Grammar Choices (3rd) - KEY
Grammar Choices (3rd) - KEY
Grammar Choices (3rd) - KEY
Nigel A. Caplan
http://www.press.umich.edu/4322525/grammar_choices_for_graduate_and_professional_writers
Copyright 2012, University of Michigan
Michigan ELT
Introduction
This Commentary contains explanatory notes for each unit, teaching suggestions, and an
answer key for the preview tests, grammar awareness tasks, and all the exercises except writing
exercises that have answers that will vary too much. Cross-references are provided to a com-
prehensive grammar for teachers of ESL/EFL (Keith Folse, Keys to Teaching Grammar to Eng-
lish Language Learners: A Practical Guide, University of Michigan Press, 2009) for readers
looking for more information about particular grammar points.
One of the guiding principles behind Grammar Choices is indicated in its title: Grammar is a
system of meaningful choices available to users of the language. For this reason, it is not always
possible to say with certainty which choice is correct. Therefore, in many exercises, I have indi-
cated that answers may vary, and I have provided reasonable alternatives. However, it would be
impossible to list every possible acceptable choice, and so answers that differ from the key
should not necessarily be considered incorrect. In case of ambiguity, the acceptability of a phrase
can often be checked using a corpus such as Google Scholar or the Corpus of Contemporary
American English (Unit 7 offers more information about using these websites).
Almost all the exercises that use example sentences and texts are drawn from authentic sources,
which are labeled in this Commentary: COCA (the Corpus of Contemporary American English,
developed by Mark Davies); MICUSP (the Michigan Corpus of Upper-level Student Papers,
created at the University of Michigan); and a selection of published academic texts (references
provided on pages 178–180 of the textbook). Some exercises are also based on papers written by
my former students. Wherever possible, writing practice also draws on insights from corpus
linguistics so that students can practice using the language of academic and professional writing.
Unlike some languages, English lacks an authoritative source to dictate the “rules” of cor-
rect usage or even a standardized set of terminology (metalanguage). The Commentary notes
where the metalanguage of Grammar Choices differs from traditional grammar books, but
most terms should be familiar to most readers. The major areas of divergence (the naming of
the verb tenses, the distinction between finite and non-finite clauses, the complements of a
verb, and the different types of clauses) are described in the introduction to the textbook
(pp. ix–x). Where new terminology is introduced, it is done within the framework of func-
tional grammar—that is, a description of language as it is used to make meaning. A glossary
and index are provided at the back of the textbook (pp. 169–175).
Additional support for teachers is available at (www.press.umich.edu/esl/tm/), including
review quizzes for the grammar and vocabulary in each unit. I welcome feedback on the
choices I have made in Grammar Choices either via the University of Michigan Press or my
website (http://nigelteacher.wordpress.com).
Grammar Choices for Graduate and Professional Writers
Nigel A. Caplan
http://www.press.umich.edu/4322525/grammar_choices_for_graduate_and_professional_writers
Copyright 2012, University of Michigan
Michigan ELT
2 COMMENTARY AND ANSWER KEY
Teaching Suggestions
1. Each unit begins with a Preview Test, which can be used to gauge students’ knowledge
of the grammar to be covered. These tests can also be used as diagnostic to help instruc-
tors and self-study users decide which units to focus on. However, all readers are
encouraged to work through Unit 1 first since it introduces much of the terminology
that is used throughout the textbook.
2. The Grammar Awareness section promotes noticing, a stage often suggested to be
important for language acquisition. Each unit begins with a text from a common genre
in graduate and professional academic writing, such as a data commentary or literature
review. These tasks can be completed individually and then discussed in small groups.
Where possible, multi-disciplinary groups can engage in rich discussions. Depending
on the nature of the course, this passage can be used as an example of the grammar
point in use or as a model for students’ own writing. At the end of each unit, there is an
assignment inviting students to write in the same genre (Grammar in Your Discipline,
Part D). These tasks are correlated with many of the units in Academic Writing for
Graduate Students, 3rd edition.
3. The units are divided in manageable chunks (1.1, 1.2, 1.3, etc.). They do not need to
be taught in the order they are presented (in fact, I do not typically teach them all in
this sequence!), although they do build on each other to some extent. In the Commen-
tary for each unit, sections are indicated that might be omitted, especially with less
advanced classes. In many cases, students can be assigned to read the explanations at
home and either complete the exercises in class or bring completed exercises to class for
review. Sentences are numbered for ease of reference so that teachers can easily point
students to Sentence 23 in Unit 1, for example.
4. Some of the exercises can be completed in pairs or small groups, especially the editing
tasks. In most cases, though, it is advisable to have students do the exercises individu-
ally and then share their answers with a peer. This is especially useful in the sentence
revision and sentence writing tasks, where the number of correct solutions (and poten-
tial errors) is virtually limitless and writing practice is essential.
5. Some teachers may choose to share a link to the Commentary with their class. In this
case, students can do the exercises and check their answers on their own, reserving class
time for discussing problems, questions, and disagreements.
6. Since this is a textbook for writers, all units ask students to write sentences, paragraphs,
and longer texts. Although much can be learned from filling in gaps and editing errors,
learning can only be demonstrated—and may best happen—in actual practice. Teach-
ers are encouraged to adapt the writing assignments to their classes’ needs, for example,
by having students write about the topic they are currently studying, about current
events, or about their own academic or professional interests.
