Eng Lecture PPT wk1 To 8

Sentence Skills I
Parallelism
English Skills for Academic Studies

John Langan
pp 230-231 & pp 251-253

Parallelism (Parallel Structure)
What Is Parallelism?
It is the writing technique of balancing
items in a pair (or a series) so that all
the items have the same
grammatical structure. Parallelism
makes sentences clearer and easier
to read.
Using Parallelism
Balance a noun with a noun, a phrase with a
phrase, a clause with a clause.
Many students are interested in modelling when

they read about it at home, study about it in
school, or watching it on television.
Revision: Many students are interested in
modelling when they read about it at home,
study about it in school, or watch it on
television.
Using Parallelism with
Pairs
• When two ideas are included, they must
be parallel.
– Tourists enjoy watching fireworks on the
harbour front and to shop around the
city.
• Revision:
– Tourists enjoy watching fireworks on the
harbour front and shopping around the
city.
Using Parallelism
• Put words linked by coordinating
conjunctions in parallel form.
– The martial arts stress the study of
hand techniques and how you move
your feet.
• Revision:
– The martial arts stress the study of
hand techniques and of foot work.
Using Parallelism
• Correlative conjunctions (either/or,
neither/nor, both/and,
whether/or) require parallel form.
In Kung Fu the hands must be not only hard

enough to knock down a man, but also their
sensitivity must feel which way the wind blows.
Revision:
In Kung Fu the hands must be not only hard
enough to knock down a man, but also
sensitive enough to feel which way the wind
blows.
Using Parallelism
• Comparisons using than or as need parallel
form.
– The Director would rather use negotiation
than taking legal action to solve the
problem.
• Revision:
– The Director would rather use negotiation
than take legal action to solve the problem.
Using Parallelism
• By repeating the prepositions,
prepositions the
articles,
articles or the subordinating
conjunctions,
conjunctions the parallelism
becomes clearer and more effective.
– The negotiators promised to help out
in the day or night.
• Revision:
– The negotiators promised to help out
in the day or in the night.
Using Parallelism
In general, watch out for non-parallel

structures when you have two or
more items in a series.
Recognizing Main Ideas

John Langan
pp 3-13
Effective communication of ideas

usually comprises two parts:
(1) Main idea (topic sentence)
(2) Reasons or details develop the
main idea
Example
Main idea:
I dislike the fast-food restaurant in my block.
Supporting details:
1. The roast beef sandwiches have a chemical
taste.
2. Prices are high – for example, $20 for a
small coke.
Most textbook paragraphs are
made up of this two-part structure.
A main idea is advanced, and then

supported with specific reasons,
details, and facts.
Example
Main idea:
My neighbors are inconsiderate.
Supporting details:
1. They allow their children to play on my
lawn.
2. They often have their stereo on loud late
at night.
Once you identify the main idea,
everything else clicks into place.
You will see the parts (supporting

evidence or details) in relation to the
whole (the main idea).
Which is the main idea?
Marijuana should not be legalized. Some

people who don’t use it now will begin
using it because of its availability.
Legalization will give a stamp of social
approval that no mind-altering drug
deserves.
Finding the main idea

is the key
to understanding a paragraph.
Where is the main idea?
1. Often in the first sentence

2. Sometimes at the end or in the
middle
3. Sometimes not directly stated at all
Get into the habit of asking this
question:
“Does most of the material in the

paragraph support or develop the
main idea I have identified?”
Recognizing Main
Ideas Which is the main idea?
Their homes have been completely destroyed.
Water supply and electricity have been
cut off. Food shortage and poor hygiene
also present big problems. Yet they have
basically no resources to cope with these
problems. Thus, the tsunami victims in
Indonesia are in desperate need of
external help .
Learning how to recognize the two

basic parts quickly will increase
your reading comprehension.
Summarising &
Paraphrasing I

John Langan (pp.14-33, pp.86-89)
Prepared by Esther Tong

Objectives
• To learn 3 methods of borrowing
information from others when you
write an essay.
Beware of Plagiarism!
If you do not document specialized
information or ideas that are not your
own, you will be plagiarizing --
stealing, in other words!
You must tell your

readers the sources!
I.Knowing HOW to make Reference
• 3 methods of borrowing information
from source material are:
– Paraphrasing - Use your own words to
tell what someone else wrote without
changing original meaning or details
– Quoting - Use author’s exact words in
your writing
I.Knowing HOW to make Reference
• Summarising - Use your own words
to reduce a text to its main points
– A summary is a reduction of a large quantity
of information to the most important points.
– It is similar to an outline. However, a summary
is a passage which does not use numbered
points such as (A), (1), (a) to indicate the
relationships among parts.
Test your Judgment:
Examples of Borrowing Information-1
• Original: • Version 1: Is this an
Kowloon citizens are example of paraphrasing,
complaining loudly about summarizing, quoting, or
the problems and plagiarizing?
inefficiency of the Because there have been
transportation system traffic jams at the Cross
because there have been Harbor Tunnel Crossing
delays at the Cross during the previous two
Harbor Tunnel Crossing Fridays’ evening rush hour
which didn’t stop until past
during the past two 9:00pm, citizens of Kowloon
Fridays’ evening rush are criticizing a lot about
hour which lasted until the faults and slow speed of
after 9:00pm. the transportation system.
(From an article called “Tunnel traffic angers citizens”
written by Kiwi Wong on page 12 of the SCMP on August 15,
2005)
Test your Judgment
• The writer’s version above is an example of
PLAGIARISM because:
– The writer has only changed around a few words and
phrases, or changed the order of the original’s sentences.
– The writer has failed to cite a source for any of the ideas or
facts.
 If you do either or both of these things, you are
plagiarising!
 Remember! A citation is a short reference included
within your writing that shows the source of
borrowed information.
•Original: •Version 2 - Is this an example of
paraphrasing, summarizing,
Kowloon citizens are quoting, or plagiarizing?
complaining loudly about the
problems and inefficiency of In her article “Tunnel Traffic
Angers Citizens” (South China
the transportation system Morning Post, August 15, 2005),
because there have been Wong states that getting around
delays at the Cross Harbor the city has been a problem for
Tunnel Crossing during the the people of Kowloon. They are
past two Fridays’ evening unhappy about traffic jams that
rush hour which lasted until are slowing down their evening
after 9:00pm. commute. For example, traffic at
the Cross Harbor Tunnel Crossing
did not flow freely until past
9:00pm for the last two Fridays.
h ra s e
Parap
2005)
•Original: •Version 2 - Is this an example of
Kowloon citizens are paraphrasing, summarizing,
complaining loudly about the quoting, or plagiarizing?
problems and inefficiency of In her article “Tunnel Traffic
the transportation system Angers Citizens” (South China
because there have been Morning Post, August 15, 2005),
delays at the Cross Harbor Wong states that getting around
the city has been a problem for
Tunnel Crossing during the the people of Kowloon. They are
past two Fridays’ evening unhappy about traffic jams that
rush hour which lasted until are slowing down their evening
after 9:00pm. commute. For example, traffic at
the Cross Harbor Tunnel Crossing
did not flow freely until past
9:00pm for the last two Fridays.

2005)
Paraphrasing: Use Your Own
Words
• Use synonyms but DON’T simply
substitute synonyms into the original work.
• Remember that you must alter sentence
structure as well.
Examples of borrowing information - 3
•Original: •Version 3 - Is this an
complaining loudly about the summarizing, quoting, or
problems and inefficiency of
plagiarizing?
the transportation system
because there have been Wong notes in her article “Tunnel
delays at the Cross Harbor Traffic Angers Citizens” (South
Tunnel Crossing during the China Morning Post, August 15,
past two Fridays’ evening 2005), that traffic jams are
rush hour which lasted until causing the people of Kowloon to
after 9:00pm. become dissatisfied with the
transportation system.
a ry
Summ
(From an article called “Tunnel traffic angers citizens” written by
Kiwi Wong on page 12 of the SCMP on August 15, 2005)
How to Summarise
• Include only the most important/ main

points
• Omit unnecessary details
• Use synonyms
• Use new sentence structures
(different lengths)
Why should we summarise?
• Summarizing is helpful because it requires that
you thoroughly understand the material you are
reading.
What is the suitable length of a summary?

