PORTFOLIO ENTRY #17

Capital Punishment.

ARGUMENTS FOR THE DEATH PENALTY

1) It’s not a deterrent against the crimes
2) Would it be acceptable if people from all sections of society were executed

ARGUMENTS AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY

1) The death penalty is irreversible and results in the death of innocents

2)The death penalty is never acceptable. It abuses two of our most basic human rights: everyone has the right to live and no one should be subject to torture.

3) The right to life is inalienable: it cannot be given and it cannot be taken away, no matter how terrible the crime.

4) The right to life is inalienable: it cannot be given and it cannot be taken away, no matter how terrible the crime.

PORTFOLIO ENTRY #16

OPINION ESSAY 

Should criminlas go to prision?

Death penalty? Yes or no?

Watch this video in which the actor Jeremy Irons outlines arguments against capital punishment 

                           ↓

SHORT DESCRIPTION of the contents of the source



Jeremy Irons explains that there are many arguments against the death penalty. It’s not an impediment against the crimes that it punishes because societies who use the death penalty don’t have lower crime rates than those that do.

The death penalty targets the economically disadvantaged: those who can’t afford good legal counsel, those without a voice in society. 


The death penalty is irreversible and results in the death of innocents. Execution is the ultimate, irrevocable punishment: the risk of executing an innocent person can never be eliminated. When someone is dead a retrospective pardon is of little use to them or their family. therefore, the death penalty is never acceptable. The death penalty violates the most fundamental human right, the right to life. It is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. Human rights are thus called because they apply to all human beings. They belong to all of us equally. An attack on these fundamental rights anywhere is an attack against all of us. The right to life is inalienable: it cannot be given and it cannot be taken away, no matter how terrible the crime.




TASKS FROM BRITISH COUNCIL WEB PAGE.


Match the definitions (a–f) with the vocabulary (1–6). 

1. D  harsh
2. A a perpetrator
 3 E to deter someone from doing something
 4.F to re-offend
5. C  rehabilitative
6. B empathy

a. someone who has committed a crime or a violent act
b. the ability to understand how other people feel
c. able to bring someone back to health or a normal life
d. strict; severe
e. to make someone avoid or stop doing something
f. to commit a crime again (not for the first time)


 Are the sentences true or false? Answer 

1. The first paragraph should explain the question in your own words.  TRUE
2. You shouldn’t give your opinion until the conclusion.  FALSE 
3. You must always give both sides of the argument. FALSE 
4. Structures like One justification for … and The first thing to consider is … link ideas together, and help the reader follow your argument.  TRUE
5. Modal verbs (e.g. may in Prison may not be an effective punishment) make sentences sound more certain. FALE
 6. If you think of an extra idea, mention it in the conclusion. FALSE

Task 2 
Complete the sentences with words and phrases from the box. 

However, One justification for Owing to, The first thing to consider, In conclusion, It could be argued that, Personally, A further reason to

1. The first thing to consider is what the purpose of prison is.
2. One justification for |  harsh prison sentences is that they act as a deterrent. However, there is very little evidence to support this claim.
3. A further reason to justify putting people in prison is to keep them away from society.
4. Personally, I believe that prison should aim to rehabilitate people and reform violent criminals so they are less likely to re-offend.
5. It could be argued that prison works mainly as a punishment. Owing to overcrowded, cramped and sometimes violent conditions, prison is not a pleasant place to be.
 6. In conclusion, prison may not do everything that we want it to do but it does serve as an unpleasant punishment.

Task 3
Tick the three sentences that are more tentative.
Prison sentences are more effective in 29 per cent of cases.
It seems that prison sentences are more effective.
It might be argued that unpaid work exploits criminals.
Unpaid work exploits criminals.
This may suggest that the criminal is not a danger to others.
These kinds of criminals are no danger to others.

Some people think that some types of criminals should not go to prison. Instead they should do unpaid work in the community. To what extent do you agree?

Owing to the great variety of crimes that can be punishable by prison, some people argue that not all criminals are the same and it would therefore be more appropriate to give certain criminals community service instead. I agree that in some cases, prison may not be the best solution and community service would probably have more benefits.

One justification given for prisons is to keep society safe by removing criminals from the outside world. So the first thing to consider is if someone who has broken the law is a danger to other people. In the case of violent crime, there is an argument to keep the perpetrator away from society. However, burglary or possession of drugs, for example, does not involve violence against other people so the criminal does not present a direct danger to anyone in the community. Keeping these types of criminals in prison is expensive for the taxpayer and does not appear to be an effective punishment as they often commit the same crime again when they come out of prison.

Personally, I also believe punishments should reform people so they do not reoffend. A further reason not to put these people in prison is that they may mix with more dangerous and violent criminals, potentially committing a worse crime when they are released. By keeping them in the community, helping others, they not only learn new skills, but they could also develop more empathy and care towards others. If this occurs, society can only benefit.

Critics of this more rehabilitative approach to crime believe that justice should be harsh in order to deter people from committing similar crimes and that community service could be less likely to have that effect. However, there is very little evidence to suggest that long prison sentences deter criminals.

In conclusion, putting criminals who are not a danger to society in prison is expensive and, in my opinion, ineffective, both as a deterrent and as a form of rehabilitation. Community service for non-violent crimes benefits both society and the offender. That said, it would be useful to have more data to work out whether community service or prison is more likely to stop someone reoffending. I strongly believe that decisions on how best to deal with criminals should be based on evidence of what actually works.

PORTFOLIO ENTRY #15

Essay Gender Diversity in Education.

