Prime Time 5/6, Writing, Arbeitsheft

4 78 Assessment c) Rewrite the paragraph below using all the techniques and strategies you have learned so far. Why bad language is good for us Our parents have always told us not to swear. But using bad language actually has its benefits. Thanks to modern science we know a lot more about swearing than we used to. Research, for example, shows that swearing can help build teams in the workplace. From the factory floor to the operating theatre, scientists have shown that teams who share a vulgar lexicon tend to work more effectively together, feel closer and be more productive than those who don’t. Apart from that, swearing also makes the heart beat faster and primes us to think aggressive thoughts while making us less likely to be violent physically. Swearing has taught us a great deal about our minds, too. We know that people who learn a second language often find it less stressful to swear in their adopted tongue, which gives us an idea of the childhood developmental stages at which we learn emotions and taboos. 4.3.4 Relative clauses Relative clauses are often used in descriptions. They are a good way to make a text more interesting and more meaningful. Relative clauses can be introduced with who, which, that, whose (= relative pronouns). Example: My new CD, which I got for my birthday, is broken. Defining relative clauses (clauses you cannot leave out) often do not have a relative pronoun. Example: I did not get the mail which/that you sent me on Sunday. OR: I did not get the mail which/that you sent me on Sunday. Relative clauses Combine the sentences by turning one of them into a relative clause. Use who , that or which where necessary. 1. The people vote for a political candidate in their constituency. They take part in general elections. 2. The winners are sent to Westminster as MPs for their constituencies. They represent these constituencies in parliament. 3. The government usually consists of MPs of one or two parties only. They have to agree on a political programme for the next four years. 4. Members of the Cabinet must leave the government. They have not been re-elected. 5. This means that their political career is usually over. This is highly problematic, as their expertise is lost. 6. However, candidates often make a career in business. These candidates have lost their seats in Parliament. Replacing participle constructions Rewrite the following text and replace some of the participle constructions ( -ing phrases) with suitable relative clauses. You should vary between relative clauses and participle constructions to create a well-written text with a wide range of sentence structures. Online providers offering special deals for internet customers must be regulated in order to prevent illegal business practices. However, many customers looking for a cheap internet connection are willing to trust these companies. Considering these practices, the government needs to introduce measures addressing this issue. On the other hand, people working in this field will agree that everybody has the responsibility to check a business deal before signing a contract. This should be made clear to people complaining about the present situation. In order to be able to judge what internet service providers offer it is important to understand the small print specifying the details of a contract. 70  71  Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv