Igniting English

A Technical English course for

Mechanical Engineering

Professors
Ana Finol
María Teresa León

University of Zulia
Faculty of Engineering
School of Mechanical Engineering

Maracaibo, 2013
 INTRODUCTORY UNIT
WHAT TECHNICAL ENGLISH IS ALL ABOUT:
ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES (ESP)

ESP is an approach to language teaching in which all the decisions as to content and
method are based on the learner’s reason for learning, thus, it is focused on the
learner’s needs and interests to influence on their motivation and therefore in the
effectiveness of their learning, and aims to meet the needs of particular learners, so
teachers have to design courses for various groups of learners. (Excerpted from
Hutchinson, T and A. Waters. (1993) English for Specific Purposes, Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press)

GENERAL OBJECTIVES OF THE COURSE

“TECHNICAL ENGLISH FOR MECHANICAL
ENGINEERING”

1. To read materials written in the English Language in the field of Mechanical

Engineering

2. To value the importance of English as an instrument for accessing scientific

and technical information.

1
2
ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES(ESP)vs.GENERAL ENGLISH
GENERAL ENGLISH ESP
-Elementary and high school English -Language of Science and
-Development of four skills ( listening Technology
comprehension, reading -Language for Occupational
comprehension, speaking and writing) Purposes
-Conversational English Courses (ESL, -Development of one skill: reading
EFL) Comprehension

READING COMPREHENSION vs. TRANSLATION

THE READING PROCESS THE TRANSLATION PROCESS
-Reading is a communicative activity -The process of changing speech or
where there is an active interaction writing from one language into
between the reader and a written text another.
(Widdowson, 1979). -A translation which reproduces the
-The reader perceives a written text in general meaning and intention of the
order to understand its content. The original but which does not closely
understanding that results is called follow the grammar, style or
reading comprehension (Richards, organization of it is known as a free
1985). translation. A translation which
-Understanding a written text means approximates to a word-for-word
extracting the required information representation of the original is known
from it as efficiently as possible as a literal translation (Richards,
(Grellet, 1981). 1985).
MAIN READING STRATEGIES

SKIMMING Quickly running one’s eyes over a text to get

the gist of it (Grellet, 1981).
SCANNING Quickly going through a text to find a
particular piece of information (Grellet, 1981).
GUESSING An opinion reached by deducing (Webster
Dictionary, 1981).
INTENSIVE READING Reading shorter texts, to extract specific
information. This is more an accuracy activity
involving reading for detail (Grellet, 1981).

3
 READING STRATEGIES

How do you deal with an unknown word in a text?

1._______________________________
2. _______________________________
3. _______________________________

There are several ways to approach unknown words we find when we are reading.

GUESSING
GUESSING THROUGH COGNATES
Cognates are words that have the same or similar spelling and the same
meaning in English and Spanish

Examples: mechanic, fluid, reactor, viscosity

Occasionally we may also find “false cognates” which are words that have the
same or similar spelling in English and Spanish, but their meaning is different in
both.

Examples: large, actual, actually

Practice. Underline the cognates you find in the following sentence.

The materials selected for the manufacturing of TUCAL ice machine are first
class, and they are subjected to a rigorous reception exam in order to
guarantee high efficiency and minimum maintenance.

GUESSING BASED ON BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE

Every one of us has some general knowledge about the world in which we live
and that background knowledge can help us guess the meaning of an unknown
word.

Example:
A gas turbine is an engine that employs gas flow as the working medium by
which heat energy is transformed into mechanical energy. Gas is produced in
the engine by the combustion of certain fuels

4
Now make our own guess.

What´s the meaning of heat?

_________________________________________________________
The clue you followed was: ___________________________________

What’s the meaning of fuels ?

_________________________________________________________
The clue you followed was: ___________________________________

GUESSING BASED ON CONTEXT

Using context to understand unfamiliar words
If you are learning English as a second/foreign
language, meeting unfamiliar words is a regular
experience. With proper reading skills, this is not a
problem, but an excellent opportunity to rapidly
increase your vocabulary. The most important skill
for this purpose is your ability to use context — the
words and sentences which surround an unfamiliar
word.

