ENG121 Midterm Exams

This refers to anything that is used in schools and classrooms. It includes schoolbooks, articles, textbooks, and anything written by experts in various fields of specializations. It is not opinionated but it is rather backed up with information that is valid and reliable, and usually cites further references.

Academic Text

1.) Avoid contractions. 2.) Avoid emotive language that evoke emotions. 3.) Use more cautious evaluations. /// What feature of academic text does this refer to?

Formal

1.) Emphasize things and ideas, instead of people and feelings. 2.) Avoid intense evaluative language. 3.) Show caution about your views by giving room for disagreements. 4.) Cite several authoritative sources that support your point of view. /// What feature of academic text does this refer to?

Objective

1.) Use major signposting to signal key aspects of the work. 2.) Use linking words/phrases to create coherence through transitions between sentences and paragraphs. 3.) Be direct and specific in the presentation of ideas and figures. /// What feature of academic text does this refer to?

Explicit

1.) Take note of words that are specific to certain disciplines. 2.) Be careful of terms that have different meanings in other disciplines. /// What feature of academic text does this refer to?

Technical

This structure repeats on a small level in paragraphs and on a larger level in the structure of the writeup.

Diamond Structure

This part of the introduction paragraph grabs the reader’s attention with a statistic, question, quote, or anecdote.

Hook

This part of the introduction paragraph introduces the subject matter and provide context to this, leading to the thesis statement.

Topic

This part of the introduction paragraph states the main idea of the entire essay into a declarative sentence.

Thesis Statement

This part of the introduction paragraph gives out a preview of the discussion of the body paragraphs.

Summary

This part of the body paragraph gives the main idea of the body paragraph.

Topic Sentence

This part of the body paragraph cites and references several evidence as much as possible; it supports and elaborates the topic sentence.

Evidence Sentence

This part of the body paragraph sums up the ideas presented, developing the topic sentence.

Concluding Sentence

This part of the body paragraph uses linking words or phrases to establish cohesion between sentences and coherence between paragraphs.

Transitional Device

This part of the body paragraph connects the information between the body graphs.

Transition Sentence

This part of the concluding paragraph restates the subject matter of the essay.

Restatement of Topic

This part of the concluding paragraph reviews the main points (topic sentences) of the essay.

Restatement of Summary

This part of the concluding paragraph restates the main idea that was discussed in the previous paragraphs.

Restatement of Thesis Statement

This is a single, clear, and precise sentence that serves as the backbone of your entire essay. It declares the main point or controlling idea of the entire essay.

Thesis Statement

This supports the thesis and expands the topics mentioned in the thesis. It embodies what your body paragraph must discuss.

Topic Sentence

This refers to a statement of the main point in its trial or rough-draft form.

Working Thesis

1.) It helps you stay on course and not get off-track when you put all your details in different paragraphs altogether in one composition. 2.) It helps you to see if you have enough relevant details to support the development of your thesis statement. 3.) It can direct drafts, making writing easier and more manageable. 4.) It helps you better understand the reading material, and allows you to better remember the things that you have read. /// What does this refer to?

Outline

This type of outline according to purpose has strictly parallel parts and is expressed in complete sentences. It intends to show complex and elaborate list of information.

Formal Outline

This type of outline according to purpose does not have parallel parts and uses the style of topic outline. It is helpful in the pre-writing and during-writing processes.

Informal Outline

This type of outline according to purpose is a pre-writing strategy in the style of formal or informal outline that is used to plan out the first draft of a writing task.

Working or Writing Outline

This type of outline according to purpose is a post-reading strategy in the style of formal outline that is used to organize information extracted from an academic or non-academic text.

Reverse or Reading Outline

This type of outline according to structure writes the outline using single words and/or brief phrases.

Topic Outline

This type of outline according to structure writes a more detailed outline using complete sentences.

Sentence Outline

This type of outline according to format is a number-letter format that uses Roman numerals for main headings, alphabet letters on subheadings, and Arabic numbers for supporting details under subheadings.

Alpha-Numeric Outline

This type of outline according to format makes use of Arabic numbers in decimal format.

Decimal Outline

This principle of outline requires ideas of the same relevance to be labeled in the same way.

Coordination

This principle of outline shows that minor details must be placed under their respective major details.

Subordination

This principle of outline requires that no cluster should contain only one item. If there is subheading 1, then there should be subheading 2.

Division

This principle of outline requires all entries in each cluster to use the same structure and format

Parallel Construction

It involves condensing the text into a shorter form. It involves getting only the most important parts of the reading material.

Summarizing

Read the selection carefully and identify the author’s thesis and _.

Main Ideas

When you begin to draft your summary, always include the author's _ and the title of the original text in your first sentence as well as the source of work and publication date.

Name

Use your own words, present the author's _ and other main ideas in few concise sentences.

Thesis

Omit all _ to the supporting examples and details in the selection.

References

For clarity or emphasis, include an exact word or phrase from the original text, be certain to enclose the words in _.

Quotation Marks

Do not give your own _ or interpretation of the material you are summarizing.

Opinion

This entails the use of rewording and rephrasing of the original text. This requires the changing the form of the statement without altering the message and content of the original.

Paraphrasing

This type of plagiarism involves directly copying a passage from a source without citation any proper quotation marks.

