Enjoy the Christmas Holiday

...because it will soon be over and we'll be back to the reality of your final marks...
In the meantime, at least it's not so cold here. In the UK there are parts where the temperature has been as low as -19ºC.

Harvard Referencing System

if it's a book:

Bloggs, F. (1980) How to write your name, Cambridge University Press

if it's an article in a review:

Bloggs, F. (2005) Complex sentences, Higher Education Review, 41, 305-357

if the main name is only the organiser:

Bloggs, F. (ed.) (2009) Complicated Grammar Exercises, Cambridge University Press

if it's on a website:

Office of National Statistics (2005) Social Trends www.statistics.gov.uk (correct on 12/12/2005)

the problem of prepositions, infinitives and gerunds

This is an issue which a lot of colleagues seem to have had trouble with during the test, so here is an eight-page handout on everything you need to know about the subject.

The basic rule is easy to follow:
if the expression is followed by "to", then the verb which comes next should be an infinitive;
if the expression is followed by any other preposition, then the verb which comes next should be a gerund;
if the expression is not foloowed by any preposition, then the verb which follows should be a gerund.

If in doubt, follow this general rule. However, there are so many exceptions it makes your eyes water. This handout covers all of the most common ones. Enjoy!

expression plus "to" plus infinitive; expression plus any othe preposition plus gerund

new image

I thought you might like to see this view of central London, with the sky in its usual colour.
If you feel depressed one of these days, remember that here at least the sky is usually blue...

Reference Systems for Academic Writing

Theatre in English in November

LISBON PLAYERS PRESENTS A TRIVIAL COMEDY FOR SERIOUS PEOPLE!




Opening on November 18th for a four-week run at Estrela Hall, the Lisbon Players continues its new season with a sparkling production of Oscar Wilde’s comic masterpiece,

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST.



The poet, W.H. Auden, called it “pure verbal opera” and indeed the perfectly pitched wit and movement of the play do have an operatic feel as the characters escape from burdensome obligations by changes of name, fall in love on whims, reveal their origins in handbags at railway stations and suffer the wrath of potential mothers-in-law. But everything slips perfectly into place and it all ends happily as the demons of Victorian society are appeased.

Treat it as an evening of pure delight or glimpse the underlying satire of late Victorian society, but don’t miss this English language production of this marvellous play.

Directed by Jonathan Weightman (responsible for the musical Cabaret, Twelfth Night and last year’s Hamlet) and designed by Miguel Sa Fernandes (returning to Lisbon Players after a long absence) the cast includes actors well-known to our audiences Celia Williams, Eduardo Ribeiro, Helena Afonso, Keith Davis and Norman MacCallum as well as highly talented newcomers Antoinette Keogh and Mariana Mourato..

Definitely not to be missed! Book now!



WHAT: The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde.

WHERE: Estrela Hall, Rua da Estrela, 10

WHEN: On Thursdays Fridays and Saturdays from November 18th to December 11th 2010 at 9.30pm with a matinee on Sunday December 5th at 4pm

BOOKINGS: online at www.lisbonplayers.com.pt

or by phone on 21 396 1946

using the past to describe factual events

success!

Dear all,

Just to let you know that I have managed to put Marlon Brando's Mark Antony speech (from the 1953 film version of "Julius Caesar" by Shakespeare) on the blog! I can't believe it, but it seems to work.
Watch it carefully and see how to use the opposing arguments to strengthen your own.

See you tomorrow.

Julius Caesar (1953) - Mark Antony speech

an example of a good discursive essay

Latest news on our course

Please don't forget to collect two photocopies from the green shop (folder 33) and to bring them to the next class on Monday 8th November. The first one we will be using has a huge number 6 on the front and has to do with describing the events of literature in academic writing. The other one has a number 8 on the front and deals with introductions (which students oftem find difficult) and conclusions (which often end up being perfunctory).
You should also bring with you the completed linking devices exercise about the advantages and disavantages of having children, available on this very blog.
Following this we will be moving onto how to quote directly from sources, and then how to make reference to sources using the Harvard Referencing System.

See you on Monday (in room PN13, don't forget).

