Definition 3

Focus on extended definition writing

ENGLISH 101 INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC DISCOURSE
 Aim
For students to be  The following slide
able to recognize
and produce three
types of definition.
Source
contains material adapted
from the file “Definition”,
courtesy of Mr Terry Dale,
English Language
Department, King Fahd
University of Petroleum
and Minerals.

ENGLISH 101 INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC DISCOURSE

 There are many ways to extend a definition:
Topic Term Class Specific Differences
sentence
Examples (instances)
(instances)
Illustration (extended
(extended example)
example)
Comparison (similarities)
(similarities)
Contrast (differences)
(differences)
Extensio n

Analogy (comparison
(comparison of of the
the unfamiliar
unfamiliar with
with the
the familiar)
familiar)
Etymology (origin
(origin of
of the
the term)
term)
Exclusion (what
(what the
the term
term is
is not)
not)
Synonyms (single
(single word
word with
with the
the same
same meaning)
meaning)
Classification (division
(division into
into types)
types)
Partition (division
(division into
into parts,
parts, topics,
topics, features,
features, etc.)
etc.)
Chronology (historical
(historical development)
development)
Description (mechanism,
(mechanism, process,
process, place,
place, characteristics,
characteristics, etc.)
etc.)
Causal Analysis (causes,
(causes, effects)
effects)

ENGLISH 101 INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC DISCOURSE

 Read (2 minutes), and then identify the highlighted text:
Term Class Specific Differences

Examples Shisha
Shisha (‫ة‬+‫يش‬+
(‫ة‬+‫يش‬+++‫)ش‬,
‫)ش‬, also
also known
known as as hookah,
hookah, is is the
the name
name for for aa common
common free-free-
standing
standing instrument
instrument used used toto smoke
smoke flavored
flavored tobacco.
tobacco. WithWith it’s
it’s origins
origins inin
Illustration
India and Persia, the smoke is drawn downwards
India and Persia, the smoke is drawn downwards from a cone piece, from a cone piece,
Comparison through
through aa waterwater basin
basin to to cool
cool oror purify
purify the
the smoke,
smoke, and and then
then out
out through
through aa
Contrast pipe
pipe before
before inhalation.
inhalation. The The smoking
smoking of of shisha
shisha is is currently
currently gaining
gaining
Analogy popularity
popularity outside
outside of of the
the Asia/Middle
Asia/Middle East East regions,
regions, in in Europe
Europe and and the
the
Etymology Americas.
Americas. Generally,
Generally, shishashisha is is considered
considered to to be
be aa non-addictive
non-addictive form form of
of
leisure with effects ranging from mild to potent. Some
leisure with effects ranging from mild to potent. Some users report a mild users report a mild
Exclusion
feeling
feeling ofof relaxation
relaxation whilewhile others
others experience
experience powerful
powerful feelings
feelings of of euphoria.
euphoria.
Synonyms There
There havehave been been reports,
reports, however,
however, of of some
some usersusers becoming
becoming addicted,
addicted,
Classification and
and thethe health
health effects
effects ofof prolonged
prolonged use use can
can bebe devastating.
devastating. A A WHO
WHO report
report
Partition from
from 20052005 states
states that
that shisha
shisha smoke
smoke contains
contains high high levels
levels of of dangerous
dangerous
Chronology chemicals,
chemicals, including carbon monoxide, and other carcinogens. Currently itit
including carbon monoxide, and other carcinogens. Currently
Description is
is aa legal
legal form
form of of entertainment
entertainment in in the
the USA,
USA, while
while in
in other
other countries,
countries, such
such
as
as Saudi
Saudi Arabia,
Arabia, shisha
shisha is is looked
looked downdown upon,
upon, andand usus inin the
the process
process ofof
Causal Analysis
becoming
becoming banned banned in in public
public places.
places.
ENGLISH 101 INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC DISCOURSE
 Read (2 minutes), and then identify the highlighted text:
Specific
Term Class Differences
The
The term
term carbon
carbon footprint
footprint can can bebe defined
defined as as the
the
measure
measure of carbon dioxide produced by a person or
of carbon dioxide produced by a person or
organization
organization overover aa given
given period
period of of time.
time. Just
Just as
as aa
person
person produces
produces aa trailtrail of
of footprints
footprints when
when he he walks
walks
Analogy through
through sand
sand or
or mud,
mud, he he also
also produces
produces CO CO22 emissions
emissions
through
through hishis normal
normal daily
daily activities.
activities. For
For instance,
instance, apart
apart
from
from breathing,
breathing, which
which is is unavoidable,
unavoidable, aa largelarge amount
amount
Examples of
of CO
CO22 maymay be be produced
produced through
through driving
driving to to work,
work,
watching
watching TV TV or
or just
just having
having thethe lights
lights switched
switched on.
on. AA
huge
huge amount
amount will will be
be produced
produced by by flying
flying away
away on on
Illustration
vacation. Not everybody has the same
vacation. Not everybody has the same size footprint: size footprint: Contrast
people
people living
living in
in developed
developed countries
countries tendtend to
to have
have aa
much
much larger
larger carbon
carbon footprint
footprint than
than those
those in in less
less Comparison
developed
developed countries.
countries. TheThe size
size of
of aa person’s
person’s carbon
carbon
footprint
footprint isis becoming
becoming increasingly
increasingly important
important because
because Causal Analysis
CO is a greenhouse gas and the more
CO22 is a greenhouse gas and the more we produce, we produce,
the
the more
more endangered
endangered our our planet
planet becomes.
becomes.
ENGLISH 101 INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC DISCOURSE
 Speak: In pairs.
 An extended definition for the 5
term:
“drifting”
minutes
 Include:
Specific
Term Class
Differences
Exclusion
Examples Synonyms
Illustration (1) the three elements of formal Classification
Comparison sentence definition; Partition
Contrast Chronology
(2) some of the patterns of development
Analogy Description
used to extend definitions.
Etymology Causal Analysis

