Unit 1

Reference and Resources Section

Contents
1. Presenting problems and solutions A. Reference material
B. Expressing problems, solutions and predicted
consequences
C. Sentence patterns: purpose, reason and result clauses
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
D. Problem areas: prepositions
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
E. Listening: nanotechnology and water shortage

2. Describing products and A. Reference material: definition

B. Active and passive voices in definitions
procedures C. Concise expressions
Structure
Sequence of adjectives
D. Affixes
Prefixes
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
Suffixes
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
E. Adjectives ending in –ed/ -ing
F. Ensure, assure and make sure
G. Editing sentences
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
H. Listening: electroplating
I. Reference material: describing procedures

3. Explaining, comparing and A. Reference material: causes and effects

B. Causes, reasons and results
contrasting Exercise 1
C. Reference material: comparing and contrasting
D. Comparing and contrasting: GSM and UMTS
E. Sentence patterns: contrast clauses
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Section 1 Presenting Problems and Solutions

A Reference material

Proposing and evaluating solutions

There are a number of ways in which you can propose and evaluate solutions to a problem. Here are some
examples:

addressing
dealing with
approaching
One way of containing the problem of … would be to …
preventing
relieving
limiting
minimising

solved
alleviated
The problem of … could be reduced if …
limited
minimised

solve
alleviate
To address the government should …
limit the problem of … the administration could …
reduce the authorities ought to …
minimise

(dis)advantage
benefit
The main merit of / with … is that …
problem
difficulty
drawback

B Expressing problems, solutions and predicted consequences in introducing new products/ services

Problem The conventional car is not nimble enough.

Solution Steel in the car body is replaced with advanced composites and lighter
metals.

Predicted a lighter vehicle, less power required, new technological innovations

consequence possible
 Choose appropriate words from the table below to fill in the blanks. There may be more than one answer
for some blanks.

The conventional car is not nimble __________; _______________, we plan to replace steel in the
body with advanced composites and light metals in our new model Lightyear. The new model
_______ be lighter, ____________ in less power being required and __________ the incorporation
of new technological innovations.

_____________ make our new car nimble, we will replace steel in the car body with advanced
composites and lighter metals. If the new vehicle ___________ to be lighter, less power _______ be
required, and new technological innovations _________ be incorporated.

could can would

will would resulting
allowed allowing because of
enough to as a result
in order to therefore proves
so intend consequently

C Sentence patterns: Purpose, reason and result clauses

You will often need to use purpose, reason and result clauses at the workplace. This section provides you with
reference and practice materials on these three types of adverbial clause.

1. Purpose clauses

You use a purpose clause when you want to state the purpose of the action in the independent clause. The most
common type of purpose clause is a to-infinitive clause.

Sarah went to the computer lab to print out her investigative report.

In formal writing, in order to and so as to are often used.

The company conducted a detailed survey in order to gauge its clients’ views.

In formal writing, you can also introduce a purpose clause with so that or in order that. These finite purpose
clauses usually contain a modal.

The presenter adjusted the overhead projector so that the audience would be able to see the chart more
clearly.
There are other ways of expressing purpose in English. These are some of the most common ones:

with a view to with the intention of with the object/ aim of for the purpose of

If you use these phrases, make sure that the verb is in the ing form.

The production department implemented new measures with a view to enhancing product quality.

2. Reason clauses

You will often need to answer the question ‘Why?’. When you want to explain why something happens, you can
use a reason clause introduced by the conjunctions because, as or since.

As she wanted the consignments to reach the client the next morning, she sent them by express courier.

The clerk joined the Vocational English Programme because he wanted to improve his language skills.

Don’t use so in sentences beginning with since, as or because. Here is a common mistake:

Since he was interested in sales strategies, so David took a Master’s Degree course in Business
Administration.

You can also use the prepositional phrases because of and on account of to express reason.

The experiment on four-speed transmission failed on account of a malfunction in the computer.

The experiment on four-speed transmission failed because the computer malfunctioned.

3. Result clauses

When you want to indicate the result of an action or situation, you can use a result clause. Result clauses are
introduced by conjunctions such as so that, so, or such/ so … that.

Most standalone players offer spectrum analyzers and frequency displays so that music lovers can monitor
the sound of the music.
Most standalone players offer spectrum analyzers and frequency displays, so music lovers can monitor the
sound of the music.
There were so many files on the desk that Cindy didn’t know where to begin.
There was such a lot of material to cover that Ivan found it difficult to write a proposal report.

There are many other ways of talking about the result of an action or situation (see Vocabulary). In some
situations you may prefer to use and as a result or with the result that.

The workload was unreasonably heavy, and as a result some of the staff suffered from depression.
The workload was unreasonably heavy, with the result that some of the staff suffered from depression.

As a result can also be used at the beginning of a new sentence.

The workload was unreasonably heavy. As a result, some of the staff suffered from depression.

The following words and phrases are used in the same way.

Therefore Thus In consequence Consequently

For this/ that reason

Causal relations can be expressed by ing-clauses of result.

 The government increased the duty on wine. As a result, there was a fall in demand.
The government increased the duty on wine, resulting in a fall in demand.

Exercise 1

Put the words and phrases below in the correct spaces in the sentences. The first one has been done for you as
an example.

as so because with the result that in order that

with a view to so that such on account of so as to

1. The topic of Dr Wong’s marketing report was very interesting, so that many colleagues stayed behind
afterwards to discuss it with him.

2. Kelvin enrolled on an evening course improving his job prospects.

3. The company set up a booth in the career exhibition ________________ recruit high-calibre
graduates.

4. A key piece of equipment broke down the laboratory session had to be

cancelled.

5. Tony had a very good foundation in English, he had little difficulty in liaising
with overseas clients.

6. The manager repeated the rundown on the event again the staff concerned
would fully understand.

7. The general manager was busy working on the company’s year-end report
that he did not have enough sleep.

8. It was a successful marketing campaign that the marketing unit decided to repeat
it the following year.

9. The meeting had to be postponed the typhoon.

10. Amy joined the HSBC she wanted to broaden her knowledge in corporate
computer networking.

D Problem Areas: Prepositions

Although the number of prepositions in English is fixed, you have probably found that it is not an easy task to
use them correctly. Precisely because there are only a few of them, prepositions are used extremely frequently
and in various combinations (e.g. verb + preposition, adjective + preposition, noun + preposition, and
preposition + noun). Note that the use of prepositions is wrong in these two examples:

The technicians have found a number of solutions of the problem. 8 [solutions to]
All staff and clients have great respect to the Corporate President 8 [respect for]

1. Prepositional combinations

You can use a preposition with a noun, a verb, and/ or an adjective.

In the president’s view, some departments are incapable of expanding tremendously in the absence of any
form of resources and clear strategic plans.
 Due to the budget cut, the new committee consists of only ten members, six of whom will be engaged in
the execution of company policies.

Some commonly used combinations in academic communication are given below:

With nouns: at a glance in due course solution to on average on the whole

With verbs: comment on account for convince of stem from distinguish from
With adjectives: confused by related to devoted to aware of satisfied with

2. No prepositions

Some verbs take a direct object and you should not use a preposition after them.

In the seminar, we discussed various issues related to the future development of robots.
Our department emphasises the excellence and applicability of industry-oriented research.

Webwork: http://elc.polyu.edu.hk/cill/eap/2004/u2/pg34ex3prepositional%20phrases.htm

Exercise 1

Some of the sentences contain errors in the use of prepositions. You will need to add, delete or change the
preposition as necessary. Tick the sentences that are correct.

1. The research and development team are given a week to prepare the test.

2. That sudden increase in sales happened in a long time ago.

3. Hard work is the key for success.

4. Jim apologised to the supervisor for missing the deadline.

5. No one can account the disappearance of the petty cash.

6. The alleged office pilferer mentioned about his financial difficulties in the police investigation.

7. The staff are encouraged to participate more activities run by the staff’s union.

8. You can distinguish sample A with sample B by the size of the cells.

9. It is vital that the company insure its shipment against fire and other accidents.

10. The new virus presents a threat for all PC users.

Exercise 2

Replace the ‘that’-clause in each of the following sentences with a prepositional phrase without changing the
original meaning.

e.g. The union informed us that the policy had been changed.
The union informed us of the change of policy.

1. Alan was afraid that he might not meet the job requirements.

2. No one at that time was aware that the matter was urgent.
 3. We can assure you that we are committed to providing the best service.

4. Karen was very sorry that she typed the invoice wrong.

5. The accused crackers tried to convince the police that they were innocent.

E Listening: Nanotechnology

Seminar: Nanotechnology and water shortage

Listen to a seminar discussion on issues associated with nanotechnology and water shortage. Decide whether
the following statements are true (T) or false (F).

1. Fresh water industry is the largest industry in the world according to Lux Research. ( )

2. Due to birth control, the global population growth has remained static. ( )

3. Industry consumes less water than agriculture. ( )

4. 39% of global fresh water is accessible and usable. ( )

5. Nano-engineered membranes have larger pores. ( )

6. Most contaminated waste sites contain TCE. ( )

7. A conventional way of cleaning ground water is adding chemical catalysts to it. ( )

8. It requires great precision and time to produce nano end-products. ( )

9. Nanotechnology can improve the environment and ecosystems. ( )

Complete the following table.

