(2/8) Day 11: Academic Style I

Lesson Goals:

• Identify common informal verbs (e.g. prepositional verbs) and pracitce converting to appropriate formal verbs.
• Identify common informal nouns (e.g. stuff, things, a lot) and consider alternatives that may work dependent upon context.

*note to students: "John Doe" or "Jane Doe" is a term we use in English when we want to give a "sample name" or when we don't know the identity of a deceased person. YOU are not Jane or John so do not write their name.


Part I: Discussion (10 min)
We know that some language is more academic than others. Give this, how do you decide which verb or grammar structure is moer appropriate to write in your paper? Do you think that your professors use only or mostly academic terms when they lecture? In groups, come up with list of nouns that you think are "unacademic". Share

Show student list of "Nonacademic words"  and Coxhead's Academic Word List.


Part II: Converting Informal to Formal: Verbs  (15 min) 10:10-10:25
All materials from (Swales & Feak, 2004, p.18-24).

Look to page 2 of your handout as we discuss the difference between some nonacdemic/academic verbs. Complete task 8-9 in your small groups. We will go over the answers together after each exercise.


Part III: Converting Informal Nouns to Formal Nouns (10 min) 10:25-10:35
Work in small groups to complete task 10. We will go over possible answers together.




Homework: Note that the next two paragraph analysis assignments are optional.