• It depends on your purpose in summarising.
- title summary
- one-sentence/paragraph summary
- essay-length summary
Practice in Summarising
• Do Selection A of Activity 1
(p.15 of textbook)
• Do Selection A of Activity 2
(p.18 of textbook)
Examples of borrowing information - 4
•Original: •Version 4 - Is this an
complaining loudly about the summarizing, quoting, or
problems and inefficiency of
the transportation system
plagiarizing?
because there have been People living on the Kowloon
delays at the Cross Harbor side of Hong Kong are
Tunnel Crossing during the “complaining loudly about the
past two Fridays’ evening problems and inefficiency of
rush hour which lasted until the transportation system”
after 9:00pm. (Wong, C9) due to a couple of
traffic delays that took place
on the last two Fridays which
lasted until after 9:00pm. iont
Quota
(From an article called “Tunnel traffic angers citizens” written
by Kiwi Wong on page 12 of the SCMP on August 15, 2005)
Important Reminders:
• Only about 10% of your paper should be

direct quotation
• Most information that you borrow should
be paraphrased or summarized.
• You should consider using direct

quotation when :
– you think the author’s exact wording is
special, adds value or interest
– the author of the source is an authority that
would add credibility to your idea
– the wording of the source is open to more
than one interpretation
• Whether you quote,

paraphrase or summarise an
idea, make sure you
acknowledge your source!
Activity: Is it too close to the
original?
• Read the passage (Set 3) on p.88 of the

textbook. Discuss with your partner and
identify the acceptable note. Give reasons
to support your answer.
Summarising &
Paraphrasing Ideas II
CC2001 English Skills for Academic

Studies
(pp. 35-37)
How to Summarise an Article
Steps 1-6:
• Preview the work.
• Read through the article and mark as you
read.
• Go back and re-read more carefully the
most important areas identified.
• Take notes – concentrate on the main ideas
and supporting details.
• Prepare the first draft.
• Revise your first draft to come up with the
final draft.
Step 1. Preview the work for clues:
• Title
• Subtitle
• First and last several paragraphs
• Other items such as heads or
subheads, illustrations, words in italics
or boldface types
Step 2. Read through the article once
quickly:
• Do not slow down or turn back
• Mark the main ideas & key supporting
details (turn heads into questions and
look for answers)
Step 2. Read through the article once
quickly (continued):
• Pay attention to items noted in the
preview
• Look for definitions, examples &
enumerations (lists of items)
Step 3. Go back and re-read more carefully
the most important areas identified.
Step 4. Take notes – concentrate on the

main ideas and supporting details.
How to Summarize an Article
Step 5. Prepare the first draft:
• Identify at the start the title, author, and
date of the work
• Express the points in your own words
(paraphrasing)
• Quote from the materials only when
you need to illustrate key points
Step 5. Prepare a first draft (continued):
• Preserve the balance and proportion of
the original work
• Do not write an overly detailed
summary
• Do not begin with expressions like “the
author says…”
Step 5. Prepare a first draft (continued):
• Do not introduce your opinion
with comments like “another good
point made by the author…”
• Do not censor the author’s ideas
Step 6. Revise your first to come up with the
final draft:
• Pay attention to unity, support,
coherence, clear and error-free
sentences.
Model Summary (p.37 of textbook)
In “How to Heal a Title of work in quotation
Hypochondriac” (Time, marks
October 6, 2003), Michael
Lemonick reports on Name and date of
research into ways of publication in parenthesis
dealing with hypochondria, (brackets), with name of
publication underlined
a thinking disorder that
makes healthy people Full name of author (use only
believe that they are last name in subsequent parts)
suffering from one or more
serious diseases. Not Write in present tense
only do hypochondriacs…
Writing Academic Essays:
An Introduction to
Writing

