80 Academic Vocabulary in Use
Talking aboutpoints of view
Commenting on others' views
No one can be complete1y objective' in their point of view. Inevitably, we all see things
to some extent subjectively'. It is impossible to be truly impartial'. We tend to be biased
in favour of" things we're familiar with and prejudiced againsr' things we have little
experience of. Of course, everyone believes their own views are totally rational".
I not influenced by personal beliefs or attitudes, based only on facts 2 influenced by personal
beliefs or attitudes 3 uninfluenced by personal be1iefsor attitudes 4 showing an unreasonable
liking for something based on personal beliefs or opinions; opposite = biased against 5 showing
an unreasonable dislike for, based on personal beliefs or opinions (stronger and more pejorative
than biased); opposite = prejudiced in favour of 6 based only on reason; opposite = irrational
People's views tend to change as they grow older and begin looking at life from a
different standpoint/. Young people are more likely to be radical'' but then become more
reactionary" or conservative'? with age, considering their younger opinions immature!'.
7 set of principles or beliefs on the basis of which opinions are formed B believing that there
should be extreme political or social change 9 (disapproving) opposed to political or social
change or new ideas 10 not inclined to trust change, especially if it is sudden II (disapproving
lacking in experience; opposite = mature
An ideology is a theory or set of beliefs or principles, particularly one on which a political
system or organisation is based. It often has slightly negative associations in English,
implying something that is rigid and restricting. A philosophy, on the other hand, sugges
a set of beliefs that is much more thoughtful and serious.
Word combinations relating to points of view
word combination example meaning
to hold views Mygrandfather holds some surprisingly progressive views. has opinions
to adoptltake a
stance
It is important that the university should adopt a principled
stance towards research.
take a position
to change/shift
your position
Luisawas initiallytotally opposed to the idea but she has
slightlyshifted her position.
changed her point o
view a little
Increasing numbers of people have ethical objections to
the war.
dislikefor reasons
relating to morality
have ethical
objections to
'Treat others as you would like to be treateď is a principle
underlying much religious teaching.
basic idea Iyingbehithe principles
underlying
As one of the few female students of the I920s, my
grandmother encountered a certain amount of prejudice.
experienced
unreasonable negativ~
behaviour
to encounter
prejudice
deep-rooted
prejudice
John does not share his father's deep-rooted prejudices
against women.
strong, unreasonab
negative views
~
You can say in my opinion but NOT in nly point of yievv.Youcan say from (someone
point of view but it means from that person's way of looking at something rather than in
that person's opinion. From the language teacher's po;nt of v;ew, iťs good that a/l child
have to learn a foreign language at school.
Exercises
36.1 Change the words in bold to words which mean the opposite.
1 The views she expressed were totally rational.
2 The committee seemed to be biased against applications from younger people.
3 The book is an objective account of life in a small town in the 1920s.
4 The club rules were prejudiced in favour of children.
5 The Presidenťs daughter was quite mature for her age.
6 He has rather radical views about marriage.
7 Her views on education are rather radical. (use a different word from 6)
8 Supreme Court judges always act in a biased way.
36.2 Use the words in the box in an appropriate form to complete the sentences.
root shift encounter
36.3
36.4
36.5
I
underlie hold ethicaladopt philosophy
1 The .HHH principles of Asian and European are very similar.
2 People tend .. ..HH.H.H.HH •• HH a more conservative stance as they get older.
3 She has always .....H.HH.H.H •• H.H.H.H •• H the view that primary education should not start before the
age of seven.
4 Many people have H objections to investing in companies which support
corrupt regimes.
5 Some employers still have a deep-. ..H. prejudice against employing older people,
and many older people ...H ••••• H.H.H.HHH such prejudice when they apply for jobs.
6 The government seems to have ...H •••• H •• H.H.H.H.H.H ••••••• its position recently.
Answer the questions.
1 What verb could be used instead of shifted in exercise 36.2?
2 What verb could be used instead of adopt in exercise 36.2?
3 Which is incorrect: (a) in my point of view, (b) in my opinion, (c) from my point of view?
4 In what way does calIing something an ideology make it sound slightly more negative
than calIing it a philosophy?
5 What single noun is formed from the noun point and the verb stand?
Vary these sentences by rewriting them using the word in brackets.
1 The people of the area have some unusual views about nature. (HOLD)
2 Most young people seem not to like the proposals on student fees. (OB]ECTIONS)
3 Examiners tend to prefer candidates with clear handwriting. (BIASED)
4 Girls look at their careers in a different way from their mothers. (STANDPOINT)
5 Let us now discuss the principles behind this approach. (UNDERLYI G)
Read this short text and underline any words and phrases connected with points of view,
opinions and ideas. Look them up in a dictionary if necessary and note them in your
vocabulary book.
Academics have traditionaLly taken the view that their discipline is inteLlectuaLly independent from
aLlothers. However, inter-disciplinary degrees are becoming more and more common, suggesting
that preconceptions about what and how one should study may be somewhat misplaced. A more
liberal view of education would advocate greater freedom to explore the links between different
fields of learning, thus pushing the frontiers of knowledge in new and exciting directions. Many
academics now feel that the future lies in this blending of ideas and the cross-fertilisation of
thought which emerges from it.