A Vision of Students Today

Watching this 5-minute video may stimulate ideas for your homework essay.
The easiest way to find it is to go to http://www.youtube.com/ and then search for "A Vision of Students Today", by Michael Wesch.
There are also some interesting comments by students from different countries who have seen this video.

See you next Wednesday!

Clear signposts help the reader to understand where your argument is going

Substitute each of the numbers in the following text with an appropriate linking device from the handout we have been working on this week.

"OUTLINE THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF HAVING CHILDREN"

It is only comparatively recently that married couples have been in a position to decide whether or not they want to have children. This freedom of choice has been made possible by the widespread availability of effective contraception, at least in developed countries. Indeed, in the case of the latter, there has been an increasing tendency for couples to decide against having children altogether or postpone starting a family, with the result that birth rates have been falling. What are the arguments that couples consider when taking such an important and difficult decision?

(1)Children are a blessing and no marriage is complete without them. (2)Children can provide security in old age. (3)When parents get old and are no longer able to take care of themselves or if they find themselves experiencing financial hardship, their grown-up children are in a position to provide some support. (4)Children can provide companionship to parents, not only in old age when one of the parents may be left alone but also when they are still growing up. (5)A father may enjoy companionship with his son in the pursuit of pleasures or hobbies which may not interest his wife, such as making model aeroplanes, playing football or hunting. (6)Having children gives pleasure in creating and raising life. (7)Parents are rewarded by seeing some of their own characteristics inherited by their children. (8)The love parents naturally feel for their offspring is reciprocated and a bond of love is formed. (9)(10)Having children helps to strengthen a marriage, particularly in the case of one which is experiencing difficulties. (11)The partners in the marriage are drawn closer together by the need to care for their children, who, after all, belong to them both. (12)(13)Having children prevents couples becoming too selfish and wrapped up in each other. Anybody who has children knows that they are time-consuming and very demanding of attention. This can be a positive advantage in preventing a marriage from becoming too self-centred and therefore stale. (14)A new dimension is added to the rather limited relationship of husband and wife.

(15)Children may not turn out to be the blessing they are claimed to be. There are several important factors which must be taken into consideration before deciding to accept the responsibility of parenthood. (16)There is the undeniable fact that children are expensive. (17)They require new clothes and shoes at regular intervals; they are destructive of property; they demand costly toys which they then proceed to break. (18)If parents want to do the best for their children, they must be prepared to foot the bill for increasingly expensive private education and medical care. (19)There is the risk element of having children which many a parent has lived to regret, and that is the possibility that a child may turn out "badly". (20)He or she may take drugs, turn to crime, or have a illegitimate baby. (21)After years of sacrifice, parents are inevitably saddened and disappointed by the results of their efforts. (22)Having children is time-consuming. They demand the full attention of both parents, particularly when young, leaving both husband and wife with no spare time whatsoever. A hobby or sport which may have been an all consuming passion before children arrived, has to be neglected. (23)Visits to the cinema or any sort of social life involve negotiations with baby-sitters and much forward planning. Such inconveniences inevitably result in couples ceasing to go out at all. (24)Having children is difficult to combine with having a career. (25)If only the husband works, there is still the problem that a demanding and successful career usually involves travelling, late-night working and entertaining, activities incompatible with the role of bringing up children. (26)The wife is left to look after the children single-handed, which means that she becomes more tense and exhausted. (27)If both parents are trying to pursue successful careers, then the difficulties multiply. (28)The couple have to resort to employing people to look after their children with the result that they grow up without really knowing their parents. (29)Hiring competent professional help is becoming increasingly difficult and expensive. (30)It is not an acceptable arrangement.

(31)(32)Having children may turn out to be a curse rather than the blessing that so many misguided people claim they are. Unless couples are prepared for their freedom to be curtailed and their whole lives sacrificed to bringing up creatures who will later abandon their parents to make their own lives, it is better to leave the unenviable task of having children to the people who think it worthwhile.

new room on Mondays

Just to let you all know that I have managed to find a larger room for our Monday classes from 14h00 to 16h00. These classes will now be held in PN13, which has a lot more space for all of us.
Please note that this change will come into effect on our next Monday class (8th November, given the fact that next Monday, 1st November, is a public holiday).
By the way, you may be amused to learn that in the UK public holidays are very often called "bank holidays", which clearly shows both the domination of the financial markets in everyday British life and the general mecantilism of the British as a whole.

