1. Chapter 6
Fine-tuning
Do task 21 on p. 180 first
Academic Language Centre

2. Fine-tuning
This chapter concentrates on:
•The consistency of your line of argument
•The support for your claims
•The logic behind your arguments
•Improving clarity and flow
•Writing more concise sentences
Academic Language Centre

3. Supporting claims
Evidence that supports your claims should be:
Clear
Accurate
Relevant
Credible
Significant
Academic Language Centre

4. Critical thinking:
Make sure that you clearly distinguish between
•facts and opinions
•certainties and uncertainties
both while you are reading and when you are
writing.
Academic Language Centre

5. Logical fallacies:
• Hasty generalisation (jumping to a conclusion, claim based on too
little evidence):
• Commercials in favour of unhealthy food should be forbidden,
because they lead to a consumption-oriented society and
subsequently to overweight .
• Oversimplification (linking 2 events as if one caused the other
directly, whereas the causes may be more complex):
• Obesity leads to people becoming depressed.
• -------------
• Inappropriate appeal to the reader / inappropriate tone
• Obesity costs an unnecessary amount of valuable health care time,
time that could be better spent on curing other diseases.
Academic Language Centre

6. Relative clauses:
There are two types of relative clauses:
1.Defining relative clauses, in which the
information that you give is essential
2.Non-defining relative clauses, in which the
information that you give is extra.
Compare:
My sister who lives in London is a musician.
My sister, who lives in London, is a musician.
Academic Language Centre

7. Relative clauses:
• Defining:
By 4.30, there was only one painting which /that
hadn’t been sold. (essential, no comma)
• Non-defining:
The train, which was already an hour late, broke
down again. (extra, commas used)
Do tasks 20, 21, and 22, on pp. 199 - 201
Academic Language Centre

8. Being concise:
Concise: short and clear, expressing what needs
to be said without unnecessary words
(Advanced Learners’ Dictionary)
Typical examples:
really, quite, basically, totally, completely.
Do task 26, p. 204
Academic Language Centre

9. Task 26, p. 204
The list of instructions – turn phrase into one
word
an item that specifically states – delete filler
each and every person – delete filler
who is accused of a crime – reduce relative
clause
When he or she is listening to the proceedings –
turn clause into a phrase
Academic Language Centre

10. Task 26, p. 204
• The instructions contain an item that states
that each person accused of a crime (or: each
defendant) should remain seated in the
courtroom at all times when listening to the
proceedings.
Academic Language Centre