Monday, April 22, 2013

Help with Word Formation

 

Introduction
You will be tested on your knowledge of word formation in Part 3 of Paper 1 Reading and Use of English. In this unit we will look at the prefixes and suffixes associated with adjectives.


Common adjective suffixes
-able, -ed, -ful, -ive, -ing, -less, -ble, -al, -ese, -ess, -ish, -ous,
Common prefixes
dis-, il-, im-, in-, ir-, non-, un-

Compound adjectives
You should also be aware of common prefixes used to create compounds, which can be in any of the following forms:

separate words:
health food
hyphenated: well-equipped
one word:
trustworthy

Use of the hyphen is best checked with a dictionary. However, one helpful tip is that adjectives which preceed the noun will often be hyphenated, those that follow are often not.




Word formation>> Part 3: Word Formation
Reminder: You will read an authentic text, which has 8 gaps. For each gap you have to use a given ‘stem’ word to make the correct form of the missing word.

Example:

..... Please be careful with that glass. My grandmother gave it to me and it's ........ (REPLACE)

Answer: 'irreplaceable'





Beware! (1) - Select to see answer







1) He put me off having a picnic because of the bad weather.
DISCOURAGED


He discouraged me from  having a picnic because of the bad weather.
2) He claimed he hadn't had anything to do with the robbery.
INVOLVEMENT

He denied any involvement in the robbery. 

3) He reminded us of how important accuracy was in the exam.
IMPORTANCE


We were reminded about the importance of  accuracy in the exam.
4) The official said it was OK to take photographs of the site.
GRANTED


The official granted us permission to take photographs of the site.
 

 

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Word Formation: Encourage

  Nouns  encouragement discouragement
  Adjectives   encouraged encouraging discouraging
  Verbs  encourage discourage
  Adverbs  encouragingly

Reported Speech

Introduction
Reported Speech



Introduction
You might be tested on your knowledge of reported speech in Part 2 and 4 of Paper 1 Reading and Use of English. You should be aware of the various verb patterns that are used when reporting and note that many verbs can follow more than one pattern.

verb + object + infinitive
They allowed him to go to bed later so that he could watch the film.
She advised me to look for a career in advertising.

verb + gerund
He admitted being a little late for work.
The chairperson proposed bringing the meeting to an end.


verb + infinitive
He promised to keep the news secret.
She asked to be informed of any new developments.

verb + object + objectThey promised the children a holiday

The manager told us the latest about the expansion plans.


verb + object + preposition
She's always blaming me for doing things I didn't do!
The company threatened him with the sack.

verb + preposition

I believe in enjoying life while you can.
I apologised for forgetting her birthday.
verb + that + clause
We agreed that the exam would be difficult but signed up for it anyway.
The weather forecast warned that the heavy rain would spread from the north across the whole country.
N.B.
In addition to these patterns you should also be aware of common collocations which are often used with some of these verbs, including the different prepositions which can be used with the same verb which create a different meaning:
He accepted responsibility for the car accident.
The team agreed on a plan of action.
He didn't agree with any of my ideas.




Reported speech >> Part 2: Open Cloze
Reminder: Part 2 consists of a short text which has 8 gaps. For each gap you have to add the missing word.

Example:

..... The customer complimented the chef ..... the wonderful food.

Answer: 'on'



Reported speech >> Part 4: Key Word Transformation

Reminder: You are given a complete sentence followed by a second, incomplete sentence. You have to complete the second sentence so that it has the same meaning as the first using a word given that must not be changed.

Example:

The builder said the weather was the cause of the delay.
PUT
The builder .......... for the delay on the weather.

Answer: 'put the blame'

Task type: Report

Writing Paper: Part 2
Task type: Report

QuestionThe following comments were made during a discussion by members of the training department at your company about whether or not the department should replace classroom-based training with online training. Your manager has asked you to write a report on implementing online training, including: the benefits, the pitfalls and what your recommendation(s) would be:


Comments
"Just-in-time training is great - it can take place anywhere, even in bed!"

"The company will save money by getting rid of our traditional way of training."
"Will our employees miss the interaction with a real person?"


Write the report for your manager. (around 280 - 320 words)

What you need to include to passClick here for our checklist first to understand what the examiner is looking for in a good answer.

Ideas for writingAsk yourself the following questions to help you get started:
  • Make a list of some of the reasons for introducing online training, including the points mentioned in the task:
    - flexibility, can be accessed at any time of day
    - reduces training costs
    - can be customised for individual employees

  • Now think about some of the reasons for not introducing online training:
    - can very expensive to set up
    - employees could react negatively to learning in this way
    - some skills not suitable for learning online
  • Now decide what your recommendation would be, and why:
    - a complete replacement with online training?
    - a 50:50 solution?
    -
    keep the situation as it is?
  • Finally, are there any practical actions that you need to take to ensure the success of your training programme:
    Examples:
    explain the changes to staff in a meeting
    issue staff with laptops for learning at home

Drafting and proofreading your work
You should look at your first draft of the task and decide:

  • Have you answered the question fully?
  • Is the layout and organisation appropriate for a report?
  • Is the language accurate with a good range of structures?
  • Is the style appropriate and consistent for your report?
  • Will it be useful and helpful for the manager and other members of the training department?

Content Should discuss all the points mentioned in the task notes, i.e. benefits, pitfalls and recommendation. It should also give practical suggestions about implementing the report.
Communicative achievement Should be on the formal side. (Note: Reports are often given a wide circulation so it is better to keep to a formal style.) The training manager and other members would be informed, and be able to use your report as the basis for further discussion.
OrganisationThe report should be divided into clear paragraphs with appropriate headings for each section. The aim or scope of the report should be clearly stated early on.
Language
Language of analysis and recommendation/ evaluation (e.g. "The cost would be outweighed by the benefits....").
Vocabulary for evaluating costs (e.g. 'our annual training budget is...')
as well as terms associated with online training (e.g. 'e-learning solution', 'learning management system', etc.) could be used.. Does not have to be completely accurate but any errors should be minimal.




Model answer



The following proposal has been written to consider the implementation by our training department of an online training scheme, which would replace our existing classroom-based programme.{2}

{4}1. If our employees had access to online training, or a virtual classroom{5}, it would give them far greater flexibility in the way they learn. Training could be delivered in the office, at home or even when our sales force are travelling (e.g. in their hotel during the evening). This might increase their motivation to undertake training.
2. Our company could make huge savings in terms of:
a) Staff time - Currently, we bring staff from all our branches around the country to our training centre. An online programme could reduce staff travelling time considerably.
b) Expenses - The amount of money claimed by staff for travelling expenses and hotel accommodation for the duration of their training course is in excess of one million pounds per annum.{6}

Online training - the pitfalls{7}
1. Some employees like our present method of training. They value the face-to-face contact and the friendly learning environment created by our team of trainers. The classroom sessions are also a good opportunity to meet colleagues from other parts of the country and to get away from the office for a while.
2. We will need to make a considerable investment in{8} new hardware and software. Whether we opt for an off-the-shelf learning management system (LMS) or develop a system with our own programmers the cost will eat up a large percentage of our training budget. We would need to produce a financial report showing all the costs of implementing a new training system to see if it is economically viable.

The best way forward would be to begin a trial of online training. We could then evaluate its effectiveness over the next 12 months and gauge staff reaction too.


 

 

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Word Formation: Fail

  Nouns fail failure
  Adjectives unfailing
  Verbs fail
  Adverbs unfailingly

Word Formation: Escape

  Nouns escape, escapism

  Adjectives escaped, inescapable

  Verbs escape

  Adverbs inescapably