Problem: Water shortage in the world

Description of the problem:

a. limited ………… water
- most water is ……………..
- only a third of the remaining is …………. and usable
b. increasing ………….. growth will aggravate the problem
c. huge demand of water for agriculture, …………… and energy……………..

Solution: water purification by nanotechnology

 Advantages:
a. new polymer materials
- cut costs
- can ……………..
- are ……………….. and anti-viral
b. nano- engineered membranes
- enable faster water …………
- cut costs
c. photocatalytic materials can remove ………………………
d. polluted ground water can be cleaned below the ……………and costs are cut

Disadvantages:
a. a lack of extensive ……………..
b. nanotechnology is not quite suited for ……….. production
c. impacts on the …………….. and humans unknown

Section 2 Describing Products and Procedures

A Reference Material
Formal definition
A microchip is
refers to a tiny piece of silicon carrying an integrated circuit.
is/ can be defined as

Describe uses
It is/ can be used to drill oil.
is used for drilling oil.
allows/ enables/ permits oil drilling.

One of its main uses is to drill oil.

Refer to parts
Military science comprises
consists of strategy, tactics and logistics.
is composed of
 Some definitions give additional distinguishing characteristics by means of a defining relative clause.
A saw is a tool which is used for cutting wood.
Stainless steel is an alloy which resists corrosion.
A camera is a piece of equipment which produces photographic images.

B Active and passive voices in definitions

Fill in the blanks with verbs in the correct form.

1. Bar code
A bar code _________ (be) a machine-readable arrangement of parallel lines that ____________ (print)
on a product as a code. At a checkout point, the code ________________________ (electronically scan)
to register details of the product and to pass the details to a computer for stock control, etc. Bar codes
_______________ (invent) in the early sixties. Nowadays, they _____________ (use) in places such as
libraries, supermarkets and video rental shops.

2. Electronic tagging
In some countries an electronic device ______________ (attach) to the waist or ankle of a prisoner on
parole to monitor his or her whereabouts. The electronic device ____________ (link) to a central
computer. This form of surveillance ________________ (regard) as an alternative to imprisonment. The
idea of electronic tagging has its wider applications today. In some shops, electronic tags _____________
(affix) to the goods. They ____________ (remove) by the shop assistants if the goods _____________
(purchase). However, they ___________ (activate) an alarm system if the goods __________ (take) out
by shoplifters.

3. Hardware and software

‘Hardware’ has two meanings: the physical equipment that (make) up a computer system or
heavy military equipment such as tanks and missiles. Nowadays, when people talk about ‘hardware’ in
everyday life, they usually (refer) to the hardware of a computer system. ‘Software’ refers
to the computer programmes that (use) with a particular computer system. The word first
_____________ (appear) in the 1960s and ______________ (form) to distinguish the programmes from
the ‘hardware’ on which they ____________ (run).

Webwork: http://elc.polyu.edu.hk/cill/eap/2004/u3/passivevoice.htm

C Concise expressions

Concise expressions are expressions which contain few words but a great deal of information. They are usually
found in scientific and technical writing, for example in technical specifications or descriptions that accompany
diagrams, captions for tables or charts, and headings or sub-headings in reports.
1. Is the following expression about Galileo Galilei, a clock or a pendulum?
a pendulum clock by Galileo Galilei in 1583
Why does the writer mention 1583?
2. Draw lines to connect phrases in columns A, B and C.

A B
a heavy brownish metal with
a heavy brownish metal discovered by
a heavy brownish metal which makes
a heavy brownish metal containing
C
good cooking utensils
large amounts of impurities
a low boiling point
an American scientist

What are the different structures that have been used to describe the heavy brownish metal?
(eg. ‘with a low boiling point’ is a prepositional phrase)
Can the four expressions about the brownish metal be used as complete sentences in writing? Why/ why
not?
3. Study the structure of the following concise expression.
Silicon - looking like a wafer
- containing circuits (circuits containing hundreds of transistors, other electrical
components)

a wafer of silicon with circuits containing hundreds of transistors and other electrical components

A wafer silicon with circuits containing hundreds of transistors and other

electrical components

The following describes transistors. Re-write the description in a concise expression by putting details in the
boxes on either side of ‘transistors’.

Transistors- small, efficient, robust, cheap

- amplify electrical signals
- manipulate currents in various ways

transistors

Collect examples of concise expressions from news headlines or advertisements.

4. Study the word order of adjectival expressions in bold type in the following phrases. Is there any rule of
thumb for the order of adjectives used in front of a noun?
a heavy brownish metal
a valuable metallic substance
a small magnetic needle
a long current-carrying wire

Research into the order of adjectives describing factual details of a noun. Collect examples of adjectival phrases.
You can get help from http://elc.polyu.edu.hk/cill/exercises/adjectiveorder.htm

Webwork: http://elc.polyu.edu.hk/FENG/ConciseExpressions2.htm

D Affixes

Working with words: Prefixes

A prefix is a verbal element placed at the beginning of a word to change its meaning. The following prefixes are
often used to give adjectives an opposite meaning: in-, un-, dis-, ir-, il-, im-. Here are some examples:

inappropriate unavailable dissimilar irrelevant illogical imprecise

Webwork: http://elc.polyu.edu.hk/cill/eap/2004/pg14prefixcrossword.htm
http://elc.polyu.edu.hk/cill/eap/2004/u1/matchingprefixes.htm

Exercise 1

Write the correct prefix in the space provided.

1. …. satisfactory 6. …. perfect 11. …. sufficient

2. …. satisfied 7. …. adequate 12. …. accurate
3. …. consistent 8. …. reversible 13. …. ethical
4. …. legal 9. …. convincing 14. …. competent
5. …. rational 10. …. loyal 15. …. probable

Here is a list of commonly used prefixes. Knowing these prefixes will help you to work out the meanings of
difficult words.

Prefix Meaning Example Prefix Meaning Example

anti- against anticlimax multi- many multimedia

auto- self autobiography over- too much overcrowded
contra- against contradict post- after postgraduate
inter- between, among international pre- before precede
mal- bad, badly malnutrition sub- under subordinate
mis- badly, wrongly misplace under- not enough underdeveloped
Exercise 2

Read the following sentences. Add prefixes to the following words to form new words for filling in the blanks in
the sentences. The first one has been done for you as an example.

estimate function rate interpret social

personal division war national judge

1. I know his performance wasn’t very good last year, but I don’t think you should prejudge his future
performance. You never know, it might be brilliant!

2. In the period, Hong Kong’s industries expanded very rapidly in consequence of

the massive influx of skills and money.

3. Tom’s excellent skills impressed the interviewers. They clearly felt that he
would be able to get on well with the firm’s clients.

4. I think Sally the time it would take her to write up her project report. She thought
she would have to work right up to the deadline, but as it turned out she was able to hand it in two
weeks early.

5. We couldn’t carry out the experiment as there was a in the computer. The
technician is trying to fix the problem.

6. Mark was getting increasingly annoyed with the behaviour of some subordinates.

7. Jane hopes to work for a major organisation after she graduates as she thinks that
this would give her the chance to live and work overseas.

8. Peter’s supervisor asked him to rewrite the discussion section of his report as he had
the results of the experiment.

9. Cathy’s direct head thought the findings section of her product report was rather difficult to understand
so he asked her to organise her material into several .

10. The assistant head of the research team is a very member of staff. She always
produces high-quality research but for some reason she doesn’t receive the credit she deserves.

As we pointed out above, you can add a prefix to give a word a different meaning. You can also form an
antonym (i.e. a word that is opposite in meaning to another) by changing the prefix: e.g. import Î export.

Exercise 3

Write the antonyms of the words below by changing the prefixes.

1. emigrant 4. include
2. encourage 5. pro-American
3. descend 6. internal
Working with words: Suffixes

A suffix is a verbal element placed at the end of a word to change its word class and meaning. Common noun
suffixes include:

Suffix Meaning Examples

-er Changes an activity to the person who performs the activity. For director, operator, monitor
example, if we add –er to work, we form worker. Sometimes
we use –or for the same purpose.

-ism Signifies an activity, ideology or belief. journalism, communism

-ist Signifies a person’s activity, occupation, politics or beliefs. terrorist, biologist, anarchist,
Buddhist

-ee Indicates the person who receives an action. employee, supervisee, payee

-(t)ion Used to make nouns from verbs. For example, the verb pollute – pollution, violate –
communicate can be changed to the noun communication. violation, distort – distortion

Webwork: http://elc.polyu.edu.hk/cill/eap/2004/u2/pg35suffixes.htm
http://elc.polyu.edu.hk/cill/eap/2004/u2/suffixes4meaningandclass.htm
http://elc.polyu.edu.hk/cill/eap/2004/u2/adjectivesandnouns.htm

Exercise 1

Complete the sentences using the words below.

alteration donor addressee terrorist actor

analyst patriotism trainee donation marxist

1. A person who believes in the political theories of Karl Marx is a .

2. A person who studies financial information is an .

3. A person who donates his/her kidney when he/she dies is a .

4. The person to whom a letter is sent is the .

5. Money given to charity is a .

6. A person who uses violence to achieve political change is a .

7. A person who performs in a theatre is an .

8. A person who is learning to do a job is a .

9. A change made to something is an .

10. A deep love of one’s country is known as .

Here is a list of other commonly used suffixes. Knowing these suffixes will help you to:

(1) work out the meaning of words -able / -ible when added to a verb, means ‘can be done’
-ise / -ize are used to make verbs from nouns
-ology implies the study of a subject
-ness is used to make nouns from adjectives

(2) recognise word class -ment (nouns) -ity (nouns)

-hood (abstract nouns) -ship (abstract nouns)
-ive (adjectives) -less (adjectives)
-al (adjectives and nouns) -ify (verbs)

Exercise 2

Complete each sentence by changing the underlined words. For example,

The director did not think Dave’s idea would work. However, he considered Maggie’s proposal workable.

1. The tap water is not safe to drink. However, the bottled water is .

2. Which duty is your priority? I don’t know, it is difficult to .

3. My boss is very forgetful. Yes, my personal assistant also suffers from .

4. Most of the mistakes can be forgiven. However, these basic errors are .

Exercise 3

Fill in the blanks by adding suffixes to the words in brackets.

1. The designs of the latest engineering products are very ____________ (innovate).

2. The factory has been very (product) this year.

3. Efficiency is fundamental to the _____________ (operate) of a company.

4. The court was unable to determine the intellectual (owner) of the wireless
electronic sensors.

5. Please (note) all the clients concerned about the phone number change.

6. It is difficult to explain the (popular) of second-hand merchandise.

7. If you keep buying designer label goods you will soon be (penny).

8. Please wait for the Dutch supplier in the (arrive) hall of the airport.

Some suffixes can be used to create new words. Thus, a stress-free life is a life without any stress and a tax-free
shop is a shop where there is no tax. Other common examples include:

-conscious (e.g. health-conscious) -ridden (e.g. bedridden) -minded (e.g. money-minded)

-led (e.g. community-led) -proof (e.g. waterproof) -worthy (e.g. praiseworthy)
Exercise 4

Draw a line to match each adjective on the left with a noun on the right.

1. additive-free (a) businesswoman

2. student-led (b) story
3. safety-conscious (c) gloves
4. crime-ridden (d) diet
5. newsworthy (e) company
6. career-minded (f) city
7. ovenproof (g) protest

E Adjectives ending in –ed/ -ing

Many students are confused about whether they should use ‘bored’ or ‘boring’, ‘interested’ or ‘interesting’, etc.
They find the choices confusing.

‘-ing’ adjectives ‘-ed’ adjectives

for the thing or person that CAUSES the emotion for the person WHO FEELS the emotion or
or response response

eg. The junior staff member was boring. eg. The manager was bored.

Decide which adjectives need –ed and which –ing.

1. Her work performance was (shock) ________. The supervisor was (shock) ___________.
2. Work in the laboratory is (tire) ___________. At the end of a shift, I am always (tire) ________.
3. He has achieved an absolutely (thrill) ________ breakthrough in robotics.
4. The staff have not had a pay rise for three years. They are feeling (demoralise) ____________.
5. I don’t understand the implications of the findings. I find them quite (bewilder) ____________.
6. The funding situation for the revamping is very (worry) ____________.
7. The management was absolutely (enthrall) ________ by his brilliant marketing tactics.
8. The tycoon was (fascinate) __________ by the (intrigue) ___________ kidnap-proof limousine.
9. The front office unit head was (satisfy) _________ with the trainee’s (please) __________ manners.

F Ensure, assure and make sure

These three expressions are commonly used in instructions to suggest that certain results will happen if some
actions are or are not taken. They share some common usage but are slightly different in some ways. Test
yourself by attempting the following statements. Rules on usage are listed below the task.

There may be more than one answer for some statements.

1. (Ensure/ make sure/ assure) that the equipment was free from defects.
2. The equipment was free from defects to (ensure/ make sure/ assure) safe operation.
3. The lab technician has (ensured/ assured) us that the equipment was free from defects.
4. The lab technician has (ensured/assured) them of the safety of the equipment.
5. Receiving an excellent appraisal from the managing director (ensures/ makes sure/ assures) his promotion.
6. After receiving an excellent appraisal from the managing director, he was (ensured/ assured) of his
promotion.

Rules:
1. make sure + (that-) clause 4. assure + somebody + (that-) clause
X make sure + to -infinitive X assure + to -infinitive
2. ensure + (that-) clause 5. assure + something
X ensure + to -infinitive 6. assured is an adjective in ‘be assured of
3. ensure + something something’

G Editing sentences

This is commonly concerned with how one part of a sentence links with another part of a sentence, how
sentences link with other sentences, and how pieces of writing relate to each other. Writing which links together
well is said to be cohesive. If you are able to arrange your clauses and sentences in a clear and logical way, you
will find that the ideas and concepts you are trying to express will ‘hang together’ more effectively and your
writing will be more coherent. Once you have written your assignment and checked it for style and tone, you
should check to see if you have made any errors in the following areas:

Sentence fragments

Sentence fragments appear when dependent clauses are treated as complete sentences. An independent clause is
a group of words that contains a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought. An independent clause is a
sentence. For example:

The government has introduced many measures to deal with inflation.

A dependent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and verb but does not express a complete thought.
A dependent clause cannot be a sentence. For example:

Although the government has introduced many measures to deal with inflation. 8

The addition of the dependent clause marker although means that something else is required to complete the
sentence. For example:

Although the government has introduced many measures to deal with inflation, they have not been very
effective.

Therefore, it is incorrect to write this:

Although the government has introduced many measures to deal with inflation. They have not been very
effective. 8

Other dependent clause markers include: after, when, unless, before, if, as, whether, in order to and while.
When you use a dependent clause marker, make sure that it is combined with another clause to make a complete
sentence. For example:

When the company suffered financial setbacks, all the employees felt depressed.
Run-on sentences

A run-on sentence appears when one sentence follows another without punctuation. For example:

The seminar was a success all the participants enjoyed it very much. 8

The easiest way to correct a run-on sentence is to insert a full stop between the two sentences.

The seminar was a success. All the participants enjoyed it very much. 9

Comma splices

A comma splice appears when two complete sentences are connected with a comma rather than a full stop. For
example:

The seminar was a success, all the participants enjoyed it very much. 8

The best way to avoid comma splices is to insert a full stop between the two sentences.

The seminar was a success. All the participants enjoyed it very much. 9

Double conjunctions

In English (unlike in Cantonese sometimes) only one conjunction is needed to join two clauses within a sentence.
Only one conjunction is needed in the following sentences.

Although the company achieved an annual profit growth of 5 %, but the general director was not pleased.
Because the finance officer found a mistake in the reimbursement claim form, so he checked with the
senior insulation engineer.

Webwork: http://elc.polyu.edu.hk/cill/eap/2004/u1/sentencetypes.htm

Exercise 1

In pairs, identify and correct the problem with each sentence.

1. Worried by rising prices and alarmed by the decline in business activity.

2. The order letter has a great deal of important information in it you should start checking it right away.
3. Most of the computers in the stock room are broken already, this is a good example of the lack of care
among the staff.
4. Even though he was the most popular member of the customer enquiries section.
5. Since Smart Co Ltd has not settled the outstanding balance of its charge account, so we sent it a
complaint letter this morning.
6. This computer does not make sense to me it came without a manual.
7. Mr. Wong is the head of the finance department, he is also on the board of directors.
8. Although he has achieved considerable success in his career and worked for the company for over 30
years.
9. Judy pays attention to details and she never seems to make a serious mistake.
10. Although I went to the conference, but I did not stay long.
Exercise 2

Identify the problem in each of the sentences from (a) to (j). Put correct letters in the brackets to indicate the
problems with these sentences. Make the necessary corrections.

[ ] Subject-verb agreement [ ] The omission of the third person ‘s’

[ ] The omission of the plural ‘s’ [ ] Noun-pronoun agreement

[ ] Countable/uncountable nouns [ ] ‘Have’ used instead of ‘there is/are’

[ ] Confusion of adjectives ending in ‘ed’ and ‘ing’ [ ] Run-on sentence

[ ] Spelling [ ] Wrong word

a. KFT is a reputtable engineering company. It always delivers on its promises.

b. KFT’s principle development interest is the futuristic magnetic levitation trains.
c. There have many weaknesses in the research method.
d. Many of the assistant technicians felt very exciting during the pilot study.
e. The user guide contains a great deal of new informations.
f. The findings of the survey are very interesting. It is presented in Table 1.
g. The reasons for the low levels of satisfaction with the new product is being investigated.
h. Several factors influence the use of English in the business world one of them is the language’s role in
the legal system.
i. A number of researcher have examined the relationship between nanomagnetics and electric spin
currrent.
j. Professor Wong’s study explore the impact of reclamation on marine life.

H Listening: Electroplating

Listen and fill in the blanks.

Electroplating is the _____________ of a metal object with a thin layer of another metal by electrolysis for
purposes of decoration and protection. An example of electroplating is silver-plated cutlery, also known as
‘__________’, which is coated with silver by this process.

The process of electroplating cutlery ________ with preparing a solution, in which a substance that contains
silver is mixed with water. The article to be silver-plated is then _________ immersed in the solution. A piece of
silver is also put into the solution -- away from the article, usually at the other end of the ______ (which holds
the solution). One wire is connected to the silver; another wire is connected to the article. These two wires are
then connected to a battery. _______ the battery is connected, electricity flows through the solution and
electrolysis ________ place. In the process of electrolysis, silver leaves the solution and is _________ as a thin
coating on the article. As the piece of silver dissolves at the same rate as the metal leaves the solution, the
amount of silver dissolved in the solution remains constant. To get an even and smooth coating, the article has to
be___________ regularly.
Other than silver, common metals used for plating objects include gold, platinum, tin and copper. The metal used
for electroplating, however, does not ___________ the quality of the coatings as all the metals for plating objects
are of equally good standard. In fact, the appearance, adhesion and protection quality of the electroplated
coatings very much depend on the type of ________ metal to be plated, the preparation of the metal for plating
and the electrode position process itself. To get high quality coatings, the composition of the base metal has to be
controlled, and great care in both preparation and in the plating process has to be __________.

I Reference Material-describing procedures

The following signal words can help you list the ideas systematically.

first of all/ in the first place first firstly

once second secondly
then / before/ after third thirdly
next fourth lastly
finally last

Section 3 Explaining, Comparing and Contrasting

A Reference Material
Effect-cause Cause-effect
His success came about because of his hard His hard work was the cause of his success.
work. His hard work was the reason for his success.
His success was caused by his hard work.
His success was attributed to his hard work.
His success was on account of his hard work.

Other useful cause and effect phrases

Causes
z There are several reasons for this. Firstly, ….
z Other causes play a part. Firstly, …
z A key factor was ….
z This is due to …
z This is a reflection of …

Effects
z As a result, …
z This means that …
 z One consequence of this is that …
Expressing degrees of probability in cause and effect sequences

Verbs Adverbs
showing a high degree of will, can undoubtedly, definitely,
probability probably

showing a lesser degree of may, could, might possibly

probability

Webwork: http://elc.polyu.edu.hk/cill/eap/book/tentativity.htm

B Causes, reasons and results

You will often need to discuss causes and effects. The table below contains the most commonly used words for
these purposes. Look up the meanings of the words that you do not know.

Verbs Nouns

account (for) produce cause (of) motive (in)

arise (from) prompt consequence (of) origin (of)
bring (about) provoke corollary (of) outcome (of)
cause result (in) effect (of) reason (for)
contribute (to) spark (off) explanation (of, for) result (of)
generate spring (from) factor source (of)
give rise (to) stem (from) motivation (for) upshot (of)
lead (to) trigger

Exercise 1

Complete the sentences using words from the table. Use a different word each time. In some cases, several
answers are possible. Make sure that you put the words in the correct form (e.g. tense, voice).

1. The work-to-rule industrial action last week from the workers’ dissatisfaction
with the substantial decrease in wages.

2. The of the committee’s inquiry was leaked to the press before its report was
published.

3. The accident yesterday morning by the negligence of a lab assistant.

4. The of the blackout is being investigated and the outcome should be known later
today.

5. The new production policy about a number of changes in the workflow in

recent months.
 6. The sudden resignation of the CEO in a sharp fall in the company’s share prices
yesterday.

7. The president’s in writing his letter to the staff are not entirely clear, but it
is possible that he wanted off a debate about the company’s proposed merger
with another leading electronics corporate.

8. The working party’s report to a good deal of debate in recent weeks about the
role of wireless technology in health care.

9. The top-down management style a great deal of controversy in the company

when it was adopted early this year.

10. Constant criticism about the recruitment and promotion exercises _________________ the human
resources manager to offer his resignation to the board of directors.

C Reference Material: Comparing and contrasting

Here are some ways in which you can express differences:

considerably
significantly
X is much less cost-effective than Y.
somewhat more expensive
slightly cheaper
marginally

Here are some ways in which you can express similarities:

exactly
virtually
practically
X is more or less the same as Y.
almost
nearly
approximately
about

Comparison structure words:

Sentence connectors Clause connectors Others

Similarly just as (just) like
Likewise and similar to
Also both … and the same as
not only … but also alike
neither … nor

Contrast structure words:

Sentence connectors Clause connectors Others

However while differ from
In contrast whereas compared to / with
In / By comparison but different from
On the other hand dissimilar to
 On the contrary unlike
D Comparing and contrasting: GSM and UMTS

The paragraphs below compare and contrast GSM with UMTS. Fill in the blanks by choosing appropriate
phrases or words given.

GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) is one of the standards of the second-generation telephone
system (2G), __________ UMTS (Universal Mobile Telephone System) is the standard of the latest
third-generation telephone system (3G). UMTS is _____________ than GSM as its users can expect a
performance of around 64 kbit/s in a heavily loaded real-world system, __________________ to 9400 bit/s
rendered by GSM.