There are a number of different techniques for

guessing an unfamiliar word's meaning from
context:

*. Read the sentence/passage and try to guess

the meaning of the highlighted word.

* Explain what part of the context surrounding the word allowed you to make
your guess.

The context gives us lot of clues through which we can guess the meaning of an
unknown word.

a. Definitions: A nuclear reactor which produces more fuel than it consumes

is referred to as a breeder reactor.

b. Explanations: A four-cycle engine is an internal combustion engine in

which the pistons complete four strokes __intake, compression,
power and exhaust __ for each complete cycle.

c. Examples: Propulsion is the action of propelling an object, e.g. a jet

engine is used for the propulsion of an airplane.

5
 d. Synonyms: Dope, any of various viscous materials used on pipe or
tubing threads as a lubricant, is used to prevent corrosion.

e. Antonyms: The efficiency of gas-turbine cycles can be enhanced by the

use of auxiliary equipment such as intercoolers, regenerators and
reheaters. These devices are expensive, however and economic
considerations usually preclude their use.

f. Related Words: The usual fuels used in gas turbines are natural gas and
liquids such as kerosene and diesel oil. Coal can be used after conversion
to gas in a separate gasifier.

GUESSING THROUGH WORD FORMATION

One of the ways to guess the meaning of the unfamiliar words you come across
when you read is to analyze the way words in English are generally formed. An
English word can be divided in three parts: a prefix, a stem and a suffix.
Pre- means before, a prefix, therefore, is what comes before the stem. Consider
as an example the prefix de- (meaning reduce or reverse) in a word like
demagnetize (meaning to deprive of magnetism). A suffix is what is attached to
the end of the stem. Consider as an example the suffix –er (meaning the
person/thing who/that) in producer (the person or thing that produces).
Suffixes, on the other hand, change the word from one part of speech to
another. For example, -ly added to the adjective tremendous forms the adverb
tremendously.

The following is a list of the most common suffixes in English corresponding to

different categories:
NOUNS (*) VERBS (**) ADJECTIVES ADVERBS
-ance -ize -able -ly
-ence -fy -ible
-or -en -less
-er -ful
-ist -al,ic,ical
-ness -ish
-ity -ive
-ion -ous
-ite
-ment

(*) may be in plural (**) may take –s/-es (3rd. person singular)

6
 Practice. Read the following sentences and underline all the suffixes you
find.

1. For the production of ice blocks, water is frozen in an equipment

manufactured with highly anticorrosive aluminium, employing a technology
related to the vertical plate freezers.

2. The gas turbine was installed with the major auxiliary systems in a
spacious acoustic enclosure.

3. A displacement pump imparts energy by mechanical displacement.

4. The term “standards” has many implications. To the researcher and to the
technical community it may mean fundamental test methodologies and
units of measure.

5. The meter is connected to the primary element in substantially the same

manner as is the conventional mercury manometer.

GUESSING BASED ON VISUAL AIDS

Figure 1

The Contessa is a portable, self-contained ice maker and requires no drain. You can get
12 cubes in 12 mins and in 3 different sizes. Ideal for home, leisure and the office. Will
make 1kg ice in 80 mins (in correct conditions); approx 16kg ice per 24hrs.

What does Figure 1 refer to?_________________________________

(Adapted from: Pires M.: A Tool Kit to Extract Information from Petroleum Engineering Texts - June 2001)

7
 USING THE BILINGUAL DICTIONARY

What do you use a bilingual dictionary for?

The function of a bilingual dictionary is to translate the meaning of words from

Spanish to English and from English to Spanish (these words are listed in
alphabetical order). In addition, we can use it:

-To know word usage

-To find out how words are spelled
-To find out how words are pronounced
-To know the grammatical function of the word.

Examine your dictionary. What is the organization of your bilingual dictionary?

-It has __________ sections.

-Other sections are: _____________________________________________
-Other kind of supplementary information: ____________________________
-Abbreviations : __________________________________________________

DICTIONARY ENTRIES. Read the following information carefully.

Chill [ t⌠ Il ] n. 1 frío 2 resfriado 3 escalofrío

vt. 1 helar 2 vt.,vi. enfriar(se), refrigerar(se)

LOC to chill somebody to the bone/marrow; helar a

alguien hasta los huesos.

