Иностранный язык ИФ (11 гр. МИст. ОЗО)

WRITING A RESEARCH REPORT: MAIN IDEAS

Task 1 Read the text and discuss common strategies of writing a research report in

pairs and in groups.

                                    Common Strategies of Writing a Research Report

A research report provides facts and information about a particular topic. Research

reports are a good way to share your interests with others.

Strategies

1 Think about your purpose and audience. What do you want your reader or listener to

know? For whom are you writing or preparing a speech?

2 Choose a topic that interests you. Write questions about your topic that you would

like to answer in your report.

3 Do research. Use the net electronic materials, reference books, nonfiction books,

fiction books, and newspapers. Use the Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature to

find magazine articles. Write information about each source on a bibliography card.

4 Write your questions on separate note cards, and then take notes writing facts and

ideas that answer the questions. If you copy some facts word-for-word, use

quotation marks.

5 Write an outline from your notes. Turn your questions into main topics. Arrange the

main topics in a logical order. Turn your facts into subtopics and details.

6 Expand each section of your outline into paragraphs. Be sure each paragraph has a

topic sentence that states one main idea. The other sentences in the paragraph

should add details.

7 Write an introduction and a title that identifies the main topic of the report and

captures your reader’s interest.

8 Write a conclusion that sums up the main ideas and brings your report to a smooth

end. Finally, alphabetize your sources and write a bibliography page.

 

Task 2 Study the ways of organizing ideas and write the paragraphs according to

your research topic illustrating them.

                                              Ways of Organizing Ideas

In the process of writing important features of a good text are adequate developments,

unity, and coherence. The ways to organize ideas are chronological order, spatial order,

developmental order, comparison or contrast and order of importance. There are also

some of the ways to connect ideas:

 

1 Repeat key words occasionally to link ideas.

E.g.: Ten years ago the tree was a sapling, barely able to stand alone. Ten years

ago I was a child, leaning on my parents.

2 Use synonyms to connect back to key words.

E.g.: My parents guided me through that long period of growth. Mother and

father sustained me with love.

3 Use pronouns to relate back to key words.

E.g.: My father believed being strict with his only child and his training served me

well in later years.

4 Use transitions – words and phrases that show how ideas are related to one another.

E.g.: Finally I felt ready to set on my own. The tree, furthermore, had grown tall

and sturdy.

 

Task 3 Use different kinds of common transitions in the sentences referring to your

research topic.

                                                        Common Transitions

There are some other common transitions:

Chronological order

First, second, then, by evening, in the beginning, soon, immediately, finally

Spatial order

Above, below, right, next to, beyond, inside, behind

Order of importance

First, second, more, most important, the largest, above all, furthermore, also, another

Developmental order

Furthermore, besides, however, despite, another, as a result, therefore

Comparison/contrast

Similarly, like, just, as, but, on the other hand, in contrast to, however

 

Task 4 Study the paragraph and text structure. Analyze the text structure of the given

example.

                                                     Paragraph and Text Structure

While writing the research report it is important to define topic, supporting and

concluding sentences. The topic sentence states the main idea, limits the main idea to one

aspect of the subject that can be covered in one paragraph, controls all other sentences in

the paragraph. It is more general than the sentences that develop it. The supporting

sentences explain, develop, or prove the topic sentence, provide details, events, facts,

examples, or reasons. The concluding sentence, or clincher, provides a strong ending,

restates, summarizes, evaluates, or adds an insight to the main idea. Here is the narration

example.

Notes:

kg = kilogram – килограмм

lb. = pound as the weight measure = 0.453592 kg – фунт как мера веса 0.453592 кг

                                                                   A Curious Clown

Topic sentence: makes a general statement

The polar bear has an insatiable curiosity, and sometimes he can be quite a clown.

Supporting sentences: tell story event by event

Once a coast-guide vessel in the Canadian Arctic received a visit from an adult male

polar bear travelling atop a drifting ice-floe. The animal was obviously bent on a shopping

expedition, and the crew obliged by throwing it a cartoon of black molasses which the bear

soon spread all over itself and the ice. This was followed by some jam, salt pork, two

salami sausages, an apple which it spat out in disgust, and a bar of peanut butter which

appeared in about two seconds flat. It refused to touch bread or potatoes but loved

chocolate bars. Eventually the food supply ran out, but the 363 kg (800 lb.), decided to

investigate further. It stuck its head through one of the port-holes in search of further

nourishment. When nothing turned up, it decided to climb aboard, much to the alarm of the

crew, who decided to open up the hoses on it. This was a big mistake, because the bear

absolutely loved the drenching and raised its paws in the air to get the jet of water under its

armpits.

Concluding sentence: gives the outcome

In the end the coastguards were forced to fire a distress rocket rather close to the

interloper before it reluctantly moved away.