Verbatim Plagiarism

This type of plagiarism rephrases a source's content without proper citation, making it seem like their own original work.

Paraphrasing Plagiarism or Indirect Plagiarism

This type of plagiarism involves combining copied text with some original content, often without clear citation.

Mosaic Plagiarism or Patchwriting

This type of plagiarism occurs when a writer attempts to rephrase a source but ends up using too many of the original words and sentence structures.

Inadequate Paraphrasing

This feature of poor paraphrasing depends heavily on synonyms and alternative terms, leading to awkward and repetitive phrasing.

Overuse of Synonyms

This feature of poor paraphrasing closely mimics many sentences of the original text’s structure, leading to a higher level of similarity with the original.

Preservation of Sentence Structure

This feature of poor paraphrasing uses sophisticated vernacular and excessive synonyms which make the text less clear and more difficult to read.

Complex Language

This feature of effective paraphrasing accurately conveys the key ideas and concepts from the original text while using varied vocabulary and sentence structures.

Retain Original Meaning

This feature of effective paraphrasing maintains clarity and conciseness, making it accessible to the reader.

Clear and Concise

This feature of effective paraphrasing employs synonyms effectively to replace words and phrases from the original text without making the text overly complex.

Effective Synonym Use

This feature of effective paraphrasing applies sentence structures to create a fresh perspective while ensuring logical and coherent information flow.

Restructured Sentences

Original Text: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." - Franklin D. Roosevelt /// Paraphrased Text: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." /// What type of plagiarism is being shown?

Verbatim Plagiarism

Original Text: "A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor." /// Paraphrased Text: Calm waters don't cultivate experienced sailors. /// What type of plagiarism is being shown?

Paraphrasing Plagiarism or Indirect Plagiarism

Original Text: "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." - John F. Kennedy /// Paraphrased Text: Inquire about your contributions to society, rather than expecting it to fulfill your every need. /// What type of plagiarism is being shown? (Clue: Some of the content come from other sources.)

Mosaic Plagiarism or Patchwriting

Original Text: "Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans." - John Lennon /// Paraphrased Text: Living occurs when you're occupied with alternate arrangements. /// What type of plagiarism is being shown? (Hint: This loses the sense of unpredictability and the idea of being absorbed in plans that may not come to fruition.)

Inadequate Paraphrasing

Sentence: "(A) The researcher wasn't able to replicate (B) the results of previous studies, (C) which led to doubts about the validity of the findings. (D) This could impact future research in the field." /// Which part of the sentence violated the features of academic text?

Error: Part A (The contraction "wasn't" does violate the formal writing guideline of avoiding contractions. It should be written as "were not" to maintain formality. In short, it violated the formal aspect.)

Sentence: "(A) The investigation strongly suggests that (B) there is an alarming effect on the causal relationship (C) between social media use and mental health issues. (D) However, further research is needed to confirm these findings." /// Which part of the sentence violated the features of academic text?

Error: Part B (The term "alarming" introduces subjective language, which may not be appropriate in objective writing. It should be replaced with a more neutral term to maintain objectivity. In short, it violated the objective aspect.)

Sentence: "(A) The study's methodology included (B) various data collection techniques, (C) which made the results more robust. (D) These findings have important implications for public health policy." /// Which part of the sentence violated the features of academic text?

Error: Part C (Explanation: The phrase "made the results more robust" lacks specificity and does not provide clear information about how the methodology improved the results. It should be revised to be more explicit in presenting the impact of the methodology. In short, it violated the explicit aspect.)

Sentence: "(A) The analysis revealed statistically significant differences (B) between the control and experimental groups. (C) This suggests the need for further investigation into underlying mechanisms (D) which was unexpected given the previous research.” /// Which part of the sentence violated the features of academic text?

Error: Part D (The term "unexpected" is not technical enough and does not provide discipline-specific language. It should be replaced with a term specific to the research field to adhere to the guideline of using technical language.)

I. Word Processing Programs

II. Microsoft Word

III. Page Maker

What principle of outlining is violated?

Coordination (Word is a type of word processing program and should be treated as a subdivision and Page Maker is a type of desktop publishing program. In short, they do not share the same level of relevance and level as Word Processing programs.)

I. Word Processing Programs

A. Microsoft Word

B. Useful

C. Obsolete

II. Desktop publishing programs

A. PageMaker

B. Functional

C. Outdated

What principle of outlining is violated?

Subordination (Microsoft Word is a type of word processing program, and useful and obsolete are qualities. Therefore, useful and obsolete should be the subheadings of Microsoft Word. This goes the same way for functional and outdated for PageMaker.)

I. Causes of Climate Change

A. Deforestation

B. Greenhouse Gas Emissions

II. Effects of Climate Change

A. Rising Sea Levels

What principle of outlining is violated?

Division (This violates the principle of division because the "Effects of Climate Change" section only contains one subheading, "Rising Sea Levels.")

I. Benefits of Exercise

A. Improved Cardiovascular Health

B. To Build Muscle Strength

C. Mental Clarity and Focus

II. Healthy Eating Habits

A. Balanced Nutrition

B. To Avoid Junk Food

C. Consistent Meal Planning

What principle of outlining is violated?

Parallel Construction (In this outline, the headings under each main point do not follow a consistent structure. A and C are both phrases of nouns while B starts with an infinite verb.)