MEANING
Most words have more than one meaning depending on the context in which
they are used. The bilingual dictionary indicates this meaning.
How many meanings of the word ”chill” are registered in your bilingual dictionary?
_____________________________________________________________

USAGE
Your bilingual dictionary will indicate the different meanings a word might have
depending on the situation in which it is used. (For example LOC.)
______________________________________________________________

8
DERIVED WORDS
Dictionaries usually bring derived words from a root. Consult your dictionary to find
derived words from “chill”.
______________________________________________________________

GRAMMATICAL FUNCTION
The grammatical function of a word is generally labeled in terms of the eight
traditional parts of speech: noun (n), verb (v), adverb (adv.), adjective (adj.),
pronoun (p.), preposition (prep.), conjunction (conj.) and interjection (interj.).

PRONUNCIATION
The information in brackets after a word entry shows its pronunciation. Dictionaries
usually include a guide to understand the symbols used.

PRACTICE.
1. Number the following words so as to organize them in alphabetical order.

Pressure flow mechanical volt valve pump assembly wheel watt pipe
gears grinding

2. Look up the following words and indicate their grammatical function

WORDS Noun Verb Adjective Adverb Derived/

Meaning? Meaning? Meaning? Meaning? Related word
Rotate X rotar, girar
Hard
Potential
Fast
Set
Weld

3. Look up the words in the first column and write words related to them in
meaning.

Energy Energetic, energize

Fluid
Heat
Electricity
Viscosity

9
4. Look up the words in the first column and find their meaning in Spanish
according to their grammatical function.
MEANING IN SPANISH
WORD NOUN VERB ADJECT. ADVERB DERIVED/REL
ATED WORD
(In English)
BIT
CHANGE
CURRENT
NUMBER
OBJECT
SOLID

5. Look up the words in bold face and account for their difference in meaning.
. Say what the grammatical category of the word is and translate the whole
sentence into Spanish.
- a. Baseball players usually pitch the ball very fast. (Category ____?)
__________________________________________________
b. Pitch is a bituminous material found in natural beds.
__________________________________________________

- a. We saw the seals at the Seaquarium in Florida. (Category ____?)

__________________________________________________
b. Seals are thin strips of metal imprinted with serial numbers.
__________________________________________________

- a. Carbones del Guasare has a sea terminal in Sta. Cruz de Mara. It’s
an offshore loading or unloading facility for large deep draft tankers
transporting coal. (Category ____?)
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
b. He was dying of a terminal illness. (Category ____?)
__________________________________________________

- a. I water the plants in my garden every day. (Category ____?)

___________________________________________________
b. There is a lot of water in that pool over there. (Category ____?)
__________________________________________________

-Some sections were adapted from: Pires M. : A Tool Kit to Extract Information from
Petroleum Engineering Texts -– June 2001
-On-line source: dictionary.reference.com/features/howtousedictionary

10
 RECOGNIZING THE TOPIC AND THE
MAIN IDEA WITHIN A TEXT

The words engine and "ingenious" are derived from the same Latin root,
"ingenerate", which means "to create". The early English verb engine meant "to
contrive". Thus the early "engineers" were the people who contrived (i.e. invented)
new things.

The history of mechanical engineering can be traced directly to the ancient world,
to the designers and inventors of the first mechanisms which were powered by human
or animal labour, water or wind energy, or a combination of these.

Although many of the mechanisms had a purely peaceful application, such as for
flight, irrigation or building, the word "engineer" originally meant "military engineer"
because it was derived from the term "engines of war". These were machines such as
catapults, floating bridges and assault towers. The invention of the steam engine in the
latter part of the 18th century provided a key source of power for the Industrial
Revolution and gave enormous impetus to the development of machinery of all types.
As a result, a new major classification of engineering dealing with tools and machines,
namely mechanical engineering, received formal recognition in 1847.

Today's mechanical engineer is heavily involved in the development and use of

new materials and technologies, especially in computer aided engineering. A rapidly
growing field for mechanical engineers is environmental control, comprising the
development of machines and processes that will produce fewer pollutants, as well as
the development of new equipment and techniques to reduce or remove existing
pollution. Although mechanical engineers may occasionally work alone on a small
project, they are more likely to be working on large, multi-disciplinary projects, liaising
with specialists from other areas.

