parallel form (similar
grammatical construction). This helps the readers to easily identify the linking
relationship between the items in the series.

Use consistent verb tenses for all parts of the string rather than mixing the tenses.

Not parallel In areas threatened by hurricanes, it is important to become

aware of the warning signs, there are precautions to take,
and deciding when to take shelter.

Parallel In areas threatened by hurricanes, it is important to become

aware of the warning signs, to know what precautions to take
and to decide when to take shelter.

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Use similar grammatical structure when connecting two ideas with a conjunction.

Not parallel Many people are turning away from renting apartments and
bought houses.

Parallel Many people are turning away from renting apartments and
are buying houses.

Use similar grammatical structure when making comparison using ‘than’ or ‘as’.

Not parallel It is easier to work for a corporation than being self-

employed.

Parallel It is easier to work for a corporation than to work for oneself.

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EXERCISE 3
Improve on the clarity of the following sentences by using parallel constructions.

1. Critics argue that the television show trivializes violence, glamorises drug use and
is encouraging premarital sex.

2. There are two ways to get a promotion: working hard or make friends in high places.

3. The instructor advised his students to use the rear-view mirror often and observing
the speed limit.

4. Taking the train to Shah Alam can actually take less time than to drive there if there
is a traffic jam.

5. How researchers collect data is just as important as the presentation of the findings.

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Avoid unclear pronoun reference

Be sure the pronouns used clearly refer to a noun in the current or previous sentence.

If the pronoun refers to a noun that has been implied but not stated, you can clarify
the reference by explicitly using that noun.

Example:
Unclear pronoun reference:
American universities are tightening budgets by hiring temporary contract employees
as teachers instead of hiring new, full-time faculty. This has prompted them to join
unions as a way of protecting job security and benefits.

Example:
Clear pronoun reference:
American universities are tightening budgets by hiring temporary contract employees
as teachers instead of hiring new, full-time faculty. This trend has prompted many
full-time faculties to join unions as a way of protecting job security and benefits.

EXERCISE 4
Improve on the clarity of the following sentences by avoiding unclear pronoun
reference.

1. The supervisors told the workers that they would receive a bonus.

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2. Tina Richards once collaborated with Margaret Laurence on a pop-up book
project. Both Richards and Laurence are Canadian, but only she writes about
fictional Canadian towns.

_
_
_

3. Sally and Bill made repeated visits to the Writing Centre and always started written
assignments early, resulting in improved grades by the end of the semester. This
was soon copied by other students.

_
_

4. The Italian scientist Galileo Galilei upset the Catholic Church by publishing a
scientific paper asserting that the Earth revolves around the sun. That
contradicted contemporary church belief, which held that the Earth was the centre
of the universe.

_
_
_

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Avoid multiple negatives

Use affirmative forms rather than several negatives because multiple negatives are
difficult to understand.

Example:
Unclear (multiple negatives):
Less attention is paid to commercials that lack human interest stories than other kinds
of commercials.

Example:
Clearer:
People pay more attention to commercial with human interest stories than to other
kinds of commercials.

EXERCISE 5
Improve on the clarity of the following sentences by avoiding multiple negatives.

1. A lack of interest in the lesson can demotivate students from attending classes.

_
_

2. No approval will be received in the absence of the agency’s board of directors.

_
_

3. The lecturer will not entertain students who do not come during consultation hours.

_
_

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4. An application for a grant does not become inactive if the applicant provides the
requested information.

_
_

EXERCISE 6
Identify and employ the appropriate strategy (using parallel construction, avoiding
unclear pronoun reference, or avoiding multiple negatives) to improve on the clarity of
the following text.

1Chocolate has been known for its good taste and proposed health effects for
centuries. 2Earlier, many physicians tended to warn patients about the potential health
hazards of consuming large amounts of chocolate. 3However, recent discovery has
changed this perception and stimulates research on its effects in ageing, oxidative
stress, blood pressure regulation, and atherosclerosis. 4Today, chocolate is no longer
avoided for its lack of health benefits. 5However, in many studies, contradictory results
and concerns about methodological issues have been found. 6They have made it hard
for health professionals and the public to understand the available evidence on
chocolate’s effects on health.

Strategy (Sentence 3): _

Improved sentence:

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Strategy (Sentence 4): _
Improved sentence:

Strategy (Sentence 6): _

Improved sentence:

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Conciseness

A sentence is concise when it only contains the most effective words or phrases.
Concise writing does not always have the fewest words, but it always uses the stronger
ones. There are few strategies you can use to ensure your sentence is concise.

i. Replace vague words with more powerful and specific words

Using more specific words can lead to more concise writing.

Examples:

Wordy:
The website has made available many of the things you can use for
making a decision on the best scholarship.

Concise:
The website presents criteria for determining the best scholarship.

Wordy:
Citizens who knew what was going on voted the president out of the
office.

Concise:
Knowledgeable citizens did not vote for the president.

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EXERCISE 7
Improve on the conciseness of the following sentences by replacing the vague words
with more powerful and specific words.

1. The manager believed but could not confirm that her employees were lying to her.

2. In the not too distant future, students will become aware of the fact that there is a
need for them to make contact with their academic advisor.

3. They had come to the conclusion that the new system had bad results that cost
people a lot of money.

4. He dropped out of school on account of the fact that it was necessary for him to
help support his family.

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ii. Avoid redundancy

Redundant phrases should be avoided in writing. Below are some redundant phrases
commonly used and should be avoided:

Redundant Phrases Rectified Version

12 midnight midnight

12 noon noon

3 am in the morning 3 am

absolutely spectacular/phenomenal spectacular/phenomenal

a person who is honest an honest person

a total of 14 birds 14 birds

biography of her life biography

circle around circle

close proximity proximity

completely unanimous unanimous

consensus of opinion consensus

cooperate together cooperate

each and every each

enclosed herewith enclosed

end result result

exactly the same the same

final completion completion

frank and honest exchange frank exchange or honest exchange

free gift gift

important/basic essentials essentials

in spite of the fact that although

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Redundant Phrases Rectified Version

in the field of economics/law

in economics/law enforcement
enforcement

in the event that if

job functions job or functions

new innovations innovations

one and the same the same

particular interest interest

period of four days four days

personally, I think/feel I think/feel

personal opinion opinion

refer back refer

repeat again repeat

return again return

revert back revert

shorter/longer in length shorter/longer

small/large in size small/large

square/round/rectangular in shape square/round/rectangular

summarize briefly summarize

surrounded on all sides surrounded

surrounding circumstances circumstances

the future to come the future

there is no doubt but that no doubt

usual/habitual custom custom

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EXERCISE 8
Improve on the conciseness of the following sentences by identifying redundant
words, and revising the sentences.

1. Even though she had performed the operation a numerous number of times,
she still reviewed the basic essentials each and every day.

2. The first priority appears to be to group together the children that live in close
proximity to one another.

3. The local residents filled to capacity the new auditorium as they waited to hear
the developer recount the past history of the archaeological site.

4. In my personal opinion, we should refer back to last year’s budget to see how
we postponed that expenditure until a later time.

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