Formality exercises 1, Esercizi di Lingua Inglese

Scarica Formality exercises 1 e più Esercizi in PDF di Lingua Inglese solo su Docsity! Formality 1. Compare the two texts below. Where do you think you would see them / you do you think might have written them? What are the characteristics of the two types of text? What are the main differences in style? A. What should you wear when you start your first real job? Obviously, things are different depending on whether you’re a guy or a gal, but a lot of the decisions are the same. You’re probably worried about the interview and the first few days at work. The interview, of course, is where they decide if they’re actually going to hire you. But also, you have to think about the trial period when you and the employer look each other over. It’s a two-way street, isn’t it? Clothes are a good way of seeing if you’ll fit in. It’s part of what they call the ‘corporate culture’. B. Many young people graduating from university are unsure about the clothes they need when they embark on their chosen careers. The details are different for men and women, but the principles are the same. In most cases, the main concern is the job interview itself, and, secondarily, the first week once hired. At the interview, the company assesses the candidate and makes a decision on whether to offer a contract of employment, usually on a probationary basis of six months. This is to see if a candidate will fit in to the corporate culture. B is more formal than A. A sounds like a blog, a podcast, is more like a chat with a friend considering also the use of personal pronouns. B sounds more like a guidebook. A also uses everyday language. 2a. Which characteristics of informal spoken language are present in the following extract? I1 don’t2 think1 there is a case for this argument at all3. How could anyone imagine putting such a plan forward when it’s2 so clearly1 ludicrous3? 4 I believe1 that the more people are aware of this issue, the better off we1 would all be. 2b. Which characteristics of a formal academic text are present in the following extract? A clear problem in academic writing is that of the assessor1 or ‘assignment setter’, as described by Ivanič and Simpson2: This person is posing1 a challenge and a threat to the student, and positioning him as a writer, and exercising control over him. However stimulating the assignment may be … , it is also face-threatening because it will be judged3. (1992:146)2 Students’ knowledge that the work they have written will be assessed3 may4 oblige1 them to consider their writing from different perspectives, namely1, what they 1deem acceptable and what their tutors 1deem acceptable. This is often4 difficult for students to achieve. Formality – exercises (01.04.20) - page 1 of 3 3. Rewrite the following sentence using more nouns and replacing personal pronouns – i.e. using nominalisation and avoiding personal language. We need to carefully consider how we apply the results. The application of the result need to be carefully considered. 4. Rewrite the following sentences using the passive voice. a. Educationalists have argued that a greater number of male teachers at primary school level might improve the performance of young boys in the classroom. b. We can draw a number of conclusions from this comparative study of hospital procedure. c. Smith (i. has demonstrated) / (ii. believes) that bilingual children adapt better to new situations than monolingual children. a. More male teachers at the elementary school level could improve boys' performance in the classroom as has been argued by educators b. A number of conclusions could be drawn from this comparative study of hospital procedures c. It has been shown by Smith that bilingual children adapt better to new situations than monolingual children 5. Replace the passive voice in the following sentence with the active voice. Two suggestions for beginning an active voice sentence are given. In this chapter, a review of the device and its application is provided. This chapter … In this chapter, … 6. Find more formal words or phrases to replace the neutral or informal words and phrases that are underlined. 1. Research shows that … 2. Three problems have been found. 3. The response from the customer service department was consistently bad. 4. The company’s failure was mainly due to weak sales. 5. Scientists have tried to prove … 6. The institute’s work is not only devoted to cancer research. 7. £100,000 was given to charity. 8. Many diseases of major importance are typical of modern Western civilization. 9. He discussed issues like famine and poverty. 10. There are not enough resources … 7. Replace the highlighted word or phrase with a more formal alternative. 1. Three of the seven species identified by the team in 1972 have almost disappeared. 2. Michaels describes an ideal business environment in which confidence strengthens the economy and the other way round. 3. A new member entering an established group of friends can upset the existing situation. 4. Nutritionists generally agree that there aren’t any fast-track solutions to sustainable weight loss. 8. Replace the informal multi-word verbs in bold with a more formal single-word verb. Formality – exercises (01.04.20) - page 2 of 3