In almost every sphere of modern life, from the air-conditioned office or home to the
modern industrial plant or mode of transport, one sees the work of mechanical
engineers who continue to develop and apply new knowledge and technology to
improve the quality of life for society as a whole.

FUENTE: Buscador Google. www.ujti.ac.in/dept-mehh.asp

11
Recognizing the topic, the main idea and the general idea.

The topic is the single theme or subject discussed in a paragraph/passage.

The main idea of a passage is the central thought or message. In contrast to the
term topic, which refers to the subject under discussion, the term main idea refers
to the point or thought being expressed.

The general idea expands on the main idea to give more details.

Practice

1. Give a title to the text above

_________________________________________________________

2. - Fill in the following boxes.

THE TOPIC OF THE TEXT IS

THE MAIN IDEA OF

HE TEXT IS

THE GENERAL IDEA

OF THE TEXT IS

12
 RECOGNIZING NOUN MODIFIERS

Very often nouns form chains with one ore more words called modifiers. The
function of theses modifiers is to describe the noun in more detail.
Noun modifiers can be premodifiers (a beautiful girl) or postmodifiers (the girl in the
red dress).

A noun may be modified by:

1) An adjective
Examples:
Mechanical tools, chemical reaction, hazardous condition, sharp edge, large vessel,
careful driver

2) Another noun
In English we can put two nouns together. The first noun is used as an adjective to
modify the second noun and is called a noun adjunct. The first noun is almost
always singular because it follows the rule for adjectives, which do not have plural
forms in English.

a. N1 is a kind of N2 (a grammar book is a kind of book)

b. N1 is an object of an implied verb (an ice machine is a machine that
makes ice)

It is important to understand that N2 is the thing and N1 is the kind or type:

a grammar book is a book
an ice machine is a machine
N1 is singular, even if the phrase is plural.

My teacher showed me a grammar book in class.

In the office there is a new ice machine.

Examples:

Foundry process, flow meter, cost reduction, energy distribution, pressure

valve, exhaust pipe

13
3) An “-ing” form
Examples:
Heating system, welding machine, cutting tool, engineering department, cooling
tower, braking device

4) An “-ed” form
Examples:
Threaded connector, condensed water, automated teller machine (ATM),
damaged part, proposed strategy

Practice.
a) Circle the modifiers of the underlined nouns

Before beginning a welding job, it is important to identify the hazards for that
particular welding operation. The hazards will depend on the type of welding, the
materials (base metals, surface coatings, electrodes) to be welded, and the
environmental conditions (outside or in a confined space, for instance).

Ask for material safety data sheets (MSDSs) to identify the hazardous materials
used in welding and cutting products, and the fumes that may be generated.

Eye protection should be used to protect the eyes from bright light, heat,
ultraviolet light, and flying sparks. For the best protection, wear face shields or
helmets and goggles. To keep particles out of your eyes when removing your face
shield, tip your head forward and keep your eyes closed.

14
b) Find examples of each noun chain in the sentences provided. Try to find more
than one example for the first two patterns.

Many industries are beginning to use robot welders in place of workers on the
assembly line. This removes workers from the hazard, but focuses on job
elimination rather than workplace improvements. In addition, a number of injured
workers can result from careless operation of industrial welding robots.

PATTERN EXAMPLE TRANSLATION

n+n

adj + n

adj + -ing + n
-ed + n

c) Can you think of any examples in English to fit different noun chain patterns?
Write them down in the table below

