Narrative and Definitions

Introduction

• The introduction to many pieces of academic writing contains some kind of historical background or development. This is usually in the form of narrative.

Narrative

• An account or description of events in the past which entails following a time sequence or chronological order

• Verb forms commonly used are the past simple (active and passive) and past perfect active

Verb forms - exercise

• Complete the text about the United Nations (exercise 1, p. 28)

The Development of Universities

• Read the text on pp. 28-29

• What is the modern definition of a university?

• What were the earliest centres of learning in Europe?

• What was the first Scottish university?

The Development of Universities

Vocabulary• Guild – ceh, bratovština• Scholar – student; učenjak; poznavatelj klasika• Facilities – mogućnosti, uvjeti, sredstva, oprema,

objekti, ustanove• Degree – akademski stupanj• College – fakultet, visoka škola, viša škola• Polytechnics – veleučilište• Independent university – privatno sveučilište

• Make brief notes of the information relating to the development of English universities only. Put the heading 'Universities in England' above your notes.

Universities in England

• Oldest: Oxford 1185, Cambridge 1209• 1836 London• 1880-1900 Civic universities – Manchester

1880, Birmingham 1900• 1940s Other civic universities (f.e.

Nottingham 1948)• 1960s Open University• 1992 Education Act – polytechnics

became universities (total 86)

Exercise 1

• Write a letter to a university applying to study there in the next academic year

• Use formal, academic style

Exercise 2

• Write a brief description in the narrative form of the development of your Department

CV

• Personal information

• Education

• Employment history

Europass CV

• The European CV format (handout):

• Training

• Skills and competencies: social, organisational , technical, artistic and other

• Driving license

• Additional information

What is a definition?

• A formal and concise statement of the meaning of a word, phrase, etc.

• In a way, it is a specification of the essential properties of something

Types of definitions

• Simple

• Academic

• Extended

Simple definitions

• Construction:• Thing to be defined + verb (is) + general class

word + particular characteristics• Who is used for persons, which for inanimate

objects and animals, where is used for places• Example:• A student is a person who follows a course of

study, as in a university

Complete the following definitions:

• A college ____________ students receive higher or professional education.

• A dentist ___________ treats people’s teeth.

• An elephant ___________ lives in Africa and Asia.

• A library ____________books are kept for borrowing or referring to.

• A college IS AN INSTITUTION WHERE students receive higher or professional education.

• A dentist IS A PERSON WHO treats people’s teeth.

• An elephant IS AN ANIMAL WHICH lives in Africa and Asia.

• A library IS A PLACE WHERE books are kept for borrowing or referring to.

Join the sentences on the left with the correct ones on the right, creating relative clauses:

1. An engineer is a person

2. A microscope is an instrument

3. A generator is a machine

4. A botanist is a person

5. A square is a geometric figure

6. An economist is a person

7. An encyclopaedia is a book

a It produces electricity

B He studies the way in which industry and trade produce and use wealth

D It makes distant objects appear nearer and larger

E He designs machines, buildings or public works

F It gives information on subjects in alphabetical order

G He studies plants

H it has four equal sides and four right angles

• Define the following:

• A social worker

• A professor

• A textbook

Common mistakes

• 1. Example instead of a definition (...like...)

• 2. Omission of a general class (...when...)

• 3. Another form of the word to be defined is used in the definition itself

Analyse the type of mistake in the following examples:

• A lecturer is a person who lectures.• A dictionary is a book like the Longman

Dictionary of Contemporary English.• A degree is given by a university to a

student who has passed all examinations.

• Provide more satisfactory definitions of the above terms!

Suggested definitions

• A lecturer is a person who teaches students in a college or university.

• A dictionary is a book which explains the words of a language and is arranged in an alphabetical order.

• A degree is an academic qualification which is given by a university toa student who has passed the appropriate examinations.

Academic definitions

• Academic definition – more scholarly way of defining things

• More cautious definitions – exemplification

• Psychiatry is the study and treatment of mental illness.

Write out definitions of the subjects given below:

• Demography – study – population growth and structure

• Zoology – science – structure, forms and distribution of animals

• Sociology – science – nature and growth of society and social behaviour

Caution

• Academic subjects may be more cautiously defined

• Example:

• Linguistics may be defined as the science of language.

Extended definitions

Extended definitions are those which are defined more specifically – more information must be given to make it more precise

Example:

Sociology may be defined as the branch of science which studies the development and principles of social organisation. It is concerned with group behaviour as distinct from the behaviour of individuals in the group.

Exercise

• Write an extended definition of social work!

• Social work is the profession that promotes social change, problem solving in human relationships and the empowerment and liberation of people to enhance well-being. Utilising theories of human behaviour and social systems, social work intervened at the points where people interact with their environments.

Useful verbs

• X is concerned with Y

• deals with

• relates to

• involves

Thank you for your attention!