Features of Academic Writing - Answer Key

Features of Academic Writing - Answer Key

Section 1 - Academic Style.

In downtown Tokyo, and other central business districts where you can see lots of congestion, Japanese railways remain a notably reliable mode of transport. Besides, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport (MIT) plans to make the role played by railway services in future freight transport bigger. This is due partly to the railways' positive environmental impact (e.g., they don't produce as much CO2 and NOx emissions compared to motor traffic). Thus, Japanese railways will continue to satisfy the nation's demand for transportation. Japanese railways will also remain important for both local residents and the environment.

Activity 1.1

Answers are given in the table below. This is of course open to discussion. For example some may feel that "the railways' positive environmental impact" would be better phrased as "the positive environmental impact of the railways."

Activity 1.2

Original What's wrong? Alternative

you can see a lots of personal pronoun - you informal vocab - lots of there is a serious congestion

Besides informal vocab Moreover, In addition

make ... bigger informal vocab (phrasal verb) expand, increase

don't contraction do not

will continue to lack of academic caution may

Japanese railways unnecessary repetition and

will also remain lack of academic caution possibly

Activity 1.3 -

In downtown Tokyo and other central business districts where traffic congestion is commonly observed, Japanese railways remain a notably reliable mode of transport. Moreover, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport (MIT) plans to expand the role played by railway services in future freight transport. This is due partly to the railways' positive environmental impact (e.g., reduced CO2 and NOx emissions compared to motor traffic). Thus, it appears that Japanese railways will continue to satisfy the nation's demand for transportation, and also possibly remain important for both local residents and the environment

Section 2 - Sentence Structure

Activity 2.1

1. Underline the verbs in this sentence. - "is observed" and "remain"

2. Which part of the sentence gives the main message? "Japanese railways remain a notably reliable mode of transport." - this is the main clause

3. What information is contained in the first half of the sentence? - Locations for the action contained in the main clause.

4. Why has the writer ordered the sentence like this? - The locations could easily have gone at the end of the sentence but that would have interrupted the flow of information. i.e. the rest of the paragraph is about the importance of railways (not about Tokyo) so placing this information at the end leads to a smoother