John Langan
(pp 110-129)
The Process: 4 Steps in a
Nutshell
1. Discover a clearly stated point or
thesis.
thesis
2. Provide logical, detailed support for
your thesis.
3. Organize and connect your
supporting material.
4. Revise and edit so that your sentences
are effective and error-free.
Point and Support
Any idea that you advance MUST be
specific
supported with
reasons or details.
(What kind? How many? What did it
look/feel/smell/taste/sound like?)
Point and Support in a
Paragraph
A paragraph usually
consists of a topic
sentence…
Ex:Although I love movies, I’ve
found that there are
drawbacks to moviegoing. (p.112)
Point and Support in a
Paragraph
…followed by supporting
sentences.
Ex.: One problem is the inconvenience of it
all. To get to the theater, I have to drive
for at least fifteen minutes, or more if
traffic is bad. [. . .] (p.112)
Point and Support in an
Essay
essay the thesis appears

In an essay,
in the introductory paragraph,
and the support appears in the
paragraphs that follow.
Structure of the Traditional
Essay
Parts of an essay:
•Introductory paragraph
•Body (supporting) paragraphs
•Concluding paragraph
Introductory
Paragraphs
should
•attract the reader’s interest;
•advance the thesis; and
•preview the major points that
will support the thesis.
Body/ Supporting
Paragraphs
should
begin with a topic
sentence that states
the point to be detailed in
that paragraph.
Concluding
Paragraphs The End
should
• briefly restate the thesis and the
main supporting points, and
• present a concluding thought
about the subject of the essay.
Introduction to Essay
Development
John Langan
Pp 291-299
Subject of the paper
Try to write on something that

interests you -- if possible,
make it a subject you already
know something
about.
Purpose
Most writing has one of three
purposes:
purposes
• to inform,
• to persuade, or
• to entertain.
In order to achieve your purpose, you will
need to know your audience.
Audience
Your instructor and classmates stand in for a
general audience:
audience educated
adult readers.
readers
You will need to practice writing for more
specific audiences as well – an
employer, a church group, a district council
member, etc.
Point of view
1. First-person approach (I like comfort
when I’m camping.) Most common in narrative
essays.
2. Second-person approach (First, find
your flashlight.) Generally appropriate only for giving
instructions and direct explanations, as in process
essays.
3. Third-person approach (The camper found
his flashlight.) Most common in academic writing.
Patterns of essay
development
•Description
•Narration
•Exposition
•Argumentation
Description
Description is a
verbal picture of a
person, place, or thing.
Narration
Narration is
an account
of
something
that
happened.
happened
Exposition
In exposition,
exposition the writer
explains a certain subject.
Patterns of exposition include:
• Examples • Comparison and
• Process contrast
• Cause and effect
• Definition
• Division and
classification
Argumentation
In argumentation,
argumentation a
writer attempts to
•support a
controversial point,
point
or
• defend a position on
which there is difference of opinion.
The First Step in Essay Writing

John Langan
(pp 157-163)
The First Step
point,
point
or thesis.
Begin with a Point, or
Thesis
Write your
point out in a
single sentence.
Common Errors in Writing a
Thesis
• ANNOUNCEMENTS rather
than statements
• Statements that are
•Statements that are