Academic Vocabu/ary in Use 81
Degrees of certainty
This unit looks at the ways writers express how certain they are about the facts ar opinions
they are presenting. This unit deals with some vocabulary which will help you to handle
certainty in academic writing appropriately.
Being tentative
It is a common mistake for students to present something as a proven fact when it is actually
an opinion. In a serious piece of academic writing you should not, for example, write Girls
are better at learning languages than boys; you could write, instead, There is some evidence
to suggest that girls may be better at learning languages than boys ar It can be argued that
girls are better at learning languages than boys.
Here are some other expressions that are useful when presenting ideas that may be true but
are not pro ven facts.
It may not be the case that girls are naturally better at foreign languages.
It would seem/appear that girls are more interested in languages than boys.
We can presume that all humans have the ability to learn a second language. [believe
something to be true because it seems very likely]
There appears/seems to be some evidence linking diet with language ability.
There is some evidence that previous studies are unreliable.
We can draw the tentative conclusion that early language skills determine how successful a
child will be at school. [possible, not yet certain]
It is true or almost certainly true
It is undoubtedly true that language ability is not simply a matter of intelligence. [without
doubt, certainly]
It is, of course, essential to check data carefully. [shows the writer sees this as obvious]
It is evident that girls and boys develop at slightly different rates. [obvious, clear]
The best age for language learning is, apparently, the teenage years.
Pronunciation of unfamiliar sounds presumably comes more easily to young children.
The research is likely to lead to some interesting results. = The research will probably lead to
some interesting results.
Boys tend to have better practical skills than girls. [are likely to]
There is a tendency for boys to be more enthusiastic about team sports than girls. [it is often
the case that]
There is every likelihood that the research will be completed by June. [it is probable]
The situation is liable to change. [may change, is likely to changeJ
The writer is unsure
The research has allegedly come to some very significant conclusions. [it is claimed; the use
of this adverb suggests that the writer does not helieve the claims are true 1
Boys are considered to be more inclined to take risks than girls. [people think that - the
implication is that the writer may not agree)
The perception of boys as poor language learners can be shown to be false. [common view,
often one which the writer feels is inappropriate in some way]
The article is reportedly an excellent piece of work [it is reported that; the use of the adverb
makes it clear the writer has not seen the articleJ
In the absence of evidence to the contrary we can assume that Laing is correct. [as there is na
evidence to suggest the opposite]
82 Academic Vocabulary in Use
fxercises
37. I Match the beginning of each sentence with the most appropriate ending.
1 We may assume that the exchange rate will continue to fluctuate.
2 It would seem not to be the case that all the questions were answered honestly.
3 Of course it to appear from all the findings that the test is reliable.
4 We can certainly well discover that the problem was caused by overheating.
5 It may well turn outargued that conflict was inevitable after the events of recent years.
6 It could be is true that not all factories cause huge amounts of pollution.
37.2 lnsert adverbs based on the words in italics into suitable places in the sentences.
1 Russo was a member of a terrorist organisation, but it was never proved. allege
2 At that time, the population of tigers was widespread in the region. report
3 The collapse of the roof caused a sprinkler system pipe to burst. appear
4 To get a better job is a main motivation for going on to higher education. presume
5 We may conclude that water shortages are likely to increase rather than decrease.
tentative
6 The students were guessing some of the answers instead of using their knowledge of the
context. evidence
37.3
I
Complete the missing forms in the table. Use a dictionary if necessary. Do not fill the
shaded boxes.
noun verb adjective adverb
tend
evidence
seem
likely
perceive
37.4 Change these sentences. Use different forms of the words in bold, as instructed.
1 There is little likelihood that everyone will fail the test. (use the adjective)
2 Students tend to leave preparation for exams till the last minute. (use the noun)
3 We saw evidence that some students had copied each other's answers. (use the adjective)
4 People commonly perceive that older people cannot learn musical instruments to a
professional standard. (use the noun)
5 The melting of the polar ice caps seems to be inevitable. (use the adverb)
37.5 Make the sentences more formal by replacing the underlined words or phrases.
1 People generally think that rats are carriers of diseases.
2 There isn't much evidence to support the opinion that diesel cars cause more pollution
than petrol cars.
3 It is extremely likely that rail passenger numbers will continue to decline.
4 ln the absence of other evidence, we must conclude that right-handedness is not linked to
intelligence in any way.
5 Of course, it is true that engineering graduates are in increasing demand.
6 The area near the river often floods in winter.
I
·Look at a recent article reporting on some research in your own discipline. Can you find any
examples of the kind of language discussed in this unit in it? Note down any examples that you
• find.
Academic Vocabulary in Use 83
Developing an argument: what it is about
Read these extracts from the opening paragraphs of student essays. Note the prepositions.
This essay is based on findings from recent research into cold fusion.
The arguments I shalI put forward are relevant to our understanding of Newton's laws.
For the purposes of this essay, two opposing theories will be scrutinised. I shalI refer to
Ashbach's and Linn's work, respectively.
Many articles have been published on the subject of genetic modification of crops.
The political arguments concerning population control are beyond the scope of this essay.
The first section reviews recent literature, with reference to the arguments concerning
economic policy.
Presenting an argument
Adding points to an argument
Bad diet and high stress levels, as well as lack of exercise, are key factors in causing heart
disease; on top of which there is smoking, which is one of the most damaging factors.
ln addition to the questionnaire, we also conducted interviews with some of the subjects.
A further argument in support of raising the retirement age is that life expectancy is
increasing. Moreover/Furthermore', many people enjoy working; for example / for instance',
in a recent survey, 68% of people said they would like to work till they were at least 70.
I moreover is much more frequently used in academic style than furthermore 2 for example is
much more frequently used in academic style than for instance
Qualifying: limiting and specifying an argument
Dr O'MalIey is leading a class discussion on human rights.
O'Malley: OK. 'Human rights are rights which you possess simply because you are human.'
To what extent can we say that? What are the pros and cons ' of this view?
Anna: Well, I think iťs too simplistic, in the sense thar' it ignores the rights of victims
and everyone else's right to life. 50, provided that we remember this, then we can
give people basic rights, albeir' with limitations.
Kirsten: Mm, that's all very well, but" if you say human rights depend on, say, governmeru
decisions about national security, then they're no longer rights, are they? They
become privileges. Having said thar', iťs a complex issue with no simple answer.
Even so, I still think we must be careful not to give our rights away.
O'Malley: OK. Fine. Apart from victim's rights, are there other arguments for restricting
rights? I mean we could look at protecting property, ending a chronically sick
person's life, and so on / and so forth'', Leťs talk about the degree/extent to
which these are relevant.
Ricardo: Every sick person has the right to life, but at the same time we should be free to
decide when we want to die.
O'Malley: WelI, a lot of sick people can't make that decision for themselves, despite the faet
that we may respect their right to a dignified death.
Ricardo: Hmm. Nevertheless/Nonetheless/, I think it's a key issue.
I (slightly informal) advantages and contrasts with what has just been said
disadvantages 2 used to explain precisely 6 (typical of spoken contexts) can be used
what has just been said 3 (forrnal) although separately or together (and so on and so
4 (informal, typical of spoken contexts) forth); can also be et cetera (more common in
indicates a partial agreement, followed by a writing - etc.) 7 however; nevertheless is more
disagreement 5 (typical of spoken contexts) frequent in academic style than nonetheless
said when you wish to add a point which
84 Academic Vocabu/ary in Use
Exercise«
38.1 Fill in the prepositions in this text about the first wife of Henry VIII of Ertgland (1491-1547).
This essay examines the early life of Catherine of Aragon (1485-1536), focusing particularly
....................the period of her brief marriage to Prince Arthur, his death at the age of 15 and her
subsequent marriageLL; his brother Prince Henry, later to become King Henry VIII of
England HHH..the purposes H this essay, I shall pay little attentionyj. . . either the
earlier or the later periods of her life. Her eventual divorce from King Henry is, thus, ..
the scope this essay. Much more has already been written. . the subject H this
later period of her life. The literature H.H.reference H..the period is extensive but my
I
essay is largely based ·.···.H a couple of key sources, which are particularly relevant ..HHH. any
discussion of this period, and I shall refer these throughout.
L-~ _
38.2 Which word comes next in these phrases?
1 the pros and ..
2 at the same ..
3 and so on and so ....
4 having said ..
5 thaťs all very well ..
6 the extent to H
7 in addition ..
8 as well ..
38.3 Use phrases from the box to replace phrases from the paragraph with the same meaning.
nevertheless
advantages and disadvantages
the degree
for instance
as well as
furthermore
provided that
There are a number of pros and cons to take into account when considering the purchase
of a hybrid (gasoline-electric) car. Such cars are, for example, undoubtedly better for the
environment in the sense that they cause less air pollution. Moreover, the extent to which
they rely on oil, a natural resource which is rapidly becoming depleted, is much less than is the
case with conventional cars. Nonetheless, hybrid cars are not without their problems. Cost
may be an issue and also the technical complexity of this relatively new type of engine. As long
as you take these factors into account, there is no reason not to buy a hybrid car.
38.4 Choose the correct word or phrase to complete each sentence.
1 She wrote an excellent essay with a certain amount of help.
A even so B albeit C despite the fact
2 AHH .HH.point must also now be made against a change in the law.
A furthermore B respective C further
3 He is a great poet his work has had a great influence on other writers.
A in the sense that B on top of which C provided that
4 Let us now discuss the influence of the revolution on the rich and the poor ..
A say B respectively C moreover
5 The riots resulted in much damage. . , we should not ignore the fact that the
disorder brought benefits to some.
A As well as B With reference to C Having said that
6 But there is a negative side to new technology. . the advantages we also need to
consider a number of disadvantages.
A Be that as it may B Apart from C Thaťs all very well but
Academic Vocabulary in Use 85