PORTFOLIO ENTRY #14

 THE IMPORTANCE OF HEDGING

This video defines the concept of hedging, explains its 

 importance in  academic research writing and offers an 

overview of  three common hedging  strategies complete 

with examples.

Example 1º

Categorical claim.

The issues highlighted in this study are applicable to all participating institutions. 

Hedged claim

The issues highlighted in this study may be applicable to many participating institutions.

Example 2º

Categorical claim

Government support will assure the spread of new knowledge and the skills necessary to use the internet to thousands of people in rural areas.

Hedged claim

Government support many help with  the spread of new knowledge and the skills necessary to use the internet to thousands of people in rural areas.

EXAMPLE 3º

Categorical claim.

The study proves the link between smooking and lung disease 

Hedged claim

The study indicates/suggests a (possible) link between smoking and lung disease

EXAMPLE  4º

Categorical claim

The number of unemployed people will continue to raise as the poor economic situation persists.

Hedged claim

The number of unemployed people will probably continue to raise as the poor economic situation persist.

EXAMPLE  5º

Categorical claim

This ( and subsequent) studies led to the conclusion that the GPT itself must be the elusive base, and therefore to the proposal of the GTP - as base mechanism.

Hedged claim

This ( and subsequent) studies led to the conclusion that the GPT itself may be the elusive base, and therefore to the proposal of the GTP - as base mechanism.

THE 

IMPORTANCE OF BOOSTING.

Boosting is basically the opposite of hedging. 

It strengthens statements. 

Examples:

Clearly, these sales figures show a definite increase in consumer confidence, which will undoubtedly  have an impact on our share price.

The highlighted words are used to show a strong point of you  and to persuade the reader of the autohor's point .

Other typical expressions used in boosting includes: 

➞ ADVERBS OF FREQUENCY LIKE ALWAYS OR NEVER.

Employees will always respond positively in such circumstances 

➞ ADVERBS OF FREQUENCY LIKE ALWAYS OR NEVER.

Employees will always respond positively in such circumstances.

➞ ADVERBS OR ADJECTIVES OF CERTAINTY

Certainly, this has had an impact on learning outcomes.

This certainly has had an impact on learning outcomes 

This obviously has an impact on learning outcomes.

➞ MODAL VERBS

This will have an impact on future research in the field

➞ OTHER VERBS
These figures prove that there has been strong growth as a result of policy change.

EXTRA INFO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O71U3jUi1Ic&t=19s

PARAGRAPH.

There are several characteristics which distinguish hedging from boosting in academic writing. Hedging is the use of linguistic devices to express hesitation or uncertainty as well as to demonstrate politeness and indirectness. In contrast, boosting express doubt, boosters demonstrate confidence. Hedging has its benefits; hedges suggest that the writer is careful, nuanced, and keen to avoid generalizations. A text that contains hedging is an open text, a text that invites debate and further research. On the other hand, the danger with boosters is that they can make you seem cocky and pompous. However, if you use them sparingly they can convey the right amount of self-assurance. The use of boosters will convince your reader that you know your stuff and are an expert in your field. Hedges and boosters affect the tone of our writing, and good writers use them effectively.

PODCASTS

PODCAST.

https://youtu.be/O71U3jUi1Ic

   

PORTFOLIO ENTRY #13

Would you like to have successful writings?

Follow these steps ↓

PORTFOLIO ENTRY #12.

NOMINALIZATION: FOR or AGAINST?

What is nominalization in English grammar?

Nominalizations are nouns that are created from adjectives (words that describe nouns) or verbs (action words). For example, “interference” is a nominalization of “interfere,” “decision” is a nominalization of “decide,” and “argument” is a nominalization of “argue.”

TS

Are nominalizations always a bad choice?

No. Sometimes, nominalizations can be useful:

• When the nominalization is familiar to your reader as a character (happiness), it can be treated as a character. Example: Happiness has many causes and effects.

• When you are making a general statement that focuses more on the idea than the actual actors in the sentence. Example: The distribution of the pizzas was fair.

Be sure to remember that even in a case where a nominalization is appropriate, you should not use them too often in too short of space.

Examples of nominalization from Video 1

We need to keep the park so children have somewhere to play

OR

We need to keep the park for children's recreation

Because the President failed to remove the troops, many deaths occurred.

OR

The failure to remove the troops resulted in many death

We also nominalized using the verb present participle form of the verb (singing, running, illing) or add suffixes such as:

 frustrate - tion

argue- ment

propose- al

He sang his heart put

OR

The heartfelt singing

She ran very fast

OR

Her fast running

VIDEO 2: AGAINST NOMINALIZATION.

Nouns formed from other parts of speech are called nominalizations. Academics love them; so do lawyers, bureaucrats, and business writers.  The author calls them “zombie nouns” because they cannibalize active verbs, suck the lifeblood from adjectives and substitute abstract entities for human beings:

Example: 

The proliferation of nominalizations in a discursive formation may be an indication of a tendency toward pomposity and abstraction.

The sentence above contains no fewer than seven nominalizations, each formed from a verb or an adjective. Yet it fails to tell us who is doing what. When we eliminate or reanimate most of the zombie nouns (tendency becomes tend, abstraction becomes abstract) and add a human subject and some active verbs, the sentence springs back to life:

At their best, nominalizations help us express complex ideas: perception, intelligence, epistemology. At their worst, they impede clear communication.

A paragraph heavily populated by nominalizations will send your readers straight to sleep. Wake them up with vigorous, verb-driven sentences that are concrete, clearly structured and blissfully zombie-free.

PORFOLIO ENTRY # 11

Discourse and Context in Language Teaching.

A guide for language teachers

Chapter 8: Writing.