ENGLISH 101 INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC DISCOURSE

 In the following extended definition, find examples of: You have 5
minutes.
Twitter
Twitter can can be
be defined
defined as as anan instant
instant messaging
messaging service service that
that allows
allows users
users to to
send and receive short text messages instantaneously
send and receive short text messages instantaneously with a maximum text with a maximum text
Term size
size of
of 140140 character..
character.. ItIt first
first started
started in in 2006
2006 as as aa type
type of
of social
social network
network to to
help Description
Class help people
people keep keep in in touch.
touch. The
The wordword itself
itself is
is derived
derived from
from the
the short
short high-
high-
pitched
pitched soundsound that
that aa bird
bird makes,
makes, but but which
which is is also
also the
the word
word toto describe
describe sillysilly
Specific
Differences or
or unimportant
unimportant chatter.
chatter. Tweet
Tweet is is the
the word
word for for aa twitter
twitter message
message and and itit is
is also
also
the
the verb
verb form.
form. SoSo tweeting
tweeting can can be be defined
defined as as the
the instant
instant communication
communication of of
short
short messages
messages to to family
family andand friends
friends about
about everyday
everyday matters
matters forfor the
the purpose
purpose Contrast
of informing and being
of informing and being informed. informed.
Chronology   
ItIt works
works in in the
the following
following way.way. A A user
user first
first opens
opens an an account
account at at
twitter.com,
twitter.com, and can then start to tweet updates to other tweeters using
and can then start to tweet updates to other tweeters using aa Definition
computer
computer or or mobile
mobile phone.
phone. TheThe tweeter
tweeter can can also
also follow
follow other
other users
users byby signing
signing
up
up to
to different
different accounts.
accounts. Twitter
Twitter is is comparable
comparable to to other
other instant
instant messaging
messaging
services
services provided
provided by by Skype,
Skype, Microsoft
Microsoft and and Yahoo
Yahoo but, but, unlike
unlike them,
them, itit cannot
cannot
Etymology send
send longlong text
text messages
messages or or provide
provide video.
video. In In fact,
fact, the
the maximum
maximum lengthlength of of aa Comparison
tweet
tweet is is only
only 140
140 characters.
characters. Millions
Millions of of tweets
tweets are are sent
sent every
every day
day and
and some
some
famous tweeters have many thousands of followers.
famous tweeters have many thousands of followers. Twitter has gone beyond Twitter has gone beyond
simple
simple communication
communication with with friends
friends and and family
family and and isis now
now being
being used
used for for
commercial and political
commercial and political purposes. purposes.
ENGLISH 101 INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC DISCOURSE
 Homework D3: Three extended definition
Things / places People / jobs Abstracts
junk food a surgeon obesity

cigarettes a patient fitness

medicine a dentist laziness

water a physiotherapist exercise

a hospital a fitness trainer addiction

Write THREE extended definitions (one from each category).

Each extended definition should be at least 80 words long.
ENGLISH 101 INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC DISCOURSE