7. To help students see the connections between the grammar and their own writing, it
can be useful to select sentences from students’ written assignments for class editing
using the grammar being studied. For example, when teaching articles and quantifiers
Grammar Choices for Graduate and Professional Writers
Nigel A. Caplan
http://www.press.umich.edu/4322525/grammar_choices_for_graduate_and_professional_writers
Copyright 2012, University of Michigan
Michigan ELT
COMMENTARY AND ANSWER KEY 3
in Unit 5, I often have the class review sentences (anonymously, of course!) from their
last writing task. This focuses attention on the current needs of the students and helps
them see the grammar in context.
8. Vocabulary and grammar are two sides of the same coin. The textbook introduces
useful vocabulary through explanations, examples, and exercises. A list of words that
have been selected for further study along with review quizzes can be found at
www.press.umich.edu/esl/tm/.
9. Each unit ends with a section titled Grammar in Your Discipline. In these tasks, students
are encouraged to engage in their own linguistic exploration to investigate how the
grammar from the unit is used in their own fields. This is important since usage can vary
across disciplines and genres and over time. Homogenous classes (such as those for pre-
MBA or engineering graduate students) can work together to build a picture of the lan-
guage in their field. Classes with writers from different fields will benefit from finding
similarities and differences in language use and discussing why those variations exist.
10. Teachers may find it helpful to teach Units 6, 7, and 8 out of order or to refer students
to these units early in a course. Unit 6 describes the grammar of hedging and boosting
(softening and strengthening claims, respectively). Unit 7 demonstrates how to use
freely available online corpus tools to improve academic writing. Unit 8 looks at para-
graph structure from a grammatical perspective, showing how the resources of English
can be used to improve cohesion within and between paragraphs. These units all draw
on grammar that is taught in Units 1 through 5, but they explain concepts that are
important for all types of academic writing.
Unit 1
Preview Test (Source: MICUSP)
1. This failure was occurred . . . (occur is an intransitive verb and has no passive form)
2. Intensity is a significant . . . (Articles are not needed with adjectives; or a noun needs to
be added after significant.)
3. He indicated to me . . . (A preposition is used with the optional indirect object after
indicate.) OR He indicated me that . . .
4. . . . . agree with that conclusion (agree requires the preposition with)
5. . . . focuses on . . . (focus requires the preposition on)
6. . . . suggest to finding (Only an –ing clause, not a to infinitive, is allowed after suggest.)
7. . . . allowed us to test spheres (An indirect object is required with allow.)
8. . . . were generated (The verb generate needs to be passive since concepts is not the agent
of the verb.)
9. . . . talked to (talk does not take a direct object; it needs a preposition)
10. Our prototype cost $1500. (Linking verbs like cost are not reversible—the word order is
not possible.)
Grammar Choices for Graduate and Professional Writers
Nigel A. Caplan
http://www.press.umich.edu/4322525/grammar_choices_for_graduate_and_professional_writers
Copyright 2012, University of Michigan
Michigan ELT
COMMENTARY AND ANSWER KEY 5
2. designed
1. Sensory scientists from Johns Hopkins University have discovered in mice a molecular
basis for nonallergic itch.
2. Using the itch-inducing compound chloroquine, an antimalarial drug, the team
identified a family of proteins called Mrgprs.
3. A report on the research appears on December 24 in Cell. (Appear is intransitive, so it
can’t take a direct object. The two prepositional phrases are complements because the
sentence would feel incomplete without at least one circumstantial element; see Biber
et al., 1999, p. 130.)
4. There are specific nerve cells dedicated for itch, different ones for pain, and still others
for pleasant touch. (The embedded clause can also be analyzed for structure, with
dedicated as the verb and the rest of the clause as complements.)
5. The Mrgpr-knockout mice responded specifically to chloroquine. (The prepositional
phrase to cloroquine is a participant in the verb respond, and is a complement; this can
be confirmed by trying to move it elsewhere in the sentence. Unlike the adverb
specifically, which is technically an adjunct, it can’t be moved.)
6. Success or failure of microfinance depends largely on the state of a nation’s economy,
according to the study. (According to is a preposition that indicates the source of the
claim in the clause. The prepositional phrase on the nation’s economy is a complement
because the linking verb depend requires an indirect object with the preposition on.)
7. Microfinance is the practice of making small loans to farmers or business owners too
poor to provide collateral.
8. The microfinance movement has exploded during the past two decades.
9. Ahlin and colleagues from New York University and the University of Minnesota
examined the experiences of 373 microbanks worldwide.
10. As the larger economy grew, the microbanks’ profit margins grew as well.
Grammar Choices for Graduate and Professional Writers
Nigel A. Caplan
http://www.press.umich.edu/4322525/grammar_choices_for_graduate_and_professional_writers
Copyright 2012, University of Michigan
Michigan ELT
6 COMMENTARY AND ANSWER KEY
1. I (There is no verb. However, this is actually the first sentence of the student’s essay in
MICUSP. Clearly, the so-called grammar rules (or rather, the normally accepted con-
ventions of formal writing) can be violated for stylistic purposes.)
2. I (This is a noun phrase; there is no verb.)
3. C
4. I (This is a non-finite -ing clause.)
5. I (Damage is transitive verb and so needs a direct object as a complement.)
6. I (A prepositional phrase cannot fill the subject slot.)
7. I (An adjective cannot describe a verb.)
8. C
Exercise 3
Answers will vary. This is an exercise that will be especially helpful to non-native speakers of
English or writers who draw too heavily on spoken English. More instruction on fragments
and run-ons is provided in 2.7.
