40 Questions
Where would you expect to find a terminologically dense review?
A academic journal
The language used in a review for fellow bike enthusiasts is likely to be formally addressed.
False
What is the reason why a personal engagement is more likely to occur in a review?
The interpersonal component is stronger, and it is likely to be very important because I’m going to follow someone’s advice only if I’m personally engaged.
The language used in a review for doctors and professionals is likely to be addressed more ______________.
formally
Match the following types of reviews with their characteristic features:
Review for fellow bike enthusiasts = Uses first person, personal address Review for doctors and professionals = Formal address, specifies scientific/medical credentials Review in a journal = Terminologically dense, formal address Review in a blog or specialized magazine = Terminologically dense, personal address
The language used in a review for fellow bike enthusiasts is always formal.
False
What is the importance of specifying the credentials of the advisors to a series?
It is likely to be very important because I’m going to follow someone’s advice only if I’m personally engaged.
There are some key features that are common across different Specialized Languages, but there are also decreases of ______________ which depend on a number of variables.
variation
What happens to the understandability of a text as the density of terms increases?
It becomes more difficult to understand
Technical language always sounds real.
False
What is the purpose of using technical terms in specialized texts?
To provide clarity and avoid ambiguity
In scientific language, the concept of having only one word to describe a concept or item is known as _______________________.
mono-referentiality
What characterizes the text on slide 5?
High number of information-carrying nouns
Repetition of terms is uncommon in scientific language.
False
What is the term for language that imitates technical language in a meaningless way?
Technobabble
Match the following characteristics with their descriptions:
Term density = High number of terms Noun density = High number of information-carrying nouns Mono-referentiality = Having only one word to describe a concept or item
What type of verbs are 'showing', 'assumed', 'proof', 'demonstrate'?
Logical verbs
The verb 'happen' is a logical verb.
False
What type of information do verbs like 'involve', 'occur', 'happen', 'represent' provide?
Little information
In a laboratory-based study, Larson and colleagues found that using only 1 ml of liquid soap or alcohol-based handrub yielded lower log reductions (greater number of bacteria remaining on hands) than using _____ ml of product to clean hands.
3
What is the purpose of stabilizing desalinated water?
To minimize its corrosive effect on pipes and fittings
Match the following verbs with their functions:
involve = Empty verb showing = Logical verb conduct = Process verb is = Linking verb
The study by Kac and colleagues found that handwashing with an unmedicated soap was more effective than handrubbing with an alcohol-based solution.
False
What percentage of HCWs' hands were contaminated with transient pathogens beforehand hygiene?
15%
What is the norm in scientific English when it comes to verb forms?
First-person plural
In scientific writing, it is recommended to use active voice over passive voice.
False
What is the advantage of using inanimate subjects in scientific writing?
It helps to depersonalize the text.
The language used in scientific writing is often characterized by the use of ______________ voice.
passive
What is the purpose of using verbo-nominal construction in scientific writing?
To create a weaker message
Match the following sentence structures with their characteristics:
Active voice = Emphasizes the doer of the action Passive voice = Emphasizes the action rather than the doer First-person plural = Typically used in scientific writing Inanimate subject = Depersonalizes the text
In scientific writing, it is recommended to use animate subjects to create a more personal tone.
False
What is the result of using first-person plural in scientific writing?
It creates a sense of multi-authorship.
What is the purpose of depersonalization in scientific writing?
To relieve authors from responsibility for the content of a text
In scientific writing, the passive voice is always used to give a sense of objectivity.
False
What is nominalization in the context of scientific writing?
Turning processes into nouns
In scientific writing, using the passive voice allows the researcher to stand at a distance from their ______________.
work
What is the effect of using the passive voice in scientific writing?
It gives a sense of objectivity
In scientific writing, the active voice is always preferred over the passive voice.
False
Match the following syntactic features with their descriptions:
Voice = Active vs passive Mood = Modality Tense = Past, present, or future
Why is it important to use depersonalization strategies in scientific writing?
To emphasize the objective stance taken in presenting the topic
Study Notes
Specialized Languages
- Addressed to a select readership with shared specialized knowledge
- Terminologically dense language, making it difficult for lay readers to understand
- Different domains have different language styles, such as formal language used for doctors and professionals, and more personal language used for bike enthusiasts
Characteristics of Specialized Languages
- High density of terms, making it difficult for non-experts to understand
- Repetition of terms is common in specialized texts for clarity and to avoid ambiguity
- Mono-referentiality: using one word to describe a concept or item, without synonyms
- Use of 'empty' verbs like involve, occur, and happen, which do not provide much information
Verbs in Specialized Languages
- Logical verbs, which indicate logical processes, such as showing, assuming, and demonstrating
- Process and procedure verbs, which indicate actions, such as conducting studies and finding results
- Verbs can have alternative grammatical functions, such as linking noun phrases
- Some verbs are absent, such as those indicating what the researcher did
Depersonalization in Scientific English
- Aims to make communication impersonal, using strategies like passive voice and nominalization
- Passive voice can give a sense of objectivity, but can also make the writer seem less accountable for their claims
- Nominalization, or turning processes into nouns, is a depersonalization strategy used in Scientific English
Syntactic Features of Scientific English
- Voice (active vs passive)
- Mood (modality)
- Use of first-person plural (we) is the norm in Scientific English due to multi-authorship
Quiz about understanding the language and tone used in academic writing for different target audiences, including specialized and general readers.
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