Prácticas Discursivas de la Comunicación Escrita III August, 20th

Student’s name: _________________________________________________

Mid-term Exam

First component: Essay Writing.

Write an argumentative essay on ONE of the following topics. You can use the
information provided, if necessary. Create a title for your essay.

Structure expected: Introduction (one paragraph), main body (between

two and four paragraphs) and conclusion (one paragraph).
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Option 1: “Should the Catholic Church and the State be separated in Argentina?” Discuss.

QUOTATION
“In January 2021, after abortion was legalized in Argentina, the orange handkerchief movement, the
symbol of the campaign for State-Church separation, emerged with a renewed force.”
(Navarro, R. (15 July, 2021). The year of the ‘Orange handkerchief’ for State-Church separation in
Argentina. Global Voices).

Option 2: “Secondary school students should not be allowed to use their mobile phones in the
classroom.” Discuss.

QUOTATION
“Officials say they intend to improve the overall quality of learning, stimulating children to focus on the
class and on socialisation during break times.” Buenos Aires Times; Perfil. August 20th 2024.

Option 3: “Should the death penalty be legal in Argentina?” Discuss.

DEFINITION
“The legal punishment of death for a crime” Cambridge Dictionary online.

QUOTATION
“The death penalty has declined dramatically around the world in recent years. Since 1976, more than
85 nations have abolished the death penalty for all crimes, while others have abolished it for ordinary
crimes. The table below presents the countries that have abolished the death penalty, in order of the
year in which it was abolished. Argentina abolished the death penalty for ordinary crimes in 1985. In
2008, this country abolished the death penalty for all crimes.”

ISFDyT ANDERSEN - Profesorado de Inglés – 3º Año –

Prácticas Discursivas de la Comunicación Escrita III– Año
2024 - Prof. Gabriela Paola Cuello.
Second component: Use of English.

1. Vocabulary in Use.

A. Complete the following sentences with the correct preposition.

• With respect _____ human rights, numerous debates can be held.

• I think we should consider the topic _____ more detail.

• _____ the whole, the exam is not difficult.

• A group of scientists carried _____ an investigation _______this topic

last year.

• Experts cast doubt ________ previous research in the field.

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• They pointed ______ that his idea was not appropriate.

• _____ sum, mmm moo these people do not think that global warming is

an urgent problem.

B. Choose THREE of the following words/expressions, explain their

meaning/use in your own words and use them to write separate
sentences, a short paragraph or a short dialogue.

ASSERT- CLAIM- PUT FORWARD- PINPOINT- BE THAT AS IT MAY-

ONSLAUGHT- ELUCIDATE- GLARING- SOMEWHAT- MERELY- PRIME- SOLELY-
6 LAYMAN- IN THE SHADOW OF- SHED NEW LIGHT ON- BEYOND THE SCOPE
OF-

ISFDyT ANDERSEN - Profesorado de Inglés – 3º Año –

Prácticas Discursivas de la Comunicación Escrita III– Año
2024 - Prof. Gabriela Paola Cuello.
 2. Error correction.
Spot the mistakes in each sentence. Then, correct them and justify your
corrections.

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A. It could be state that a great amount of people wouldn’t vote if it wasn’t

compulsory.

B. He argue that nobody provided an explanation in the fluctuation of the figures

yet.

C. It is typical to the disease for it to start with an itchy rash.

D. Have those houses be severe damaged?

E. Were you used to study a large amount of information when you were an

adolescent?

Third component: Theoretical part.

1. True or False.
Read the following sentences and indicate if they are true or false. Then,
justify the ones which are false.

A. Illocutionary acts are performed via the communicative force of an

utterance.

B. The maxim of quality is connected to the fact that we assume that people

are normally going to provide an appropriate amount of information.

C. Cataphoric reference is one type of exophoric reference.

ISFDyT ANDERSEN - Profesorado de Inglés – 3º Año –

Prácticas Discursivas de la Comunicación Escrita III– Año
2024 - Prof. Gabriela Paola Cuello.
2. Write.
Choose TWO of the following topics and develop them.

*Speech acts.

*Cooperative principle.

*Transactional vs. interactional view of Language.

*Hedges.

*Implicatures.

*Cohesive devices.

ISFDyT ANDERSEN - Profesorado de Inglés – 3º Año –

Prácticas Discursivas de la Comunicación Escrita III– Año
2024 - Prof. Gabriela Paola Cuello.
 Assessment rubric
Essay Writing

AREA SUBAREA 1-2-3 4-5 6-7 8-9 10

Several level- A few level- Correct use of Almost no No language
inappropriate inappropriate language. Even language mistakes
language mistakes though some mistakes have been
mistakes (six (four or five) mistakes have have been made.
Grammar or more) been made, made.
they do not
hinder
communication.
Use of
English
Poor lexical An attempt Most of the Specific Lexical items
choice. No has been specific lexical vocabulary are specific
use of made to use items have has been and
specific specific been correctly used accurately
Lexis vocabulary vocabulary, used. accurately. used. Varied
related to the but it has not Very few vocabulary.
topic. always been instances of
used vague
accurately. language.

The main The main The main point Clear use of Very clear
point is not point is clear, is clear. Most main and presentation
Clarity clear. but ideas are well supporting of ideas. (No
(Several supporting developed. ideas. (Very obscure
obscure ideas are (Occasional few obscure segments)
segments). mostly obscure segments)
obscure or segments)
difficult to
understand.
Coherence
and cohesion
The piece
Connectivity Connectors Some Even though Accurate has unity.
and unity of inaccurately segments most segments use of Connectors
effect. used or seem to be are smoothly connectors. have been
absent. unconnected. linked, some One point accurately
(Very few connectors are leads to the used and
linkers) inaccurately next one. other
used or absent. connecting
strategies
have been
employed.

ISFDyT ANDERSEN - Profesorado de Inglés – 3º Año –

Prácticas Discursivas de la Comunicación Escrita III– Año
2024 - Prof. Gabriela Paola Cuello.
 Isolated Some Most sentences The text has Not only
sentences. isolated have been unified have the
Paragraphing The text has sentences. integrated into paragraphs. sentences
not been Unclear paragraphs. No isolated been
organized organization Occasional sentences. organized in
into of isolated unified
paragraphs. paragraphs. sentences. paragraphs,
but each
paragraph
leads to the
next
smoothly.
Layout/style

Lack of Several Some Very few No

punctuation punctuation punctuation punctuation punctuation
Punctuation and/ or mistakes. mistakes which mistakes. mistakes.
wrong use of Punctuation do not affect Punctuation
basic makes the flow of the facilitates
punctuation reading text. reading.
rules. difficult.

The task has The task has All aspects of The task The task has
been poorly been partially the task have has been been fully
carried out. fulfilled. been covered fulfilled in an achieved.
Off subject or but one is not integrated The answer
Task irrelevant very well way. provides
fulfilment answer. developed. evidence of
integration of
Task linguistic
achievement knowledge.
and content

There are Even though Most main Very few Very

very few the text has a points need ideas need interesting
Ideas central ideas clear main expansion. expansion. ideas.
or poor point, it lacks
supporting supporting
ideas. ideas.

Final Score: _______ =

118

ISFDyT ANDERSEN - Profesorado de Inglés – 3º Año –

Prácticas Discursivas de la Comunicación Escrita III– Año
2024 - Prof. Gabriela Paola Cuello.