1. cause
2. deaths
3. exposure
4. team
5. molecule
6. nAChRs
7. policies
1. Considering the relative youth of the environmental justice movement in the United
States, as well as the ingrained racial tensions and discrimination practices that (exist) in
the U.S. . . . . the environmental justice movement (is) not a social movement unique
to the United States.
2. Environmental problems that citizens in the United States (face) (share) one major
similarity . . . : both movements (are) . . .
3. One problem that (tends) to be very different . . . (is) this idea . . .
Grammar Choices for Graduate and Professional Writers
Nigel A. Caplan
http://www.press.umich.edu/4322525/grammar_choices_for_graduate_and_professional_writers
Copyright 2012, University of Michigan
Michigan ELT
COMMENTARY AND ANSWER KEY 7
4. The second way that U.S. environmental justice problems often (differ) . . . . (has) to
do . . .
5. Many of the victims of environmental injustices in Southeast Asia (lose) their land . . .
6. The all-important link between . . . . (is) that . . .
1. adequate
2. analyze, nationally
3. guarantee, guaranteed, conscientiously
4. decreasing
5. challenge
Exercise 7
Exercise 8
4. The city recycles paper. (object) The city recycles more now than in the past. (preposi-
tional phrase)
5. We collected samples of river water. (object)
Exercise 9
Exercise 10
Exercise 12
Exercise 13
Exercise 14
Answers will vary. After writing a draft, students can check to see how many be verbs they
used and which can be replaced with other linking verbs for variety and greater effect.
For Zipes, fairy tales and folk tales reflect the values of a society, // and his
essay clearly demonstrates an attempt to locate fairy tales within their social
and historical context // while specifically highlighting the effects of fairy tales
// as designed by Walt Disney. Zipes places the folk tale securely in the realm
of the community, // as stories are passed down from generation to generation
without written record. In this way, storytelling was the product of communal
efforts, // and folk tales thus reflected the values of an entire society // and
provided a means to teach those values to children. The invention of the
printing press and the rise of literary folk tales resulted in sanitized versions
of traditional tales for children, // although fairy tales were not deemed
entirely appropriate for children until the late eighteenth and early nineteenth
centuries. For a time, then, the printing press actually decreased the
accessibility of fairy tales to children. Furthermore, these printed texts were
generally accessible only to the wealthy. This resulted in an overall shift in
the reception of fairy tales; // an oral, communal activity became more heavily
focused upon the private realm, // although oral traditions did continue to an
extent. These two divergent traditions resulted in a greater social schism, //
as the literary fairy tale was reserved for the elite // and the oral folk tale
largely became a tradition of the lower classes. As Zipes argues, however,
industrialization itself was not completely negative // since literary rates
spread // and the standard of living generally improved.
1. IC
2. IC
3. DC
4. IC
5. IC
6. IC
7. IC
8. DC
9. DC
10. IC
11. DC
12. DC
Grammar Choices for Graduate and Professional Writers
Nigel A. Caplan
http://www.press.umich.edu/4322525/grammar_choices_for_graduate_and_professional_writers
Copyright 2012, University of Michigan
Michigan ELT
12 COMMENTARY AND ANSWER KEY
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
4. International students, some of whom speak English as a second language, often need
additional support at the start of their studies.
5. There are many ways to solve the problem of inadequate electricity supplies in the
developing world, one of which is solar power.
6. Most doctoral students have to write a dissertation, which is defined as a new contribu-
tion to a field of study.
7. Albert Einstein, who was one of the most brilliant minds of his time, famously could
not find his way to his home in Princeton.
8. Many people were affected by the 2008 economic downturn, which started with the
collapse of the mortgage market.
Exercise 6
Answers will vary. Sample responses based on the original article. You could also ask students
to start by identifying the logical relationship between the clauses before choosing a connect-
ing technique.
1. Since Internet plagiarism has become an increasing concern for educators, strategies to
deter this latest form of academic misconduct must be developed. (enhancing meaning,
cause/effect)
2. After re-examining the university’s existing policy on plagiarism, educators must imple-
ment proactive approaches in the teaching and prevention of such behavior.
(before/after relationship in the enhancing dependent clause)
Grammar Choices for Graduate and Professional Writers
Nigel A. Caplan
http://www.press.umich.edu/4322525/grammar_choices_for_graduate_and_professional_writers
Copyright 2012, University of Michigan
Michigan ELT
14 COMMENTARY AND ANSWER KEY
3. As more students use the Internet for research, the temptation to plagiarize has greatly
increased. (This is both a relationship of cause/effect and change over time, so as is a
good choice; overall, the meaning is enhancement.)
4. Students can refer to any search engine and quickly retrieve a number of websites that
offer full text information ready to be copied. (This is an extension of the first clause,
adding new detail about how search engines are used; note that the subject of the sec-
ond clause, students, has been omitted.)
5. Even though most universities have established policies to respond to plagiarism, some
instructors do not take time to review this material with their students. (Enhancement
clause with the meaning of concession)
6. Since plagiarism can occur in any classroom, it is pertinent that all instructors review
the existing policy on plagiarism at the beginning of each new term, even if the course
they teach is not writing intensive. (The main clause is the middle one—it is pertinent
. . . —and the other two enhance it with a reason and a condition.)