PATTERN EXAMPLE TRANSLATION

15
Follow-up activity.: Word families

Fill in the table with words related to the ones given

Noun Verb Adjective Adverb

ACCELERATE
ADDITION
BASIC
CORROSION
CURRENT
DIRECT
DEVELOPMENT
FILL
MANAGE
OCCASIONAL
PRODUCTIVELY
REST
SOAK
TURN
WIDE

16
 RECOGNIZING THE RETHORICAL
FUNCTION OF A TEXT
The Rhetorical Functions or Macrofunctions (Trimble, 1985) are fundamental
categories commonly used in paragraphs and/or texts in English for Science and
Technology. Each rhetorical function provides readers with different kinds and
amounts of information, therefore, each function can be clearly separated and
identified.
The macrofunction of a paragraph or text expresses the author’s intention: Does
he/she want to define? describe? classify? give instructions? narrate?
MAIN GOAL KEY FEATURES/ELEMENTS TO
IDENTIFY THE FUNCTIONS OF:
Recognizing the main functions of the Definition
texts Description
Physical
Function
Process
Classification
Instructions
Narration
Visual-Verbal Relationship
Exercise 1.- Read the following passages and identify the their macrofunctions.
Scottish veterinarian John Boyd Dunlop invented the first air-filled or pneumatic tires in
1888. He attached rubber hoses to wooden wheels and covered the contact patches with thick
canvas. The bead wire tire invented by C.K. Welch in 1891 marks an important breakthrough
in tire history. That same year, the Michelin brothers patented tires that could be mounted or
demounted by hand. In 1904, Firestone and Goodyear Tire Company developed straight sided
wire bead tires and almost all the tire manufacturers in the US were following their
manufacturing techniques by 1908.
Meanwhile in 1913, Britain developed the radial ply method (plies at right angles to the
sidewall) which broke from the previous bias ply method which used tire code fabric.
However, the radial ply method (crossed under the tread) only came into wide use some 35
years later, in 1948, when it was adopted by Michelin. The code fabric was made from a
weave of thick cotton thread. Due to high prices, the stronger silk thread could not be used in
manufacturing tire code fabric.

The macrofunction of the text is: ___________________________________

The clues are: __________________________________________________- 17
 Disc Brake Basics

The main components of a disc brake are: The brake pads and the caliper,
which contains a piston and the rotor, which is mounted to the hub. The disc
brake is a lot like the brakes on a bicycle. Bicycle brakes have a caliper, which
squeezes the brake pads against the wheel. In a disc brake, the brake pads
squeeze the rotor instead of the wheel, and the force is transmitted
hydraulically instead of through a cable. Friction between the pads and the
disc slows the disc down.

Source: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/disc-brake1.htm

The macrofunction of the text is: ___________________________________

The clues are: __________________________________________________

How to Change Your Air Filter

1. Open the hood.
2. Locate your air filter, usually found on top of the engine. On cars with
carburetors it is in a round piece of metal about the size of a medium
pizza; fuel-injected cars have square or rectangular air filter housings
that may be off to the side of the engine.
3. Unscrew or unclamp the top to the air filter housing.
4. Lift out the air filter. It should be a round or rectangular filter made of
paper or plastic, with a rubber rim.
5. Clean the area with a vacuum cleaner or seal the top of the carburetor.
This will keep debris out of the carburetor as you continue to clean the
housing.
6. Clean out any dirt or bugs from the inside of the air filter housing with a
rag
7. Replace the filter with a new filter. Consult your manual to determine the
proper filter for your car.
8. Replace the cover and close the hood.

Source: http://www.ehow.com/how_1560_change-air-filter.html

The macrofunction of the text is: ___________________________________

The clues are: __________________________________________________- 18
 The refrigeration cycle

The pressure in the system drops as the water cools and absorbs ammonia
vapor. Liquid ammonia flows into the evaporator, begins to evaporate, and
cools it. Evaporated ammonia flows back through the tube. It is again
absorbed by the water in the generator. Refrigeration continues, usually until
the next firing of the kerosene burner. The small restrictor performs two
functions, it allows the liquid to enter the evaporator at a controlled level. This
protects the evaporator from getting flooded. The restrictor also acts as an
expansion valve which greats a pressure differential. A pressure differential is
essential to the refrigeration cycle as it causes the liquid ammonia to change
its boiling point from a high pressure flash of temperature to a lower pressure
flash of temperature. Without this change in pressures the refrigeration would
not be performed and the system would simply act as an ammonia container.

http://www.nh3tech.org/absorption.html

The macrofunction of the text is: ___________________________________

The clues are: __________________________________________________

Machine tools may be classified under three main categories: conventional

chip-making machine tools, presses, and unconventional machine tools.
Conventional chip-making tools shape the workpiece by cutting away the
unwanted portion in the form of chips. Presses employ a number of different
shaping processes, including shearing, pressing, or drawing (elongating).
Unconventional machine tools employ light, electrical, chemical, and sonic
energy; superheated gases; and high-energy particle beams to shape the
exotic materials and alloys that have been developed to meet the needs of
modern technology (Machine Tools," Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 99. ©
1993-1998 Microsoft Corporation)

The macrofunction of the text is: ___________________________________

The clues are: __________________________________________________

19
 DEFINITIONS

A definition expresses the nature of a

person, a thing, a process, etc.