•Statements that contain more than one
idea
Announcements rather than
Statements
Ex.: I want to talk about the
health care system in Hong Kong.
The sentence above merely tells the
subject of the paper.
A thesis statement must
advance a point about a
limited subject.
A Good Thesis
A good thesis is neither too broad nor too narrow:
too broad
The health care system affects many kinds of people.
too narrow
A hurricane hit southern Florida last summer.
just right
Giving up smoking can bring you life-long benefits.
Statements That Contain
More Than One Idea
Eg.: Smoking can be an expensive
habit, and the government has imposed
effective measures to discourage
smoking.
In the statement above, the reader is asked to
focus on two separate points, each of
which more logically belongs in an
essay of its own.
Support the Thesis with Specific
Evidence
Provide enough specific details to fully
support the point.
Giving up smoking can bring you life-long
benefits.
- You will be socially more popular.
- Your will live a longer and healthier life.
- You will save a lot of money.
See page 163 for another
example
The Writing Process
John Langan
(pp 130-156)
The Process: 4 Steps in a
1.
Nutshell
Discover a clearly stated point or
thesis.
thesis
2. Provide logical, detailed support for
your thesis.
3. Organize and connect your
supporting material.
4. Revise and edit so that your sentences
are effective and error-free.
The Writing Process:
Prewriting Techniques
Freewriting
 Jot down whatever comes to
mind about a topic
 Focus on discovering what you
want to say about a topic
 Don’t worry about mistakes
Questioning
 Generate ideas by asking
questions about a topic
 Use question words Why? When?
Where? How? Who?
 Ask as many questions as you can
think of
Making a List
(Brainstorming)
 Collect ideas and details about a

topic.
 Make a list of everything about
the subject that occurs to you
 Don’t worry about sorting them
Clustering
(Diagramming/Mapping)
• Put ideas and details that occur to you in

boxes and circles.
 Use lines and arrows to show the
relationship among ideas and details
 For people who think visually
Preparing a
Scratch Outline
 Think about the order you will arrange
your ideas
 Put your ideas into a plan that help you
achieve a unified, supported, well-
organized essay
Prewriting
Get down as many ideas and details as possible
•
about your subject.
• Delete ideas you don’t want in

your paper and add new ideas
that occur to you.
• Shuffle supporting ideas around
to find the best order.
The Second Step in Essay Writing

John Langan
(pp 150-151, 163-168 and pp 179-184)
Support the Thesis with
Specific Evidence
After you have developed a
clearly stated point or thesis,
provide logical support
for your thesis.
Importance of Specific
Evidence
Prepare a scratch outline to help you develop
the areas of support for the thesis.
Thesis: Movie going is a problem.
Support: (1) Inconvenience of going out

(2) Tempting snacks
(3) Other moviegoers
Details
After you have developed the areas of
support, provide enough
specific details for each

area of support, in a full outline.
Details
Outline
Thesis : Moviegoing is a problem.
Support : (1) Inconvenience of going out
a. Have to drive for 15 minutes
details
b. Difficult to find parking space Specific
c. Need to queue up to get tickets…
(2) Tempting snacks not good for health/fitness
a. Cannot resist snacks
b. Worried about getting fat p e ci fi c details
S
c. Feel upset afterwards…
(3) Other moviegoers creating disturbances
a. Little kids run
b. Teenagers talk back to the screen
i fi c d e tails
c. Adults tell the plot… Spec
See also “Study Guide_Annotated Sample 2_Essay Outlines”.

Outlining Practice
• Activity 11 --- Outlining (refer to textbook
p.150-151)
• Question No. 1 & 3
Functions of an Outline
An outline with specific details helps

you:
- See the bare bones (i.e. structure) of your
essay;
- Check whether your outline is unified,
supported and well-organized; and
- Distinguish between the main ideas and
the specific details.
Details
Specific details…
1. Keep the reader’s interest.
2. Serve to explain a writer’s
point.
Details
Some of the other patrons are even more of a
problem than the theater itself. Many people in
the theater often show themselves to be
inconsiderate. They make noises and create
disturbances at their seats. Included are
people in every age group, from the young to
the old. Some act as if they were at home in
their own living room watching TV. And people
are often messy, so that you’re constantly
aware of all the food they’re eating. People are
also always moving around near you, creating a
disturbance and interrupting your enjoyment of
the movie. (pages 166-167)
Details
Many people in the Who are these people?
theater often show
themselves to be How are they inconsiderate?
inconsiderate. They
make noises and What kind of noises and
create disturbances at
their seats. Included disturbances? Exactly how?
are people in every age
group, from the young What age groups?
to the old. Some act as
if they were at home in
their own living room What do they do exactly?
watching TV.
Vague
Details
Little kids race up and
- Different age groups
down the aisles, usually in
clearly spelled out
giggling packs. Teenagers try -
Their inconsiderate
to impress their friends by
behavior is described
talking back to the screen,
with vivid details
whistling, and making what - Sound words and action
they consider to be hilarious
words let readers hear
noises. Adults act as if they and see the disturbances
were at home in their own
living room and comment
loudly on the ages of the
p e ci f ic
stars or why movies aren’t
as good anymore.
S
Details
And people Again, who are these people?
are often
messy, so that Messy in what ways? How?
you’re
constantly What makes you aware of the
aware of all food?
the food
they’re eating.
V ag ue What kinds of food exactly?