7. University policy should first define plagiarism and then offer an explanation on the
types of offenses that can be considered forms of academic misconduct. (This is a time
clause in which the second clause enhances the first.)
8. Most university webpages include sections that outline the school’s response to aca-
demic misconduct. In addition, sites such as the University of Michigan Library’s “Pla-
giarism” page offer sample lessons and articles on plagiarism. (The second sentence is
an extension of the first, providing a specific example and new information about the
content of this website.)
Exercise 8
1 Because more countries want to offer American degree programs, there has
been growing interest in so-called satellite campuses. 2 It is believed that
these degrees will be equal in quality to those earned in the U.S., and many
students are eager to register. 3 However, researchers have not investigated
the difference between courses taught in the home and satellite campuses. 4
This question is important since some universities have invested heavily in for-
eign sites. 5 For example, one major university was forced to close down its
satellite because of concerns over the quality of its programs. 6 If this trend is
to continue, greater accountability and transparency will be needed.
Grammar Choices for Graduate and Professional Writers
Nigel A. Caplan
http://www.press.umich.edu/4322525/grammar_choices_for_graduate_and_professional_writers
Copyright 2012, University of Michigan
Michigan ELT
COMMENTARY AND ANSWER KEY 15
1. (1a) “Blue haze” is a common occurrence in mountain ranges and forests around the
world.
2. (2a) It is formed by natural emissions of chemicals, but a recent study suggests human
activities can worsen it.
3. (3b) This could even affect weather worldwide, potentially causing climate problems.
4. (1a) The natural way of blue haze formation is rather inefficient.
5. (2a) A mix of natural and man-made chemicals speeds up the formation of these par-
ticles in the Earth’s atmosphere, and there they reflect sunlight back into space.
6. (3c) When you walk through a forest or even a large grassy area, it’s not uncommon to
be able to smell the plants around you.
7. (1c) This dichotomy is expressed in terms of various other oppositions. This separa-
tion, however, is fairly recent.
8. (1b) The issues call for employing the appropriate participation strategy for the situa-
tion. Therefore, the following hypothesis is proposed.
9. (1d) These classes can help students meet their academic goals. There are a few caveats
to these positive findings, however.
10. (2b) The government needs wise and honest laws; thus, it needs educated and virtuous
lawmakers.
Sentences 7, 8, and 9 could also be joined with a semi-colon. Sentence 10 could be divided
into two sentences.
Exercise 10
Exercise 11
5. Even though many students believe they can multi-task efficiently, they are, in fact, less
productive.
6. The Internet allows international students and their families to keep in touch despite
living far away from each other. (Despite is a preposition and so cannot be followed by
a finite clause; the non-finite –ing clause is the neatest option, but you could write
despite the fact that plus a noun clause.)
Reduced 4, 8, 13
Non-restrictive Full 5, 6, 7
Reduced 1, 11
After a noun 3
2. Clause 2 defines and limits the meaning of the injustices; Clause 5 explains what the
committee did, but it does not change its meaning.
3. Clause 9 is a full finite clause with a subject (which) and finite verb (had); Clause 8 is a
reduced clause with the subject and finite verb omitted.
4. In Clause 2, the relative pronoun that is the subject in the relative clause. However, in
Clause 3, the subordinator that introduces the dependent clause but does not have a
grammatical role in it. Whereas in Clause 3, the noun clause follows a noun (belief ), in
Clause 12, it follows a verb (agree).
Grammar Choices for Graduate and Professional Writers
Nigel A. Caplan
http://www.press.umich.edu/4322525/grammar_choices_for_graduate_and_professional_writers
Copyright 2012, University of Michigan
Michigan ELT
18 COMMENTARY AND ANSWER KEY
1. NR; referent: approximately 41.3 million Hispanics (Since it is the Hispanics who con-
stitute half the population of these three states, the referent appears to be the noun
phrase and not the entire clause.)
2. R; referent: the academic instruction
3. R; referent: a melting pot
4. NR; referent: the entire first clause (extending meaning; this is sometimes called a
comment clause)
5a. NR; referent: everything up to this point (The relative clause is also reduced; note the
use of thus plus an –ing clause, which is fairly common in academic writing—therefore
and thereby can also be used in this way.)
5b. R; referent: students
Exercise 2
Exercise 4
Exercise 6
Exercise 7
Exercise 8
Answers will vary. Notice that the subjunctive is not usually visible with plural verbs, so to
require practice of the subjunctive, insist on singular subjects, the use of be, or negatives, all
of which will show the subjunctive. Sample sentences (subjunctive verbs are underlined):
1. Cars are difficult to replace entirely.
2. People are unlikely to take public transportation if it is less convenient than driving.
3. It is important to encourage the development of alternative fuels.
4. Experts urge that consumers not purchase gas-guzzling cars and trucks.
Grammar Choices for Graduate and Professional Writers
Nigel A. Caplan
http://www.press.umich.edu/4322525/grammar_choices_for_graduate_and_professional_writers
Copyright 2012, University of Michigan
Michigan ELT
20 COMMENTARY AND ANSWER KEY
1. The survey asked that whether/if an unhappy marriage is preferable to divorce. (Ask
logically requires a question word in the noun clause.)
2. This is especially true for western China, which is less developed.
3. I investigated how do socioeconomic factors affect attitudes toward marriage. (No
inversion is necessary in a noun clause, although it would be correct in a direct ques-
tion.)