In a text whose main purpose is to define something, the author may use words,
phrases, or statements to give the meaning of a word, key words, or signal words
to do so, therefore you need to look for them within the text. Some examples of
these words are:

is/are (verb TO BE/s.present) means/mean

is/are called what this means is
is/are known as consist(s) of
is/are defined as refer(s) to
is/are referred to as involve(s), imply (ies)
deals with

Definitions may be classified as:

EXPANDED: they take more than one sentence. They may encompass a paragraph, a text
or passage.

SIMPLE: these are completed in one sentence

STRUCTURE OF A SIMPLE DEFINITION

Let us consider a simple definition having three main components: the term being defined, the
class to which said term belongs and the characteristics that distinguish that term from all the
other members of the class.
The terms usually found at the beginning of the statement , but sometimes it is found at the end,
introduced by expressions such as: … is called…T…, …is known as…T…, … is referred to as
…T...

Hence, we identify two types of definition: formal and semi-formal

Formal definitions are represented by the equation: T= C + D

Where T = the term being defined
C = the class to which the term belongs
D = the distinguishing characteristics that differentiate this
term from all the other members of the same class
Example:
A hydrometer is an instrument designed to measure the specific gravity of liquids

20
Semi-formal definitions are represented by the equation: T = D ,
meaning that the class is implicitly stated in the definitions, as opposed to formal definitions in
which the class is explicitly stated.

Example:
Condensation is the transformation of a vapor or gas to a liquid by cooling or an increase in
pressure or both simultaneously.

Practice:
a.-Underline the TERM being defines in each of the following definitions

b. Classify them accordingly and fill in the table with their main components

1. PH is a symbol used in expressing both acidity and alkalinity on a scale whose values run
from 0 to 14, 7 representing neutrality.
2. Torque refers to a turning or twisting force
3. The ease with which a liquid is converted into a gaseous state is known as volatility.
4. A servomechanism is an automatic device used for controlling large amounts of power
with a small amount of force.
5. Flash point is the temperature at which a given substance will ignite.
6. A control panel is an assembly of indicators and recording instruments for monitoring and
controlling a system or process.
No. Type TERM CLASS DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

21
 RECOGNIZING THE CLUES FOR
RETHORICAL TECHNIQUES

The Rhetorical Techniques establish a bond among the items of information found and
arranged within a text of English for Science and Technology. The latter allow the reader
to identify the microfunctions that are present in EST paragraphs/texts in order to show
the cohesion or connection among said items and their connection to the main idea of
the passage. They allow us to understand how ideas (secondary ideas) are linked or developed
from one sentence to another, from one paragraph to the next. Connective elements provide us with
information that helps further understand the main idea such as examples, comparisons,
explanations, contrast, addition, cause/effect, etc.

COMMON CLUES OR CONNECTORS

 Comparison: as, similar to, , similar to the same, like, in comparison, alike, as, equal to,
similarly, equally, compared to, both, -er than/ more than/ less than/ as…as.
 Contrast, in spite of this, whereas, while, on the other hand, in contrast, but, : however,
nevertheless, yet, on the contrary, although, despite that, instead of, as opposed to, etc.
 Time sequence: previous, preceding, earlier, former, before, before that, up to now, until,
until then, in the beginning, long ago, during, simultaneous, at present, today, now, when, at
the same time, meanwhile, later, then, afterwards, since (then), by the time, once, etc.
 Time order: first, second, finally, next, during, before, after, at last, etc.
 Listing: one, two, first(ly), second(ly), in the first place, in the second place, to begin, to start
with another, then, next, afterwards, lastly, finally, etc.
 Space order: inside, outside, at the top, at the bottom, between, in, into, on, onto, inner,
outer, out, up, down, etc.
 Causality and result /cause and effect: thus, for this reason, in order to, therefore,
consequently, because, because of, due to, as a result, consequently, for this reason, so that,
hence, etc.
 Exemplification: such as, for example, for instance, e.g., as an example, like, exemplified
by, shown by, etc.
 Explanation: that is, i.e. /that is to say, in other words, namely, it means, to explain this,
which, ( ), ,…, -…- etc.
 Definition: is, is defined as, deals with, refers to, is referred to as, is called, is known as, is
concerned with, etc,
 Addition: and, or, furthermore, in addition, besides, too, also, another, etc. 22
 RETHORICAL TECHNIQUES IN THE
EST PARAGRAPHS