Details
And people of all - Makes the reader see who
ages crinkle candy the people are
wrappers, stick - Describes in detail how
gum on their messy things are
seats, and drop - Again, sound words and
popcorn tubs or action words let readers hear
cups of crushed and see what is happening
ice and soda on
the floor.
ecif ic
Sp
Details
People are also
always moving
around near you, Exactly how do they move
creating a around?
disturbance and
interrupting your
enjoyment of the What kind of disturbance?
movie.
How do they interrupt your
V ag ue enjoyment?
Details
They also cough - Describes in detail what
and burp, squirm the other moviegoers do
endlessly in their - Makes the readers see,
seats, file out for hear and feel what
repeated trips to happened specifically
the rest rooms or
concession stand,
and elbow you out
of the armrest on
either side of your
ec if ic
seat. Sp
CC 2040
English for Academic Studies
[Health Care]
Research Skills I: Designing a
questionnaire
Questionnaire Survey
It is a research method to
collect data or information
by administering a pre-
designed questionnaire to
a sample drawn from the
population (the entire
group under research).
Steps to Doing a
Questionnaire Survey
 Defining the Objectives
 Determining the Sample

 Writing the Questions
 Administering the
Questionnaire
 Interpreting the Results
Formatting the
Questionnaire
A questionnaire should
always be formatted with
the following factors in
mind:
 Readability
 Ease of completion
 Accuracy
Formatting the
Questionnaire
I. Introduction
Should have a cover letter or cover
page to:
 Express appreciation for the
respondent’s time and effort; and
 Provide an orientation by saying
what the respondent should
expect, and how much time the
survey will take.
 Guarantee confidentiality of the
respondent’s identity and
information in the orientation.
Formatting the
Questionnaire
II. Instructions
After the orientation, give instructions
on how to complete the questionnaire:
 Give clear directions on how to
complete the questionnaire
 Stress the importance of
answering every question
 Give clear directions on how to
return the questionnaire
(Source: adapted from “Chapter 13 – Conducting Research and Using Data”, Business Communication,
O’Hair, O’Rourke, O’Hair, South-Western College Publishing, Thomson Learning.)
Example: Introduction to a
Questionnaire (I)
Exhibition Industry in Hong Kong
Please take approximately 15 to 30 minutes to complete this
questionnaire. Your responses will provide important information
that will help us to propose suggestions to improve the exhibition
industry in Hong Kong.
Confidential
What this survey is for?
This survey provides you with an opportunity to share your
thoughts on what changes the Hong Kong exhibition industry
needs to keep its competitiveness and to benefit Hong Kong
economically. You do not have to complete this survey if you do
not wish to do so. However, everyone’s views are important and
the more participation we receive, the better the results will be.
Please understand that this questionnaire is completely
confidential.
Example: Instructions to a
Questionnaire
1. Do not write your name on the questionnaire.
2. Answer all the questions provided as your response to
every question is important to the results generated.
2. Return the questionnaire to our staff in person once
you have completed it.
Your questionnaire will only be viewed by the
team analyzing your responses to the questions.
Your questionnaire will be placed with many others and
there will be no way to identify individual respondents.
The results of all the questionnaires will be added
together and kept by an independent institution.
Instructions...
Setting Questionnaire Survey
Before writing any questions, make