4. It is crucial investigating to investigate gender disparities in attitudes toward unhappy
marriages.
5. There are three types of independent variables are used for this study. (are is the finite
verb in the clause, so a second finite verb is incorrect. An alternative is which/that are,
but the reduced form is more idiomatic.)
6. A set of ideational variables which indicating modernity factors are included. (or
which/that indicate)
7. The results indicate that women are more likely to prefer divorce to an unhappy mar-
riage.
8. This study is a critical step to further understand how people’s family values are associ-
ated with demographic factors.
9. These variables are a test of if whether more modern respondents are more likely to
prefer divorce. (Only whether—not if—can introduce a noun clause functioning as the
object of a preposition.)
10. Due to the fact that minority ethnic groups dominate about nine percent of the total
population in China, Gansu is very representative. (or Because . . . )
Exercise 10
4. b (this is a rare natural example of the present progressive; use is also correct.)
5. a (Unless there is a reason to choose a different tense, the present simple is usually the
default choice for academic writers.)
6. d (Indicate and have indicated are also possible. The past simple is often chosen to
express specific results of an experiment.)
Answers may vary; these verbs were used in the original article:
1. was
2. booked
3. did not offer
4. were
5. is
6. is
7. needed
8. were
9. had
10. faced
11. competed
12. promised
13. need
14. plays
Grammar Choices for Graduate and Professional Writers
Nigel A. Caplan
http://www.press.umich.edu/4322525/grammar_choices_for_graduate_and_professional_writers
Copyright 2012, University of Michigan
Michigan ELT
COMMENTARY AND ANSWER KEY 23
Exercise 2
Exercise 5
Exercise 7
Answers will vary. Notice that Question 4 calls for future-in-the-past forms (e.g., I thought I
was going to be professor of French literature).
Exercise 9
2. The first super-powered phone ’ was called Simon, which was “8 inches
long, weigh[ed] 1 pound, [had] 1 megabyte of memory, and [ . . . ] cost
$1,000” (Maney, 1993). ( It was thought to be a computer with
“communication capability” (Maney, 1993), rather than a phone. However,
even the feature phones today are smaller and more powerful. ) IBM
unveiled it as a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) in 1992, because there
was no smartphone concept until 1997, when * Ericsson released the
first smartphone (“History,” 2010). In 2002, focused on business
executives, + Research In Motion (RIM) introduced the first BlackBerry,
which was the first phone capable of sending and receiving email, which
is the core service of RIM today. In the same year, , Sony Ericsson
released the first camera smartphone trying to attract entertainment
consumers. Since this device, - new hardware has been installed on
smartphones, like GPS, Wi-Fi, gyroscopes, and accelerometers.
Exercise 11
1. It has been thought cell phones would replace laptops for some functions.
2. Consumers have been attracted to smartphones by their low prices.
3. However, a two-year agreement is required for actual phone service.
4. Because people are using features like web browsing so much, unlimited data plans,
which used to be made available as standard, are now disappearing. (Notice the passive
infinitive verb; the agent of make is implicitly the wireless telephone companies.)
5. After the phone hacking scandal in the U.K. was happened, phone makers began
reminding customers to set a secure password on their phones. (Happened is intransi-
tive.)
6. Some phones can be used as a GPS navigation device. (The agent—owners—is absent.)
Exercise 12
Exercise 13
Answers will vary. This is a very useful task to help students organize their thoughts between
researching and writing a paper.
Grammar Choices for Graduate and Professional Writers
Nigel A. Caplan
http://www.press.umich.edu/4322525/grammar_choices_for_graduate_and_professional_writers
Copyright 2012, University of Michigan
Michigan ELT
26 COMMENTARY AND ANSWER KEY
1. finds, were
2. were
3. talk, are, talk, are
4. sounds
5. is
6. was
7. were, were
8. is
Exercise 15
1. Not only does tracking hurt the members of the lowest track, (but) it also hurts mem-
bers of the upper track. (Tracking means dividing students into different classes based
on ability; notice that the word but is optional in the second clause.)
2. Rarely did women own land without a husband to share ownership. (Rarely causes
inversion; did is used because the original sentence is in the past simple tense.)
3. Sometimes, their management style was misinterpreted. (Sometimes can move to sentence-
initial (theme) position, but like most adverbs of frequency, it does not cause inversion.)
4. Only then will true economic growth occur. (Only then has a somewhat negative
meaning—not until then—which is why it triggers the inversion here.)
5. Not only should we consider the cost, but also other relevant issues.
6. Especially useful is the capability to keep stored data.
Grammar Choices for Graduate and Professional Writers
Nigel A. Caplan
http://www.press.umich.edu/4322525/grammar_choices_for_graduate_and_professional_writers
Copyright 2012, University of Michigan
Michigan ELT
COMMENTARY AND ANSWER KEY 27
The long relative clause in Sentence 2 can be analyzed for finite verbs and subjects:
. . . a separating equilibrium where all the top agents attend the college with the good
reputation while weaker agents attend the lesser college . . .
2. The title is actually two noun phrases connected with a colon; the second (longer)
phrase explains the meaning of the first one. This is a very typical strategy for writers of
academic research papers and presentations.