TEXT 1.- FUEL CELL

A fuel cell is an electrochemical energy conversion device similar to a

battery, but differing from the latter in that it is designed for continuous
replenishment of the reactants consumed; i.e. it produces electricity from an
external supply of fuel and oxygen as opposed to the limited internal energy
storage capacity of a battery. Additionally, the electrodes within a battery react
and change as a battery is charged or discharged, whereas a fuel cell's electrodes
are catalytic and relatively stable.

Typical reactants used in a fuel cell are hydrogen on the anode side and
oxygen on the cathode side (a hydrogen cell). Usually, reactants flow in and
reaction products flow out. Virtually continuous long-term operation is feasible as
long as these flows are maintained. Fuel cells are often considered to be very
attractive in modern applications because of their high efficiency and ideally
emission-free use, in contrast to currently more common fuels such as methane or
natural gas that generate carbon dioxide. The only by-product of a fuel cell
operating on pure hydrogen is water vapor.
(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_cell)

Toyota FCHV fuel cell vehicle

Hydrogen fuel cell. The actual fuel cell stack is the

layered cubic structure in the centre of the image.

23
 Practice.. Locate the microfunctions mentioned below in the FUEL CELL text
1.Defintion
.- ___________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

2. Cause & Effect relationship

Cause Effect Clue/

Connector
Fuel cells are often considered their high efficiency and Because of
to be very attractive in modern ideally emission-free use
applications

3. Explanation
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

4 Comparison & Contrast

Items being compared or contrasted: ________________________________________

Basis of comparison/contrast:______________________________________________
Clues you followed;______________________________________________________

Items being compared or contrasted: ________________________________________

Basis of comparison/contrast:______________________________________________
Clues you followed;______________________________________________________

5 Exemplification
__ ___________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

6 Space Order

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________ 24
 J. Batista

MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF ABSTRACTS

1. BASED ON YOUR BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE FILL IN THE FOLLOWING

BOXES:

An abstract is ...

That offers the reader the

following advantages:

*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*

25
2. FILL IN THE BLANKS WITH THE WORDS GIVEN IN THE BOX TO HAVE A
COMPLETE DEFINITION OF ABSTRACTS AND THEIR MAIN
CHARACTERISTICS (WORDS MIGHT BE REPEATED).
BOX ABSTRACT
It is a written ______________ of a research.
It provides us with a brief, precise and proper Summary
_____________ allowing searching, identifying and Informative
selecting more relevant information in a shorter Indicative
________. Abstracts have three important Types
_____________: Organization
Extension, type and organization. Information
Time
__________: it refers to the number of words of
Extension
Characteristi
an abstract, The abstract _______ depends on the
cs
publisher, commonly it varies between 100 and 250
words.
__________ : there are two ______of abstracts
indicative and informative.

- The_______ abstract is used in documentary

investigations. It shows an outline of contents in a
general form. It explains neither the methodological
details nor the results,

- The ________ abstract is used in experimental

investigations. It includes specific information on
methodology results. Thus it is widely used in
scientific disciplines, sciences of health and social
sciences.

______________: The most common has 3 or 4

semantic moves, which include:
- Purpose or objective of the research
- Brief description of the method(s) used
- Synopsis of the results
- Conclusions

26
3. MATCH THE FOLLOWING TERMS WITH THEIR CORRESPONDING
DEFINITIONS: (Use arrows)

TERMS DEFINITIONS

PURPOSE Describes the procedures, or

tools used to obtain the
results.

METHODOLOG
Y Summarizes the results
stating their importance.

