AS LAB TASK #1

							                                    Collocation and the Concordancer

    “Collocation” refers to the way in which some words are always used together, For example,
    “come” + “from” is a common collocation when you talk about your home country.
            I come from Pakistan.

    Sometimes the collocation changes depending on the context of the sentence. For example, the
    verb “study” can go with “at”, “in”, “on”, “with”, etc.
             study + at I am studying at SFU
             study + in I am studying in the English Bridge Program.

    In academic writing, “on” + “the” + “other” + “hand” is a four-word collocation that introduces a
    contrast:
             On the other hand, it was a horrible mistake.

    You cannot write “in the other hand”; this is the wrong collocation.
    The reason ESL students make mistakes with collocation is that they learn vocabulary as
    individual words. The way to overcome these vocabulary mistakes is to learn words that go
    together as “one word.” For example, learn “on” + “the” + “other” + “hand” not as four words
    but as one: “ontheotherhand.” Looks funny, but it works!

    Lab Task 1: Here is a list of common words that students had trouble with in Summary #2.

        1.   indicate ______                                    6.    graduated ______
        2.   barrier ______                                     7.    induce ______
        3.   engage ______                                      8.    agreed ______
        4.   mentions ______                                    9.    concerned ______
        5.   apologized ______                                  10.   confront ______


Step 1: Select 5 of the words. Try to add the correct pronoun or proper preposition to the term.

Step 2: Use the on-line concordancer http://www.lextutor.ca/concordancers/concord_e.html
to check your answers and also to complete the above list.

Step 3: Now write an original sentence for each of the 5 words you chose.




                                                                           adapted from L. McAllister, 2004
                                                                                                        2


Lab Task 2: Look at these reporting verbs. Which ones collocate with that? Mark them with a “T”.

B. Reporting Verbs and how to introduce your paraphrase.

When you are paraphrasing the work of another, it is recommended that you introduce the author, the
name of the work, and the date it was published. This lets your reader know that the ideas you are
presenting are not your own, but from an outside source.

Using Reporting Verbs Use the concordancer to a)help you find answers or b)check your answers.

    1. From the following list of reporting verbs, underline the verbs that you have used in your own
        writing. Put an X beside the reporting verbs whose meaning is UNFAMILIAR to you.
    2. Identify the purpose of each verb.
        To begin with, which verbs express opinion? (Write “O” next to them.)
        Which verbs seem neutral? (Write “N” next to them.)
        Which would you use to express YOUR skepticism about what an author says? (Put a
           question mark next to them.)
    3. Collocation: Which reporting verbs need to be followed by “that”? Highlight them.

   examine____                                           claim____

   compare____                                           report ____

   focus on____                                          state____

   identify____                                          believe__

   explore____                                           propose____

   indicate ____                                         declare____

   establish____                                         assert____

   acknowledge ____                                      caution____

   emphasize__                                           deny____

   confirm____                                           mention____

   discuss____                                           warn__

   infer ____                                            hypothesize ____

   point out ____                                        show _____




                                                                         adapted from L. McAllister, 2004
                                                                                                          3

Lab Task 3: correct or not? Look at the following and mark them “C” or “I”. If they are incorrect, look

them up on the concordancer and correct them.

    1. ______ indicates six different suggestions

    2. ______make an essay about course material

    3. ______adjust these traits

    4. ______describes that

    5. ______encourages students to ask questions

    6. ______more experience on simulations

    7. _____ pay attention on what they are learning

    8. _____ contacting with American students




                                                                            adapted from L. McAllister, 2004