3. a. The definite article means that the reader can find exactly which problem is referred
to, the problem of college choice.
b. There are many different types of environment, and this is one type of environment
in which there are heterogeneous choices.
c. No article is necessary because the writer means any or all weaker agents.
d. This refers back to the result that was explained in the previous sentence.
e. This is the first mention of a simple dynamic model, and because it is not identified
to the reader yet, the indefinite article a is chosen.
f. This is really an idiomatic (i.e., fixed) expression. Technically, time is non-count here
because it is not a particular period of time, but time generally.
g. The model has already been fully explained to the reader, so now (unlike in Item e),
the reference is definite.
h. This phrase is indefinite because it doesn’t apply to any specific policies, but to race-
based admissions policies generally.
Grammar Choices for Graduate and Professional Writers
Nigel A. Caplan
http://www.press.umich.edu/4322525/grammar_choices_for_graduate_and_professional_writers
Copyright 2012, University of Michigan
Michigan ELT
COMMENTARY AND ANSWER KEY 29
Exercise 1
1. C 11. C
2. NC 12. NC
3. C 13. NC
4. C 14. NC
5. C 15. NC
6. C 16. NC
7. C 17. NC
8. NC 18. C
9. NC 19. C
10. C 20. C
Exercise 2
Generic,
Writer Reader Indefinite,
Knows? Knows? Definite?
1. This paper shows a practical application Y N I
2. of a general factorial experiment Y N I
3. to analyze the interactions Y Y D
4. between important controllable factors Y N I
5. in the creation Y Y D
6. of high-quality compressed (MP3) music files. N N G
7. Traditional sound quality experiments Y N I
8. depend on listeners’ subjective opinions N N G
9. and this experiment instead utilizes an objective Y N I
measure
10. of fidelity N N G
11. based on digital signal analysis Y N I
12. of an encoded and decoded music file Y N I
13. compared with the original clip. Y Y D
1. Ø 2. a 3. a 4. a 5. a 6. a 7. a 8. Ø 9. Ø 10. Ø
11. an 12. A 13. a 14. a 15. a 16. a 17. Ø 18. a 19. Ø 20. a
What Kind
Writer Reader of Noun?
Knows? Knows? (C, P, or Pl)
1. On 24 August, the government Y Y C
2. released a report Y N C
3. about the swine flu pandemic Y Y C
4. from a group Y N C
5. of prominent scientists Y N Pl
6. commissioned by U.S. President Barack Obama. Y Y P
7. The first report issued by . . . Y Y C
Exercise 8
1. many
2. too (Too many means that the roads are not big enough for the number of cars.)
3. a great deal
4. reasons (Some speakers of English as a second language may make this common error;
the meaning is “one out of many reasons”); is
5. few (meaning “almost nobody”)
6. a little (meaning “some time”)
7. hardly any (Notice the conjunction but, which contrasts grown enormously with hardly
any progress.)
8. is
Exercise 11
Exercise 12
Answers may vary. The original sentences contained the following nominalizations:
1. The construction of such an integrative theory is a worthy goal.
2. The acquisition of speech is of major importance to the growing child.
3. The invention of writing was a great human achievement.
4. Verbal self-regulation helps us understand personality development more broadly.
Exercise 14
1. may
2. should
3. be seen
4. should
5. have contributed
6. by changing
1. a (Can refers to the ability of gardens to improve health, whereas might only suggests
the possibility of this effect.)
2. a
3. a (Will is already stronger, and the adverb certainly intensifies its meaning.)
4. b (In the first sentence, it is sometimes possible to generalize.)
5. b (A clause without any modal verb will usually be the most confident.)
6. a (Can is not a hedging modal in this case; it means the writer is sure women are able
to support their families.)
7. b (The boosting modal makes this sentence even stronger than the simple present verb
in the first sentence.)
8. a
Exercise 3
1. would
2. will (This assumes the rules have been implemented; if the rules are only proposed,
then would is a better choice.)
3. will (This assumes that the writer accepts the mainstream scientific view of the effects
of climate change on the environment; a more skeptical writer might choose would.)
4. will
5. would like
6. would (Since the future study has not been planned yet, it remains unreal.)
Grammar Choices for Graduate and Professional Writers
Nigel A. Caplan
http://www.press.umich.edu/4322525/grammar_choices_for_graduate_and_professional_writers
Copyright 2012, University of Michigan
Michigan ELT
COMMENTARY AND ANSWER KEY 35
Exercise 6
1. I Television soap operas are interesting, even though they mainly serve to distract
audiences from their real lives.
2. C
3. I It would be desirable if students were able to move through college faster. (Would is
not used in the if clause in formal writing.)
4. I If this were to occur, major businesses would quietly leave the country.
5. C (According to traditional grammar books, the past perfect should be chosen to
complement the past unreal form of the main clause; however, in practice the past
simple—present/future unreal conditional—is often used in the if clause.)
6. C
7. C (This is a past real conditional, hence the matching past simple tenses in both
clauses.)
8. I Classroom sizes should be minimized if is possible.
Grammar Choices for Graduate and Professional Writers
Nigel A. Caplan
http://www.press.umich.edu/4322525/grammar_choices_for_graduate_and_professional_writers
Copyright 2012, University of Michigan
Michigan ELT
36 COMMENTARY AND ANSWER KEY
Exercise 8
Exercise 9
1. - bias
2. + comprehensive
3. - distort
4. - unwilling (Note that reluctant is actually the AWL word in this pair.)
