6/10/2016

Academic English 2
Course Recap & Revision
By Mr Chuah Kee Man
(kmchuah@unimas.my)

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So what was covered in AE2?

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Units in AE2

Unit 1a: Types of References

Unit 1b: Citations & Referencing
Unit 1c: Paraphrasing Multiple-Choice
Questions (MCQs)
Unit 2: Reading Skills
Unit 3: Oral Presentation Skills
Unit 4: Information Report
Unit 5: Explanation Report
Unit 6: Discussion Essay Essay writing

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Sections in AE2 Final Exam
No of
Section Components
Questions
Section A Reading Comprehension 10
Text 1 (5 questions)
Text 2 (5 questions)
Section B Citation (5 questions) 10
References (5 questions)
Section C Paraphrasing 5
- Synonym Replacement (3 questions)
- Change of structure (2 questions)
Total for MCQs: 25 (50 marks)
Section D Discussion Essay 1
- Only 1 topic is given
Total for Essay 1 (30 marks)
Total Raw 80 marks
Final Score 80/2 40%

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Section A

 For reading section, make sure you read

the questions clearly and identify the
keywords in the text.
 1st text is slightly shorter than the 2nd one.
 Questions can be identifying main
idea/points or making
inferences/conclusion from your reading.
 Refer to sample final exam questions.

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Section B
Section B is divided into two parts:

Part 1: Citations
• 5 questions based on the use of citations in a
text. All 5 are wrongly used and you need to
find the correct one in the given options.

Part 2: References
• There are 5 references given and each contains
1 error in it. Your task is to identify the error in
the reference.

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Section B
Citation Sample Questions:

Note: There are 5 questions in this part, all citations contain error. Find the corrected one
In the options given.

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Section B
Citation Sample Questions:

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Section B
Quick Recap on Citations:
 Use last name only – (Michael Adams, 2010) should be
(Adams, 2010).
 Difference on the use of “and” between author-prominent
and info-prominent citations.
Adams and Ali (2010) | (Adams & Ali, 2010)
 Alphabetical order of multiple citations used at the same
time. (Ziela & Adams, 2010; Andy, 2012; Lee, 2013) should
be (Andy, 2012; Lee, 2013; Ziela & Adams, 2010).
 Multiple citations from the same author but different years.
We split the years using comma (,) not semi-colon (;).
E.g. Adams (2010, 2014). = this means you are citing two
sources by Adams at the same time.
 Citations involving 3 to 5 authors = make sure you
remember that 1st time usage, we list all names. But after
that, just use et al.

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Section B
References Sample Questions:

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Section B
Quick Recap on References

 Books
 Lastname, F. (Year). Title of the book. Place: Publisher.
 Lastname1, F., & Lastname2, F. (Year). Title of the book. Place:
Publisher.

Chapter in a book
 Lastname, F. (Year). Title of the chapter. In F. Lastname2, Title of the
book (pp. pages). Place: Publisher. (If editor(s), include Ed. Or
Eds.)
Blaxter, M. (1976). Social class and health inequalities. In C. Carter &
J. Peel (Eds.), Equalities and inequalities in health (pp. 120-135).
London: Academic Press.

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Section B
Quick Recap on References

Journals
 Lastname, F. (Year). Title of the article. Journal Name, Volume(Number),
pages of the article.
 E.g.
Adams, M. (2012). Eating for beginners. Journal of Food, 2(4), 23-45.

Webpages
 Lastname, F. (Year). Title of the webpage. Retrieved from http://www.w
ebsite.com/pages.html.
 Lastname, F. (n.d.). Title of the webpage. Retrieved from http://www.w
ebsite.com/pages.html.

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Section C
Paraphrasing

 3 Questions on synonyms replacement – find

the best word to replace the word in the given
text.

 2 questions on change of structure – Find the

best change of structure without changing the
meaning.

 Tips: Read the text carefully before deciding the

best answers

 Refer to sample final exam questions

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Section D
Discussion Essay
 30 marks – Refer to the marking scheme uploaded on
Morpheus to know the clear breakdown.

 1 topic only – you still have to write it even if you dislike the
topic. 

 What focus to on? All topics are related to YOU! a.k.a.

university students.

 Key revision? (Refer to the next slide for more info)

• Learn to write clear statement of issue and preview of points
in your introduction.
• Elaborate each point clearly with specific examples
• Ensure you have all the features mentioned in the marking
scheme (e.g. conjunction, use of modals like may, can, and
engagement markers
• You conclusion MUST have a suggestion (make it specific and
clear).

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Section D
Discussion Essay
Statement of Issue in Introduction
 Statement of Issue (SOI) has to be clear and reflect both
sides. Your SOI will govern your preview of points and

Topic: Group Assignments Should Be Abolished

Bad SOI: Group assignments should be abolished because

of several disadvantages. (Only 1 side is stated)

Good SOI: The abolishment of group assignments may bring

benefits to the students while leading to other
drawbacks.

Good SOI: Abolishing group assignments can lead to both

advantages and disadvantages to the students.

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Section D
Discussion Essay
Preview in Introduction

 Preview of Points should reflect your 4 points to be

presented (2 pros and 2 cons - keywords).

Topic: Group Assignments Should Be Abolished

Good Preview

Ultimately, abolishing group assignments help students to be

less stressful and be more committed to their learning. However,
it can impede the cultivation of team work and also limit
communication skills.

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Section D
Discussion Essay
IMPORTANT Language Features

 Conjunction – Please use TWO in each point (paragraph

for points) – E.g. First and foremost, In addition, Moreover,
Adding on to the pros, Despite that, Thus, Hence…

 Modals (may, can, might, could, should) – use TWO in

each point (paragraph for points) – AVOID USING “WILL”
unless you have a clear date/time in the future. E.g. This will
cause them to fall sick the next day.

 Engagement Markers – Use ONE in each points. Refer to

next slide for some examples

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Section D
Discussion Essay
Engagement Markers

1. Rhetorical questions – questions that you asked to engage

the reader to think. E.g. What would happen if students are
tied up with a lot of assignments?

2. Reader’s involvement – asking readers to join in. E.g.

Let us imagine a university free of assignments.

3. Using Personal Pronouns – E.g. As we know; This is

something that we must overcome….

4. Persuasive markers (“debate style”) – E.g. As proven in the

recent case of students’ drop outs,…..; It is undeniable that
many students are suffering from…; Statistics in 2010 indicated
that job employment is dropping….

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Section D
Discussion Essay
Suggestion in Conclusion

 Your suggestion in conclusion should be more specific.

If possible deal with the problems mentioned in your
points.

Topic: Group Assignments Should Be Abolished

Good Conclusion

Hence, it is pivotal for lecturers to set clear guidelines in

conducting group assignments so as to avoid students from
being a free-rider.

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GOOD LUCK…..

 Revise the APA format.

 Revise the Discussion essay format

 Read up on educational issues.