GSM makes intra-nation roaming commonplace and has been designed for a modest level of safety. UMTS
______________ its precursor with the function of accessing the World Wide Web on a mobile phone at a
reasonable cost. Moreover, UMTS makes mobile video-conferencing possible and supports the downloading of
songs and music. In 3G the security process is _____________ as the wireless network and the SIM card can
authenticate themselves and against each other.

The structure of UMTS ____________ GSM system to a great extent ________ with an obvious difference in
the air interface forming Generic Radio Access Network. As UMTS has ___________ from GSM technology, it
can utilise parts of the GSM networks as they are or with some slight __________.

resembles in marked contrast

evolved adjustments
outstripped more powerful
upgraded while
but

E Sentence patterns: Contrast clauses

You use contrast clauses when you want to make two statements, one of which contrasts with the other or makes
it appear unexpected or surprising. Contrast clauses – sometimes called concessive clauses – are introduced by
conjunctions such as although, even though or while.

Although the training officer, Mrs Sims, had lived in Hong Kong all her life, she knew very little
Cantonese.

While the number of families with access to the Internet and cable television has risen sharply in the past
decade, what tends to be overlooked is that a significant proportion of households are unable to afford the
fees for these services.

Don’t use but in sentences beginning with although, even though or while. Here is a common mistake:

Although Kelvin worked hard, but he was not promoted to senior engineer.
You can leave out the subject and the verb be in a contrast clause when the subject of the contrast clause and the
main clause are the same (e.g. he was in the following sentence).

Though / Although [he was] hard working, Kelvin was not promoted to senior engineer.

You will sometimes see the word albeit used in formal English. In the sentence below, ‘albeit rather reluctantly’
means ‘even though she did so rather reluctantly’.

Jayne worked overtime every weekday, albeit rather reluctantly.

You can also use despite or in spite of to make a contrast. These are followed by either a noun phrase or an ‘ing’
form.

Despite working hard, Kelvin was not promoted to senior engineer.

In spite of his hard work, Kelvin was not promoted to senior engineer.

This sentence is incorrect:

Despite he worked hard, Kelvin was not promoted to senior engineer. 8

If you want to follow despite or in spite of with a clause you must add the fact that.

Despite the fact that he worked hard, Kelvin was not promoted to senior engineer.

Exercise 1

Delete the word(s) that would be grammatically incorrect or would make no sense in each sentence. The first one
has been done for you as an example.

1. As / Although / Despite useful information can be easily accessed, many office workers spend hours
each day on the Internet.

2. Even / Due to / Although he wasn’t feeling very well, David was determined to keep working until
the proposal had been finished.

3. Kelly managed to make the campaign a success in spite of / despite the fact that / even though
manpower and resources were lacking.

4. In spite of the fact that / Despite / Because having the best qualifications among all the applicants,
Justin was not offered the job.

5. Fifteen years ago very few people used the Internet on account of / in spite of / because its use was
limited to the military and a few organizations.

6. Even though / On account of / Despite Juliet was the most qualified candidate, she was not offered
the job.

7. Due to the fact that / Because of / While its fast download speed, Broadband is now very popular.

8. Whereas / While / In spite of the fact that acknowledging the benefits of developing the water
purification market, many directors were concerned that it would take long for the company to reach
breakeven point.

9. The new product was well received albeit / yet / despite a hiccup in promotion.

10. The participants listened to the proposal, albeit / although / despite with little enthusiasm.
Exercise 2

Read columns A and B. Then complete the sentences below them. Each sentence (from 1 to 7) should contain
an item from Column A and an item Column B..

Column A Column B

Mandy knew that she had considerable relevant she wasn’t offered interviews with mainland
experience companies

the job market was quite tight last summer she was able to learn a lot about the company before
attending the interview

Jessica’s command of Putonghua was somewhat Bob’s lack of practical experience counted against
elementary him and he wasn’t offered the job

impressing the interviewers with his qualifications Faye was promised a permanent job when she
and enthusiasm graduated

Clara’s aunt worked for HSBC having little first-hand experience

Tom was offered a second interview Bill was still able to get a job soon after graduating

the positive impression she made during her the job surprisingly went to a junior colleague
internship

1. Although

2. so

3. Because of

4. despite

5. Since

6. but

7. In spite of

Section 4 Useful Resources

Books
Bates, M. & Dudley-Evans, T. (1982). English for science and technology: General science. Harlow: Longman.

Glendinning, E, H. & Glendinning, N. (1995). Oxford English for electrical and mechanical engineering. Oxford:
Oxford University Press.

Glendinning, E, H. & McEwan, J. (2002). Oxford English for information technology. Oxford: Oxford
University Press.

Sharp, D. H. (1995). Basic English for science, technology and commerce. Pitlochry, Scot.: Resource Use
Institute.