sure that you will get the
information you need .
Think through:
How each research question
relates to your objective
How you will analyze each
question in relation to your
objective
Principles for Writing
Questions
The scale / response categories should
be:
 Relative to respondent’s experience
 Set for maximum variability
 Balanced
 Placed vertically
Points to note:
 Use item-in-a-series response categories
carefully
 Be careful about responses like ‘neutral’,
‘no opinion’
Questions
Each questions should ask for
only one piece of information.
Avoid asking:
 Two questions at once
How often do you read the
newspaper and surf the internet?
 Questions that contain
assumptions
Assuming that prices continue to
rise, will you change your buying
Questions
Questions should get respondents to
express their own feelings,
perceptions, behaviors, and
experiences, both past & present.
Avoid asking:
 Hypothetical questions
If you were Donald Tsang, what
would you do to help the elderly?
 Leading questions
Do you like this modern campus?
Questions
Wordings should be straightforward
and clearly understood by every
respondent.
Avoid using:
 Ambiguous words and time periods
How often do you go to the CPCE
library?
1. Very Often
2. Often
3. Sometimes
4. Rarely
Questions
respondent.
Avoid using:
 Words that can mean different
things to different respondents
Is this the best CD player you have
ever used?
 Terms with definitions that can
vary (or provide a clear definition)
Are you concerned about news
Questions
respondent.
Avoid using:
 Complex scenarios involving too
many factors
Do you believe that the measures
proposed by the 2008 Budget report will
alleviate the commodity problem? The
measures are property and salary tax
rebate, a one-off $1,800 electricity
subsidy, one-month public housing
Questions
Do…
 Be straight-
forward Don’t…
 Be brief  Be vague
 Be clear  Be too personal
 Be specific  Use biased
 Be neutral language
 Use
abbreviations
or jargon
 Be redundant
Sequencing Questions
 Make the order of questions
logical to respondents
 Start with some easy yet
relevant questions
 Go from the most salient
questions to the least salient
ones
 Do not put demographic
questions at the start
 Place potentially objectionable
questions near the end
Reference
The materials in this PowerPoint
are adapted from:
http://www.ssri.psu.edu/survey
http://www.statcan.ca/english/edu/power/ch2/q
http://www.cc.gatech.edu/classes/cs6751_97_w
Questions are the backbone of a
questionnaire because they
determine the information you’ll
get.
So, let’s do some
practice! 121
Practice on Writing
Questions
Is this an open-
ended question or a
close-ended one?
Q: What is the most Open-ended!

important issue
facing today's youth?
122
Practice on Writing
Questions
Is this an open-ended question
Is this an open-ended question
or a close-ended one?
Q: Which of these is the most
important problem facing
today's youth?
- Unemployment
- National unity Close-ended!
- Environment
- Youth violence
- Rising tuition fees
- Drugs in schools
- Career counselling
123
Practice on Writing
Questions
What’s wrong with the
following question?
Q: Have you ever used any
CAD software in your work?
No
abbreviation
s!
124
Practice on Writing
Questions
How can you make it better?
Q: Have you ever used
any computer-aided
design software in your
work?
125
Practice on Writing
Questions
following question?
Q: Do you project the overall
oil price to be bullish or
bearish in 2009?
No jargon!
126
Practice on Writing
Questions
Q: Do you project
the overall oil price
to rise or fall in
2009?
127
Practice on Writing
Questions
following question?
Q: Are you satisfied with the
service of the saleswomen in
Gucci?
No biased
language!
128
Practice on Writing
Questions
How can you make it
better?
Q: Are you satisfied with
the service of the
salespeople in Gucci?
129
Practice on Writing
Questions
following question?
Q: Are there any necessary
improvements which could be made
to the library to provide better
service?
No redundant
words!
130
Practice on Writing
Questions
How can you make it
better?
Q: How much do you know
about the history of Hong
Kong?
131
Practice on Writing
Questions
following question?
Q: What is your income?
“Income”
not
defined!
Time
period not
stated!
132
Practice on Writing
Questions
Q: What is your
current personal
monthly salary?
Q: What is the current
monthly income
(counting all sources)
of your whole family?
133
Practice on Writing
Questions
What’s wrong with the following
question?
Q: Does your hospital provide
training for new employees and
retraining for existing staff?
Don’t ask two
questions at
once!
134
Practice on Writing
Questions
Q: Does your hospital
provide training for new
employees?
Q: Does your hospital

