Prime Time 8. Coursebook plus Semester Self-checks, Schulbuch

3 Spot on language Avoiding repetition a) One of the alternatives in brackets is not a suitable replacement for the bold word or phrase. Mark this “odd one out”. 1. to make a plan (conceive • devise • adapt) 2. to do an operation (carry out • achieve • perform) 3. to get a job (a business • employment • work) 4. to give a lecture (hold • make • deliver) 5. to bring to an end (a limit • a resolution • a conclusion) 6. to agree with an opinion (consent to • concur with • subscribe to) 7. to answer an email (respond to • reply to • retort to) 8. to defend a point of view (standpoint • meaning • position) 9. to enjoy a particular kind of music (type • sort • direction) 10. to choose a candidate (select • identify • nominate) b) Rewrite these sentences to avoid repeating words. Use a dictionary if necessary. 1. The big stone building at the end of the street looked menacing. The windows of the big stone building were boarded up. 2. The storm which hit our village was one of the worst ever to hit the south coast, which is often hit by storms. 3. I agree with Henderson’s argument. Henderson’s argument is that the album is overproduced and he is right. 4. If we should find out that the individual work you’re working on isn’t your own work, you’ll be out of work in no time. Shortening sentences The following sentences from students’ essays are long and confusing for the reader. Write down the improved sentences. Compare your final versions, read them out loud and explain why you think they are better. 1. The last two paragraphs are about the high costs of cloned food which only the rich countries can buy and this means that the population of people in the world will increase, but for the poorer ones there won’t be enough food which is available for them. (47 words) 2. The cloning of animals and possibly people is a very often discussed topic at the moment, which you can read about in the newspapers or listen to experts discussing it on the radio and which you can watch TV documen­ taries and films about and even children have to talk about it in their biology lesson at school or have to write about cloning in an English class exam. (68 words) 3. It is believed by many scientists in my opinion that the research in these fields, e.g. cloning, which is done by them is acceptable and that it doesn’t have to be justified by these scientists on moral grounds. (38 words) 1 2 Tip You can shorten and improve sentences by: • • removing “padding” (unnecessary words or expressions) • • making sure the subject and verb are not too far apart • • using participles, changing verbs to nouns or making other changes to the construction • • preferring active to passive verbs (“The man hit the dog.” rather than “The dog was hit by the man.”) • • breaking a long sentence up into two or more shorter sentences T 40 Gender issues Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv