This is based on a worksheet
written by Terri Leung of the HKPU English Language Centre.
Task 1: Ways to use the VLC to
improve your English
From the Virtual Language Centre
home page, go to the Study Guide Section and write down 3 different
things you can do with the site to improve your English.
Task 2: Using the Web Concordancer with a dictionary.
Find the meaning and definition for
the words given below. Find at least one concordance example for each word.
Issue (noun), discuss (verb),
factor (noun), state (verb)
NOTE: If you don't know how to use
to the Web Concordancer, go to the VLC Study Guide. Click on the last
option under the Students column ( use the Web Concordancer to
find some concordance examples) and follow the guidelines.
|
Word/phrase |
Meaning |
Concordance |
|
issue |
|
|
|
discuss |
|
|
|
factor |
|
|
|
state |
|
|
Now try looking up the phrase
"it is because" in the corpus of student writing.
You will see some examples like below.
Concordances for it is because = 291 t training opportunities provided. It is because apart from salary, people also th2 h in the next century(see table1). It is because carbon dioxide gas adsorb the inf3 . I feel this book is useless. It is because fax and E-mail are no format. More4 ain their communication skills. It is because if they can communicate in English 5 mercial buildings in Hong Kong . It is because, in Hong Kong , most of money is obt6 stalled air- conditioning system. It is because it can ensure a cooler indoor envir7 installed air-conditioning system. It is because it can ensure a cooler indoor env8 of the important input factors . It is because it make the operation decisions. A 9 such effect seems fairly forlorn. It is because many countries are continuing to 10 ntral city is thereby produced. It is because most of the white-collars travel to11 ommon source of job information. It is because newspaper is the most common recr12 and activates your body. Today, it is because of the popular of the TV games w
Can you see what is wrong with
these examples? (Be sure to check their context using the hyperlink). Look up
the same phrase in any of the files which were not written by students (eg the
Brown corpus). How many examples can you find? Why? (Clue: look up the phrase
"this is because").
Do the same as above for the word besides.
In the corpus of student writing you will see the following examples:
Concordances for besides = 160
1 ur 2 ctive salary during this period. Besides, a substantial percentage graduates3 and other environmental problems. Besides, according to Derek Elson, many c4 nd is not so large in Hong Kong . Besides, according to environmental protect5 after the renewal of land . Besides , after a long time period ,6 the trees will loss their home. Besides after cutting of trees, the forest 7 r the need for them has expired. Besides Agricultural policy has focused as 8 in 1 - 10 applications in 1998. Besides, around one - third of subjects nee9 ell as the circuit connection. Besides, as the electrical generator plays 10 ell as the circuit connection. Besides, as the electrical generator plays 11 ed by the use of the MCCB which, besides being a sealed unit, is usually che12 growth and lower productivity. Besides, both precipitation and nutrient su
Click on the links to see the
contexts. Do you think anything is wrong with some of these examples?
Look up the same word in any of the files which are not written by students and
compare usage.
Repeat these steps for the word informations.
What do you learn about this?
Task 3: Proof
Do one of the proofreading exercises
at http://vlc.polyu.edu.hk->proofreading. You need to return to the
front page (the main page) of theVLC
and click the Proof Reading link
(under
You can then try another exercise
under the Proof Reading at http://vlc.polyu.edu.hk/proofread.
Write down what score you obtain in
the space provided:
Mistakes: _____________ Score:
________________ No of errors: ___________