5. - exploit
6. - inadequate
7. - violates
8. + revolution
Grammar Choices for Graduate and Professional Writers
Nigel A. Caplan
http://www.press.umich.edu/4322525/grammar_choices_for_graduate_and_professional_writers
Copyright 2012, University of Michigan
Michigan ELT
COMMENTARY AND ANSWER KEY 37
A. In 2009/10, the U.S. hosted a record high of more than 690,000 interna-
tional students (Open Doors, 2010). Although the U.S. market share has
declined in the last decade, the U.S. nevertheless hosted far more international
students than any other destination. The United Kingdom, the second most
popular international study destination, hosted about 450,000 international
students, two-thirds of the U.S. total.
The boosting language stresses the popularity of the U.S. both in absolute terms (over 690,000
students) and through comparisons with all other destinations and in particular the second
most popular destination, the U.K., which although popular, still only accounts for “two-
thirds of the U.S. total.” Notice also the concessive although clause, which acknowledges the
decline in numbers; the main clause, however, once more boosts the popularity of the U.S.
Exercise 1
1. The exact frequencies will vary from day to day, but you should find that different from
is more frequent than different than.
2. A bunch of is highly infrequent in academic writing, whereas a lot of and a number of are
both frequently used. There are three instances of a bunch of in MICUSP—one is a
quotation and can be ignored. The other two seem to be unusual.
3. This is a commonly used phrase and is not usually followed by a citation, which implies
that it is an acceptable chunk of language to use in writing. Some other phrases that
you might investigate, depending on your field, include: the results are (not) statistically
significant; previous studies have found; with such a large/small sample size.
Exercise 2
2. Swales & Feak (2012) predict that the past tense will be used more frequently after the
purpose of this study and the present tense after the purpose of this paper. However, you
will find many examples in MICUSP where this pattern is not followed. There may be
variations between disciplines. You can continue this research on COCA, which is a
much larger corpus representing a wider range of disciplines.
Exercise 3
1. You should find that in the absence of is a very useful phrase. In fact, it is only used with
any frequency in academic writing and rarely in other forms of English.
2. Evidence of is the most common collocation, meaning evidence of an activity, fact, or
event that happens/happened. Evidence for is used a little differently with theories,
explanations, or ideas that the evidence supports but does not perhaps prove. Evidence
from gives the source or discipline (evidence from primatology). Evidence in is used with
literature, research, citations, or the phrase evidence in support of.
3. Research is not usually countable in American English, but when it is used in the plural,
it is almost always in academic writing. If you look at the results screen, you can com-
pare the search in the BNC (the British National Corpus), which will show you that
the countable form researches is slightly more frequent in British English.
Exercise 4
1. a. You should notice that evidence is far more common as a noun than as a verb.
b. Evidence is only used as a verb in academic writings and not other registers of English.
c. When you look at the example sentences, you should see that it is almost only ever
used in the passive voice and mostly with an accompanying by or in phrase that gives
the source of the evidence.
d. The verb is most commonly used in the social sciences (education, sociology), less
commonly in the humanities, and rarely in the sciences.
e. The most common verbs (at the time of writing) include: find, suggest, provide, and
show; the adjectives include: physical, scientific, strong, and empirical. Most of the col-
locations seem strong, although base is a bit misleading because it is either used with
the phrase based on, which is either a prepositional phrase or a reduced relative
clause, or the noun phrase the evidence base.
2. Most of the synonyms provided are useful, although hitch is more for spoken English
and hindrance is more appropriate for academic writing. Setback is rather journalistic,
although it is still a choice available to academic writers.
1. in 2. of 3. to 4. For 5. in 6. of 7. from 8. of
9. in 10. of 11. among 12. as 13. for 14. of
Grammar Choices for Graduate and Professional Writers
Nigel A. Caplan
http://www.press.umich.edu/4322525/grammar_choices_for_graduate_and_professional_writers
Copyright 2012, University of Michigan
Michigan ELT
COMMENTARY AND ANSWER KEY 41
Answers will vary. Search for the phrase in MICUSP or COCA to see models of sentences
using the collocations.
1. influence
2. exceed
3. expose
4. help
5. justify
6. risk
7. profits
8. provide
Exercise 8
1. rapid
2. Scientific
3. larger
4. understanding
5. economic
6. culture
1. a network policy
2. open-access rules
3. a C-minus student
4. the broadband infrastructure
5. an Internet service provider
6. former FCC commissioner, Michael Powell
7. monthly transmission fee
8. Internet entrepreneurs
Grammar Choices for Graduate and Professional Writers
Nigel A. Caplan
http://www.press.umich.edu/4322525/grammar_choices_for_graduate_and_professional_writers
Copyright 2012, University of Michigan
Michigan ELT
42 COMMENTARY AND ANSWER KEY
Exercise 11
a. may help explain / clarify / reduce / identify / improve / prevent / provide / alleviate /
determine
b. lead to development(s) / change(s) / conclusion(s) / problem(s) / improvement(s) /
failure
c. provide insight / information / clue / opportunity / explanation / basis / evidence /
guidance
d. can be used / seen / found / applied / said / considered / achieved / understood /
expected
e. will continue to be / grow / play (a role) / increase / exist
Exercise 13
It is clear that teenagers are less responsible drivers than adults. It should be
remembered that adolescents’ brains are still forming, and the extent to which
this impacts their driving skills should not be underestimated. This lack of
maturity can lead to failures of judgment, which help explain why teenagers
are involved in so many accidents. Studies have demonstrated that increased
restrictions on young drivers can be expected to save lives.