Lost in Translation

You can watch "Lost in Translation" by Sofia Coppola tonight on the Hollywood channel at 21h30.
One of my favourite films.
What do you think this film is about?

Useful language in discursive texts

DISCURSIVE WRITING IN AN ACADEMIC WRITING CONTEXT







Discursive writing is outlining the arguments for and against a particular issue or point of view. The following are examples of discursive composition titles:

 'Outline the advantages and disadvantages of having children'

'It is duty of parents to look after their children in whatever circumstances'

'Children should be guided and corrected, but never punished'. Discuss.


HOW TO WRITE A DISCURSIVE COMPOSITION

 I) Always read the composition title very carefully. This may seem obvious, but it is very important that your composition should be 100% relevant to the title.

 II) Plan your composition. That is, before you start to write the composition,

a) write notes of the main points you wish to make;

b) work out what order you wish to make these points in;

c) divide your points into paragraphs.

 A typical plan for the first composition above ('Outline the advantages and disadvantages of having children.' ) might be as follows:


Paragraph 1: General introduction to the subject

Paragraph 2: Advantages - security in old age

- companionship

- pleasure in creating and raising life

- help to strengthen a marriage

- prevent couples becoming too selfish

Paragraph 3 Disadvantages - expensive

- risky; children may turn out 'badly'

- time-consuming; stop you doing other things

- difficult to combine with career(s)

Paragraph 4: Conclusion - weigh advantages against disadvantages, with

own opinion

 REMEMBER:


a) A plan is just a note or reminder to yourself, so it only needs to include the main points which you will then expand upon in the composition itself.


b) The contents of the plan must only reflect opinion if the title asks for it.


c) When presenting points of view, remember to justify and explain them.


d) The plan above follows a basic discursive composition pattern:


INTRODUCTION.......DEVELOPMENT.......CONCLUSION


Although this may not fit every composition or may not always suit your own personal style of writing, it provides a very useful outline for a discursive composition.


III) Write the composition. When you have planned your composition carefully, write it, remembering to connect the points in your plan well. The following two sections contain language which can be used for this:


i) Useful expressions

As far as X is concerned/As for X/As regards X/Regarding X,...

Generally speaking,...

It is often claimed/argued/said/thought etc. that...

It is undeniable that.../There can be no doubt that...

It is said/considered/believed/thought/supposed that...

It is worth pointing out that...

It is of course regrettable that...

One could/can argue that...

The point can be made that...

 ii) Discourse markers

 'Discourse' is a term used by grammarians to talk about ' larger ' pieces of speech and writing: stretches of language longer than a sentence. There are a lot of words and expressions that we use to show the structure of discourse. Some of these make clear the connection between what we are going to say and what came before (for instance talking about ..., anyway, however). Some of them shown our attitude to the truth of what we are saying (for example frankly).
And others show what kind of communication is going on (like the use of after all in persuading or actually in ' breaking news'). Expressions like these can be called 'discourse markers'. The following are a few of the most useful ones.


1) LINKING expressions show a connection between what you want to say and what was said before.
talking about... with reference to

2) FOCUSING expressions are used to 'focus' attention - to announce what we are going to talk about.
regarding as regards as far as.... is concerned as for

3) STRUCTURING expressions can be used to show the structure of what we are saying. Most of them are more common in a formal style (for instance, in speeches, lectures, or reports).


a) Divisions
firstly......secondly......thirdly......finally.........
first of all....... to begin with..............
to start with....(less formal)
in the first place........
for one thing........for another thing.........(less formal)
another thing is........(informal)
moreover / in addition / similarly
as well as (less normal) on top of that (informal)
besides (introducing a stronger argument than the one before).