RESULTS States the goal(s) to be

achieved by the research.

Contains an objective and

CONCLUSIONS clear description of
experimental findings.

27
4. CHECK THE FOLLOWING ABSTRACTS TO IDENTIFY THE MOVES YOU FIND

- Objective:
_____________________________________________________________
- _____________________________________________________________
- _____________________________________________________________
- ______________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
- Brief description of the method(s) used:
- _____________________________________________________________
- _____________________________________________________________
- ______________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
- ______________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
- Synopsis of the results:
- _____________________________________________________________
- _____________________________________________________________
- ______________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
- ______________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
- Conclusions:
- _____________________________________________________________
- _____________________________________________________________
- ______________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

28
Reading Abstracts:Practice Reading and analyzing the following abstracts
1. FEDSM2003
4th ASME/JSME Joint Fluids Engineering Conference
July 2003, Honolulu, Hawaii USA

Acoustic and Hydrodynamic Response of an Annular Cascade to Inflow

Disturbances in Swirling Flows
Basman Elhadidi. University of Notre Dame
Hafiz M. Atassi, University of Notre Dame

Abstract
A model is developed for the interaction of high frequency inflow disturbances with an
annular cascade in swirling flows. The computational domain is decomposed into inner and
outer subdomains. The outer subdomain scales with the radius of the duct R and the high
frequency approximation is used to simplify the governing equations. The inner subdomain
scales with the blade chord c << R, and the mean flow variation due to the blade geometry
has significant effects on the solution. The numerical results show that for swirling mean
flows, as the rotor-stator spacing increases the unsteady blade pressure and the level of
acoustic radiation are first reduced. However, further increasing the spacing to more than 2-
-3 chord lengths produces no significant change. The spanwise variation of the swirl angle
(blade twist) has significant effects on the spanwise unsteady lift distribution and
propagating acoustic pressure. Spanwise modulation of the incident gust reduces the
unsteady lift considerably.

2. Generalized Numerical Framework for Cavitation in Inducers

Ashvin Hosangadi
Combustion Research and Flow Technology, Inc
Vineet AhujaCombustion Research and Flow Technology, Inc.
Ronald J. Ungewitter: Combustion Research and Flow Technology, Inc.

Abstract
In this paper we present a capability to predict pump performance in cavitating flow
regimes. Simulations of cavitating flowfields in a single-stage inducer type pump have been
carried out. The pump used in this paper is the Simplex inducer geometry that has been
extensively tested at NASA Marshall. We follow our turbomachinery simulations up with an
extension of our cavitation model to cryogenic flow regimes, where temperature effects
begin to play a significant role. Our framework encompasses an acoustically accurate,
compressible multiphase model that has been previously validated. The model is
implemented within a multi-element unstructured framework that permits efficient grids
with locally high resolution near the cavitating zones and in the tip gap region. The pump
simulations were performed at a fixed flow rate with different Net Suction Specific Speeds
(NSS). The computational analysis indicates a strong correlation between performance loss
and the extent of cavitation blockage, and accurately identifies the critical NSS number
where breakdown occurs. Predictions of head loss compare well with experimental data.
The cryogenic simulations were performed with liquid nitrogen flowing over a cylindrical
headform. These simulations capture the essential features of cryogenic cavities such as
saturation pressure depression close to the leading edge, and frothy nature of cavitating
zones.
29
 STRUCTURE OF A SCIENTIFIC ARTICLE
Abstract (*)

Introduction

Background Information

Problem Statement

Design or Method

Environment

Sample

Resources

Data Collection

Results

Conclusions

Recommendations

Acknowledgments

References

(*)What is an abstract? An abstract is a short summary of your completed research. If done

well, it makes the reader want to learn more about your research.

These are the basic components of an abstract in any discipline:

1) Motivation/problem statement: Why do we care about the problem? What practical,

scientific, theoretical or artistic gap is your research filling?

2) Methods/procedure/approach: What did you actually do to get your results? (e.g.

analyzed 3 novels, completed a series of 5 oil paintings, interviewed 17 students)

3) Results/findings/product: As a result of completing the above procedure, what did you

learn/invent/create?

4) Conclusion/implications: What are the larger implications of your findings, especially for
the problem/gap identified in step 1?

30