teacherdominic
Member
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2009
- Member Type
- English Teacher
If you are an academic type and want to improve your writing, one of the best tools out there is the Academic Word List. What it gives you are the 570 most word families common to all forms of academic writing irrespective of the subject.
Here is a little exercise from my IELTS site. Look at these two paragraphs and decide which is the better academic writing.
In contrast, there is only one major argument on the other side of the debate. This is that both museums and art galleries need to charge an entrance fee if they are to survive in the modern world. Governments do not have sufficient funds to subsidise all such institutions and there are other priorities for public money. Therefore these galleries and museums need to charge their customers not only to survive but to update their exhibitions and make new purchases. By way of illustration, the Tate Modern in London could not have been founded without revenue from admissions.
But there is only one good argument against. This is that both museums and art galleries need to charge for entrance if they are to live in the modern world. Governments do not have enough funds to give all such places and there are other needs for public money. Therefore these galleries and museums need to charge their customers not only to stay in business but to update what they show the public and buy new paintings. For example, the Tate Modern in London could not have been set up without money from admissions.
With luck you chose the first one. What are the differences? They are all to do with the AWL:
in contrast = but
major = good
survive = live
sufficient = enough
subsidise = give
institutions = places
exhibitions = what they show the public
illustration = example
founded = set up
Simple when you know how. If you are looking for good AWL resources, I can't recommend the Nottingham University site too highly: I am also building my own set of exercises based on my IELTS essays with added word of the day exercises.
Here is a little exercise from my IELTS site. Look at these two paragraphs and decide which is the better academic writing.
In contrast, there is only one major argument on the other side of the debate. This is that both museums and art galleries need to charge an entrance fee if they are to survive in the modern world. Governments do not have sufficient funds to subsidise all such institutions and there are other priorities for public money. Therefore these galleries and museums need to charge their customers not only to survive but to update their exhibitions and make new purchases. By way of illustration, the Tate Modern in London could not have been founded without revenue from admissions.
But there is only one good argument against. This is that both museums and art galleries need to charge for entrance if they are to live in the modern world. Governments do not have enough funds to give all such places and there are other needs for public money. Therefore these galleries and museums need to charge their customers not only to stay in business but to update what they show the public and buy new paintings. For example, the Tate Modern in London could not have been set up without money from admissions.
With luck you chose the first one. What are the differences? They are all to do with the AWL:
in contrast = but
major = good
survive = live
sufficient = enough
subsidise = give
institutions = places
exhibitions = what they show the public
illustration = example
founded = set up
Simple when you know how. If you are looking for good AWL resources, I can't recommend the Nottingham University site too highly: I am also building my own set of exercises based on my IELTS essays with added word of the day exercises.