UNIT 2: SEMANTICS/LANGUAGE AWARENESS
Module 3 (3 of 4)
TASK 1
Answer ONE of the following questions:
Either
- Explain the specific functions of the definite article in English, and importance
and the differences between the definite article (the), the indefinite article (a, an)
and the zero article (absence of an article).
Or
- There are several ways in which English questions are formed. Describe 3
types and give examples in sentences. Explain the techniques by which learners
are helped to understand these structures, and the order in which they should be
taught.
Please include one or two short quotations from your course reading to support your
points, ensuring they are appropriately referenced (see Advice on Academic Writing in
U2 M1). Your essay is likely to be 400-500 words.
✅ Reasons the second task is easier:
Familiar Content: Question formation (yes/no, wh-, tag questions, etc.) is often covered
early in English teaching and learning, so you likely already understand it.
Concrete Structure: The task gives you a clear structure: describe 3 types of questions
→ give examples → explain teaching techniques → suggest teaching order.
Easier to Apply Teaching Techniques: It’s simpler to connect teaching techniques to
question types (like drills, substitution tables, visuals, etc.) than to something abstract
like article use.
Fewer Exceptions to Handle: Articles in English (especially the zero article) are full of
exceptions, and explaining their use can quickly become complex.
You can still include short quotations from your course reading for either task. For ex-
ample, if you choose the second task, you might include:
“The order of acquisition of question forms follows a developmental sequence” (Thorn-
bury, 1999, p. 102).
✅ Recommendation:
Choose the second task:
"There are several ways in which English questions are formed..."
It’s more straightforward, practical, and allows you to draw on your own teaching or
learning experiences more easily.
If you'd like, I can help you create an outline or even draft a part of the answer.
TASK 2
Answer the following question:
Discuss the pronominal one in spoken and written English, giving a variety of examples.
Can you be substituted for one in all circumstances without change of tone or mean-
ing?
Please include one or two short quotations from your course reading to support your
points, ensuring they are appropriately referenced (see Advice on Academic Writing in
U2 M1).
Your essay is likely to be 400-500 words.
TASK 3
Answer ONE of the following questions:
Either
- Describe various ways of expressing agreement and disagreement in English.
Give examples and define as precisely as you can the circumstances in which
each is likely to occur.
Or
- In Randolf Quirk’s proposal for a ‘nuclear’ English for international use, ques-
tion tags were identified as a ‘dispensable’ feature. What rationale could be
offered in support of this view? Suggest ways in which their loss might affect the
communication of meaning.
Please include one or two short quotations from your course reading to support your
points, ensuring they are appropriately referenced (see Advice on Academic Writing in
U2 M1).
Your essay is likely to be 400-500 words.
Please also remember to include an end of module bibliography (for guidelines, see Ad-
vice on Academic Writing in U2 M1).