provide retraining for
existing employees?
135
Practice on Writing
Questions
question?
Q: Do you support this
proposed unfair government
policy? “Unfair”?
No leading
questions!
136
Practice on Writing
Questions
Q: Do you support this
proposed government
policy?
137
Practice on Writing
Questions
question?
Q: If you were a superstar, how
would you deal with paparazzi?
No
hypothetica
l questions!
138
Practice on Writing
Questions
Q: How should a
superstar deal with
paparazzi?
139
Practice on Writing
Questions
question?
Q: How old are you?
Avoid
questions
that are too
personal!
140
Practice on Writing
Questions
Q: What is your age

group?
 20 or Below
 21 to 30
 31 to 40
 41 to 50
 51 to 60
 61 or Above
141
Practice on Writing
Questions
question?
Q: How often do you revise what
you have learned in “English for
Academic Studies”? Avoid
1. Very Often ambiguo
2. Often us
3. Sometimes terms!
4. Rarely
5. Never 142
Practice on Writing
Questions
Q: How often do you revise what
you have learned in “English
for Academic Studies”?
1. Every Day
2. 2-6 Times a Week
3. About Once a Week
4. About Once a Month
5. Never
143
Practice on Writing
Questions
question?
Q: The last time you used the
library, what was the purpose of
your visit?
1. get information from a librarian
2. search for a journal article
3. search for a book
4. study peacefully
144
Practice on Writing
Questions
Q: The last time you used the library, what
was the purpose of your visit? (You can
choose more than one answers.)
1. get information from a librarian
2. search for a journal article
3. search for a book
4. study peacefully
5. others (please specify)____________
145

Eng Lecture PPT wk1 To 8

Transféré par

Informations du document

Description originale:

Titre original

Copyright

Formats disponibles

Partager ce document

Partager ou intégrer le document

Options de partage

Avez-vous trouvé ce document utile ?

Ce contenu est-il inapproprié ?

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

Eng Lecture PPT wk1 To 8

Transféré par

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

Sentence Skills I

English Skills for Academic Studies

pp 230-231 & pp 251-253

Many students are interested in modelling when

In Kung Fu the hands must be not only hard

In general, watch out for non-parallel

English Skills for Academic Studies

Effective communication of ideas

A main idea is advanced, and then

You will see the parts (supporting

Marijuana should not be legalized. Some

Finding the main idea

1. Often in the first sentence

“Does most of the material in the

Learning how to recognize the two

English Skills for Academic Studies

Prepared by Esther Tong

You must tell your

(From an article called “Tunnel traffic angers citizens”

• Include only the most important/ main

What is the suitable length of a summary?

• Only about 10% of your paper should be

• You should consider using direct

• Whether you quote,

• Read the passage (Set 3) on p.88 of the

CC2001 English Skills for Academic

Step 4. Take notes – concentrate on the

English Skills for Academic Studies

essay the thesis appears

Try to write on something that

English Skills for Academic Studies

•Statements that are

 Collect ideas and details about a

• Put ideas and details that occur to you in

• Delete ideas you don’t want in

English Skills for Academic Studies

Support: (1) Inconvenience of going out

specific details for each

See also “Study Guide_Annotated Sample 2_Essay Outlines”.

An outline with specific details helps

V ag ue What kinds of food exactly?

Before writing any questions, make

Q: What is the most Open-ended!

Q: Does your hospital

Q: What is your age

Vous aimerez peut-être aussi