Academic writing and speech
Types of essays
Grammar Snapshots
Give Me 3 or 5
What’s That Called?
100

This sentence expresses the main idea of a paragraph

A TOPIC SENTENCE

100

Identify the type of the essay in this extract -

"While libraries provide reliable and well-curated sources, the internet offers greater accessibility and speed. Unlike printed texts, online resources can be updated instantly, allowing students to work with the most current information available."

Comparison Essay

100

Can you give an example of a noun phrase which contains a relative clause?

The students who submitted their essays early

The evidence which supports this argument.

The book that explains the theory in detail

100

Provide 5 key features of an effective academic poster

Aims and objectives, outcome, a visual, the title, brief background of the project, any flowcharts, quotation, sponsors

100

Expressing the same idea in a new way by changing the vocabulary, grammar, or sentence structure without changing the meaning.

Paraphrasing

200

Turn this informal phrase into an academic one: “You’re wrong, I don’t think so.”

“I’m not sure I can fully agree with that point.”
or
 “I would take a different perspective on this issue.”
or
 “I respectfully disagree with that interpretation.”

200

Identify the type of the essay in this extract -

"It is often argued that schools should ban mobile phones in classrooms. Supporters claim that phones distract students from learning, whereas opponents insist that they can be powerful educational tools. This essay will argue that the disadvantages outweigh the benefits."

Argument Essay

200

Give 2 example sentences with "Wh-clauses".

Possible answers:

  • What this study demonstrates is the importance of critical thinking in academic writing.

  • How students manage their time often determines their level of success at university.

  • Why social media influences political opinions remains a key question for researchers.

200

Give at least 5 ways to present the information visually

Pie chart 

Bar chart 

Map

Table 

Graph

200

The feature of the introduction that explains why the topic is important or worth discussing is called ....

Rationale

300

Outline the main benefits of technological innovation in modern communication.

What does "Outline" mean? 

Make a list and give some details about the benefits. 
300

Identify the type of the essay in this extract -

"Because many teenagers spend hours on social media, their sleep patterns are often disrupted. As a result, they may experience lower concentration levels during lessons, which in turn affects their academic performance."

Cause and Effect Essay

300

What subordinators are used in comparison essays?

Although, even though, while, whilst, whereas

300

Give 3 words describing what it (e.g. graph) shows

show, illustrate, represent, display

300

Name 2 types of comparison essay structure.

Block structure and point-by-point structure

400

What part of the essay is this?

“According to Smith (2020), online courses improve student engagement by offering interactive materials.”

Supporting evidence (reference / citation). 

400

Identify the type of the essay in this extract -

"The process of recycling paper begins with the collection of waste material. Next, the paper is sorted and cleaned to remove ink or adhesives. Finally, the fibres are pressed into new sheets that can be reused in schools and offices."

Process / Stages Essay

400

What type of conjunctions are used to connect 2 independent clauses - coordinators or subordinators?

Coordinators (FANBOY)

400

Give me 3 phrases which are used for speculating and reflecting.

Speculating

  1. It could be argued that…

  2. One possible explanation is that…

  3. It is likely that…

  4. This may be due to…

  5. It seems reasonable to assume that….  Reflecting

  1. This suggests that…

  2. This highlights the fact that…

  3. This can be seen as…

  4. From this, it can be concluded that…

  5. This raises the question of whether…

400

When one event or action directly leads to another event or outcome, it is called...

cause and effect relationship

500

Using a _____ in the introduction catches the reader's interest and makes him/her want to keep reading

HOOK

500

Identify the type of the essay in this extract -

"One of the most serious issues facing modern cities is air pollution. This problem is caused mainly by traffic congestion and industrial emissions. To address this, governments could introduce stricter regulations on vehicle emissions and encourage the use of public transport."

Problem–Solution Essay

500

Alternatives to conditional structures with IF

Imagine, Suppose, In that case, Let us imagine

500

Provide 3 examples of verbs/nouns that are used to describe cause and effect language.

lead, contribute to, therefore, hence, thus, consequence, result in/from

500

What do we call the specific viewpoint or position from which an argument is presented?

Perspective

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