b) Contrast with what came before


all the same / yet / and yet / still
on the other hand / however


c) Logical consequence






thus (very formal) / therefore (formal) / so (less formal)


d) Exemplifying and excepting


for instance / for example / such as / including
in particular / apart from / except(ing)
with the exception of / and so on and so forth

e) Generalizing

 On the whole / in general / as a rule

in most cases / in many cases / broadly speaking

to some extent / mostly


f) Clarifying


This means / that is to say / in other words


4) DISMISSAL OF PREVIOUS DISCOURSE expressions are often used to mean 'what was said


before doesn't really matter - the main point is as follows'.




at any rate / anyway / anyhow


5) CHANGE OF SUBJECT expressions are used to introduce a new subject that has no connection with the previous discourse.


by the way / incidentally

6) SHOWING OUR ATTITUDE TO WHAT WE ARE SAYING expressions

 "frankly" and "honestly" are often used to introduce critical remarks.

"So to speak", "sort of" (informal), "kind of" (informal) and "more or less" are ways of making an opinion sound much less definite.


7) SHOWING ONE'S ATTITUDE TO THE OTHER PERSON expressions

 "After all" is used in persuading; it suggests ' this is a strong argument that you haven't taken into consideration'.

"No doubt" can be used to make a suggestion.


8) REFERRING TO THE OTHER PERSON'S EXPECTATIONS expressions are used when we show whether somebody's expectations have been fulfilled or not.

"actually", "in fact" and "as a matter of fact" can all be used to say that somebody 'guessed right'.

The three expressions above and "to tell the truth" are all also used when we say that expectations were not fulfilled.

"Actually" is especially used when introducing a correction to something somebody has said before.


7.2 EXERCISES


Replace the gaps in each of the following sentences with a suitable 'discourse marker'.


1) He's not doing a very good job. _____, you've got to admit that he's doing his best.
2) ______ marketing _____, I think the best is to have a meeting with the Sales manager.
3) She was ____ unable to avoid an unwelcome marriage.
4) "Peter's written another book." "Oh, yes? Clever chap! _____, have you heard from Anne recently?
5) _____ you're very busy at the moment.

6) ______ making her bed every day, she didn't do a thing.

7) He can buy just about anything he wants. ____, he's very wealthy.

8) "What do you think of my hair?" "____, dear, it's a disaster."

9) _____, students found it an easy examination.

10) What a terrible experience! ____, you're safe, that's the main thing.


IV) Check it. When you have written your composition, check it very carefully - looking at the following:


Grammar, Spelling, Punctuation, Vocabulary.


All students tend to make their own particular mistakes, so it is useful for you to establish exactly what your weaknesses are, and then to watch out for them and correct them when they occur.

Relevance, Style, Length.
Everything in the composition must be relevant to the title



7.3 COMPOSITION PLANNING

1) Write a plan for this composition:
'It is the duty of parents to look after their children in whatever circumstances.'
In pairs examine your composition plans together and decide:
a) Are all the contents relevant?
b) Are the plans sufficiently comprehensive, or too full or incomplete?
c) Are the plans well ordered?




2) In pairs, write a plan for this composition:
'Children should be guided and corrected, but never punished.'
Discuss the issues among yourselves before writing the plan.


7.4 GUIDED COMPOSITIONS


I) 'The whole idea of formal education is wrong'. Discuss
Arguments in favour
1) Education should be a preparation for life - only a small proportion of time should be given to purely academic subjects.
2) Children should be encouraged to experience things for themselves.
3) Examinations encourage uniformity and success is almost entirely a matter of luck.
4) Success in the formal education system leaves children with aspirations which cannot be satisfied.
Arguments against
1) Education should only be based on academic standards which should be sufficiently high to ensure that only the best people get further education of some kind.
2) Maintaining academic standards and selectivity is the only way to make sure that the money the state puts into the education of the people is well spent.
3) Examinations are necessary in order to test that pupils have learnt what they should have learnt; to select people for further study or for employment; to provide an incentive.


A. Discuss the implications of the above mentioned arguments and elaborate on them if you can. Are there other relevant arguments you can think of? How does the concept of mass unemployment and consequently increased leisure time affect these arguments?


B. Plan the composition. Devise an introduction, a conclusion and the points you are going to include.


Consider the following:


a) Are you at any time in the composition going to state opinion, and if so, where?
b) Are you going to present the arguments in favour and then the arguments against or are you going to mix them up?
c) What style will you adopt?
d) How often can you avoid using the personal pronoun 'I' or the expression ' I think'? How is this to be achieved?
e) When the composition is written, check it systematically for mistakes.
Is it concise and organised and does it read like English?




II) Read the following article:


Heaven's Union, a California firm, sends messages to the dead.
Dead relatives, dead celebrities, anyone you want, according to Heavens Union founder Gabe Gabor, who has a stable of terminally ill messengers to get the mail through to the hereafter.
Since December, Gabor has sent over 500 messages to the dead for his clients. The messengers were four terminally ill people, though three of them carried most of the load, after the first one "departed", as Gabor says, in early January, "with just a few messages".
In his office in Granada Hills, a suburb of Los Angeles, he says, in a light Hungarian accent: "We're a legitimate organization. We're officially registered."


'Write a composition giving your opinions on this kind of enterprise'.
Arguments in favour
a) the right of free enterprise
b) fulfils an emotional need
c) impossible to prove that it is bogus
Arguments against
a) exploitation of people's suffering
b) potential psychological dangers
c) a bogus and deceitful enterprise
d) greed for money disguised as human concern


III) 'Discuss opinions on many people's current interest in the 'unorthodox' (e.g. the paranormal, ghosts, life after life, homoeopathy etc).'
Arguments in favour
a) encourages a healthy interest in unexplained phenomena
b) breaks down the barriers of science
c) harmless
d) healthy reaction to over-materialistic world
Arguments against
a) superstition that masquerades as science
b) encourages people to escape from reality
c) irrational - no proof
d) has no place in modern world

paragraph writing: what not to do

DEU À LUZ TRÊS GÉMEOS QUE SERÃO SEUS NETOS

A sul-africana Pat Anthony deu, ontém, à luz três gémeos, filhos do português Alcino Ferreira Jorge, aos quais serviu de mãe hospedeira, e que serão seus netos na medida em que os teve num "acto de amor" por sua filha, Karen Ferreira Jorge, a quem foi removido o útero.

Segundo funcionários da Clínica Park Lane, de Joanesburgo, o parto por cesariana de Pat Anthony, de 48 anos, ficará como marco na histórioa da medicina, depois da parturiente ter acedido "emprestar" o seu próprio útero à sua filha Karen, instrutora de ginástica aeróbica, casada com o engenheiro de ar condicionado Alcino Ferreira Jorge.

Os óvulos de Karen, que não pode ter filhos devido a uma histerectomia a que foi submetida há anos na sequência de um parto difícil, foram implantados no útero de Pat depois de fertilizados em laboratório e esta operação, largamente publicitada pela imprensa, levou a que o ministro sul-africano de justiça, Kobie Koetzee, tenha afirmado, na semana passada, que Pat Anthony, a avó-mãe hospedeira, terá a tutela dos trigémeos, dois rapazes e uma rapariga, apesar da mãe "legal" ser sua filha Karen.

Pat Anthony, uma mulher baixa e loura que vive com a filha e o género - ambos católicos - em Tzaneeen, 380 quilómetros a norte de Joanesburgo, decidiu emprestar o seu corpo para o nascimento dos netos a fim de evitar a frustração materna da sua filha, e há uns meses, quando foi tornada pública esta sua decisão, o marido, Rayron, afirmou ao jornal "Sunday Times" de Joanesburgo: "A decisão foi tomada por Par e só por ela. É um acto de amor."

Recorde-se, a propósito, que a controvérsia sobre as mães hospedeiras ou de aluguer se tornou mais violenta em Março último quando uma mulher dos EUA perdeu um processo no qual pretendia guardar a criança que tinha dado à luz por empréstimo do útero a um casal que não podia ter filhos.

CM 1987

Welcome to 14 Polar Bears, the blog that will change your life!
Well, maybe not, but it may help you to develop your writing skills in English.

Today was just the start of the adventure. Who knows where this may lead?