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Functional Grammar Support

eWriting > Functional Grammar > Explanation

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• arrative
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• Exposition
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• Procedure
• Self-Test A
• Self-Test B
• Self-Test C
• Explanation
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• Discussion
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• Explanations to Self-Test
• Description
• Self-Test A
• Self-Test B

Explanations

1. c. The writer of a discussion looks at different ways people view a topic and then decides to which side he/she belongs.

II.

2. b. The opening paragraph of a discussion names the issue and gives background if necessary.
3. a. After the opening paragraph, the writer gives the argument for the case.
4. c. After the argument for the case, the writer gives the argument against.
5. c. The final paragraph of a discussion sums up the situation and makes a recommendation.

III.

6. c. These are general nouns, naming classes of things/persons, not specific ones. eg. Cars, NOT My car
7. c. This group of nouns does not refer to things that are physical, material or tangible. They refer to ideas or concepts and so are abstract. These types of nouns are typical for argument and discussion text types.
   You may also have noticed a number of nominalisations (eg pollution, congestion, adoption) which are also typical of texts where abstract ideas are discussed, so that these ideas, being the important information, can be put at the beginning of sentences and clauses.
8. b. These are Examples of extended noun groups. In the first example, the nouns: "dangers" and "congestion" are linked together by the conjunction "and". Then the noun, "dangers" is also extended by the addition of the adjectival phrase, "of car pollution".
9. b. All these verbs "say" something and allow the writer to express opinions and ideas.
10. c. All these verbs are Examples of "thinking". They express operations that take place in the mind of the person as opposed to actions that a person may do externally. Again, they allow the writer to express ideas and opinions.
11. c. These words are all Examples of modals. From the passage you can see that "should", "must", and "could" are all connected to verb forms.
    "Maybe" is another example of modality, to intensify or moderate opinions and ideas being expressed. It is a modal adverb modifying "safer" and "even safer".
12. a. Connectors are cohesive devices found between and among sentences while conjunctions are linking devices used to connect both dependent and independent clauses within a sentence. They introduce and link arguments and ideas logically.

Copyright 2002 - Academic Skills Unit, Australian Catholic University