Grammar Choices for Graduate and Professional Writers
Nigel A. Caplan
http://www.press.umich.edu/4322525/grammar_choices_for_graduate_and_professional_writers
Copyright 2012, University of Michigan
Michigan ELT
COMMENTARY AND ANSWER KEY 43
’ Over the past fifty years and with increasing frequency, innovative pro-
grams have appeared around the world with the aim of revitalizing
languages that are at risk of disappearing due to declining numbers
of native speakers. ( The nature of these initiatives varies as greatly as
the languages that are their targets. )i In some instances, they are nearly
national in scope, such as the efforts to preserve Irish, )ii yet in other
instances they involve small communities or even a handful of moti-
vated individuals. *i Many of these programs are connected to claims of
territorial sovereignty, *ii though cultural sovereignty or a desire to
maintain a unique ethnic identity is just as often the explicit goal. +iWhile
in one context a revitalization effort may be centered around formal
education, ,iiin another it may be focused on creating environments
in which the language can be used on a regular basis.
-i Although tremendous variety characterizes the methods of and motives
for reinvigorating languages, -ii revitalization, as a general phenomenon,
is growing and has become an issue of global proportion. .i There are
now hundreds of endangered languages, .ii and there are few regions
of the world where one will not find at least nascent attempts at language
Grammar Choices for Graduate and Professional Writers
Nigel A. Caplan
http://www.press.umich.edu/4322525/grammar_choices_for_graduate_and_professional_writers
Copyright 2012, University of Michigan
Michigan ELT
44 COMMENTARY AND ANSWER KEY
3. Most sentences start with old information and continue with new information, as
expected. For example, Sentence 2 picks up the idea of these initiatives and expands it
by saying they are very varied. In Sentence 9, this refers back to the entire previous sen-
tence. The writer also uses some listing and contrasting language in the old information
slot to orient the reader to the new information—e.g., in some instances and yet in oth-
ers, or while in one context and in another. At the end of the quoted passage, the writer
introduces several factors, and we can expect the following sentences to develop these.
There are also some examples of new information appearing unexpectedly at the start
of clauses—for example in Clause 4ii, which stresses the concession, as if to prevent
readers objecting too strongly to the writer’s claim in the main clause.
1. Mostly, yes, this text proceeds from old-to-new. Consider the first paragraph: scientific
knowledge is introduced as new information and then taken up in the theme of Sen-
tence 2. This sentence then discusses practitioners, which links to researchers, the
theme of Sentence 3.
2. The first paragraph develops from philosophers to scientists, which reflects the emer-
gence of science as its own profession. The text overall is working in a general-to-
specific pattern, from discussing science as a broad “enterprise” to the conditions
needed for scientific research.
3. Technological developments, societal forces, and science as a social enterprise (this last
factor is marked by the prepositional phrase at the same time in the theme position of
Clause 11).
4. Scientific research. (Since it is in theme and subject position and has so obvious refer-
ent in the immediate context, a good guess is to look at the theme of the previous sen-
tence, which gives a coherent meaning in this case.)
5. Clauses 6 and 7 have new information in their themes. These are both examples of the
new information in Clause 5: that science is not self-contained. As discussed in Ques-
tion 3, this thematic position allows the reader to easily identify the confounding fac-
tors that are the focus of this section of the text.
Exercise 3
In my revision, I changed the subject of Sentence 2 to move CNS into the old position, and
I also used a non-human agent for the verb benefit. Sentence 3 works better in the passive
voice, moving the new information, fMRI, to the end of the sentence. I wanted research and
clinical areas to have the focus at the end of the paragraph to help the writer continue with
the literature review by discussing the clinical implications of the statistics described later in
the paper.
A. 1. But what evidence is there that the lone innovator is the source of most
of our important discoveries?
Business researchers have attempted to address that question by study-
ing patent data derived from the U.S. Patent and Trademarks Office. This
data set is unique because it allows the study of teams versus individuals,
is robust over a long period of time, and contains many data points
across multiple types of inventions. Using an end point of how many
times an individual patent is cited by future patents as a measure of its
influence and success, investigators evaluated the success of lone versus
team inventors. The number of citations for an individual invention has
been shown to correlate with patent value and renewal rates.
Grammar Choices for Graduate and Professional Writers
Nigel A. Caplan
http://www.press.umich.edu/4322525/grammar_choices_for_graduate_and_professional_writers
Copyright 2012, University of Michigan
Michigan ELT
COMMENTARY AND ANSWER KEY 47
Pattern: Linking
In answering the question posed at the end of a paragraph (the first sentence of this extract),
the writer turns to patent data. The characteristics of the data set are explored, and then the
use of the particular “end point” is explained. The last sentence also flows old to new, and
ends with a partial answer to the question: yes, the lone inventor does seem to be more suc-
cessful.
2. The anti-Gmail bill would forbid the technology from being used
other than as a real-time analysis that would leave no trace or record.
Specifically, the measure forbids an email provider from retaining person-
ally identifiable information derived from the use of the technology. It also
forbids human access to such information and forbids the transfer of such
information to third parties. The bill also requires that when a consumer
deletes an email, it must be physically, permanently deleted so no person
or machine can ever retrieve it.
Pattern: Super-theme
Each sentence explores one aspect of an “interdependent model” of identity.
Exercise 6