Practise reading: signal words

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vmbo k, g, t, mavo, havo, vwo
• Leerjaar 4-6

WELKOM KLAS ...!

GOALS OF THIS LESSON: 

- Functions of the linking words 

- Reading strategies

- Practice :) 

Signal words

Make sure you:

A) recognise signal words;

B) know what context they indicate;

C) know how to use them in a sentence;

D) SHORT: Learn the signal words!

Which signal word/function belongs to which text context? Drag the right answers to each other.

As well as

In short

To praise

To criticize

For instance

Expansion/Summary

Effect/Conclusion

Support (positive)

Opposition

Examples

He should not be doing this job, ... he was not trained for it.

1. despite
2. however
3. since
4. such as

Which signal word in the text indicates a contradiction?

Reading steps: scanning

1. Scan: title, pictures, intro -> What is the text about?

DON'T READ THE WHOLE TEXT!

2. Read the question: In which paragraphs should you look? -> highlight.

3. What kind of question is it? multiple choice/gap fill/open

Types of question

- Multiple-choice question

- Open question

- Gap fill

- Claims question

Which question type is the most difficult?

Multiple-choice question: Steps

Read the question, not the answers! Are there any useful information in the question?

In the example opposite, you can see that you should look in paragraphs 1 and 2.

Furthermore, there is the word relate in the question. So we need to look for a signal word and find out which text context it relates to.

Multiple-choice question (continued)

1.Read the relevant text, and nothing more!

2. Underline all signal and function words.

3. Then read the answers.

4. Mark out the obviously wrong answers.

5. Does the answer fit the topic of the text (you have scanned beforehand).

6 Choose your answer.

Which of the following is in line with the main idea of paragraph 4?

1. A country’s economy is dependent on its culture.
2. Cultural diversity should preferably be preserved.
3. Local cultures are readily sacrificed in the quest for profit.
4. The significance of cultural differences is underestimated.

Explanation

The question is what is at the heart of this paragraph.

- Signal words are yet (line 1) and but (line 3) You mark these.

- Answer A said something about a country's economy. This is not really in the paragraph.

- At C it says something about Profits being more important than Cultures. This is also not in the text.

- This leaves B and D.

- B is positive, D is negative. The sentence after the signal word 

Yet is negative, and so is the sentence after But. So D is the correct answer.

What is the point made in paragraphs 1 and 2?

1. In the past the male Y chromosome used to be more substantial.
2. Men are hardly able to cope with challenges of their male pride.
3. Procreation may one day be realised without male participation.
4. The male physique is deteriorating at an alarming pace.

Explaination

The question is what is at the heart of these paragraphs.

- Signal words are but (line 1), But (line 4), So...that (line 6).

- Answer C mentions procreation, the text does not mention it at all.

- Answer D mentions the maie physique, not at all in the text.

 but (line 1) it says that the Y chromosome goes down. 

but (line 4) it says that it is not what it once was.

So there is a passage of time, as is also expressed in Answer A

Claim questions

How do I identify the question? -> Multiple propositions, numbered 1,2 etc.

Claim questions

The most common type of question to appear on a conflicting viewpoints passage is called a new claim question. This kind of question introduces a new kind of claim or hypothesis and asks you to figure out which of the people or hypotheses in the passage would agree or disagree with it.

Steps

First, we highlight the piece of text we need to search.

Then we highlight the search terms we are going to work with. Think of:

- Names, places

- Anything you can express in a number (the majority), and time indications (today)

- International words (discrimination, authority)

For proposition 1, for example, we could mark ‘too hot’ (measurable temperature) and ‘today’ (time indication).

Look for signal words. The answer is right there!

De Afrikaanse kuststreek is tegenwoordig te warm voor pinguïns.

FYI: The text is generally about penguins in Africa

1. Juist
2. Onjuist

Explaination

DThe statement was: Africa's coastal region is too warm for penguins these days. 

One of the search terms was warm. This entire piece of text does not mention temperature in any way, so the statement is incorrect.

Mr Moody’s looks and manner invite people to share their private
thoughts with him.

1. Juist
2. Onjuist

Explaination

The statement was: Mr Moody's looks and manner invite people to share their private thoughts with him.

As a search term you could choose private (international word).

In the text you find the following signal words: as a consequence (line 4), or (line 5), in short (line 6), and (line 7).

In line 4 you find the word confidence, which in this context is equivalent to private thoughts. Reading around it, we see that this sentence is indeed consistent with the statement. The last sentence, which contains the concluding signal word in short, further confirms the statement. ‘The proposition is correct.

open questions

With an open-ended question, it is important that you take the time to read the question carefully.

This is because the question often already tells you where to look and what to look for. 

It also tells you how to write down the answer, for instance by quoting, or using one or two words, or in Dutch. 

Steps

- Read the question and if you can, highlight the piece of text where you should look for the answer. If there is a quotation in the question mark it. This is because the answer is almost always close to it.

- Then look in the question to see what exactly they want to know. Are they asking for an example, a contrast or a summary?

- With the answer to the previous question, you start looking for signal words. Which represent that text context.

- Close to the correct signal or function word you will find the answer.

- Then write down the answer according to the instructions in the exam, not forgetting the language sign rules. 

Example

Wat is volgens alinea 1 de belangrijkste oorzaak voor het krimpen van de

aantallen rode eekhoorns? 

Geef antwoord in het Nederlands. 

--> You mark paragraph 1.

--> They are looking for a major cause/reason

--> there is a reduction in the number of red squirrels

--> You have to answer in your own words in Dutch

Wat is volgens alinea 1 de belangrijkste oorzaak voor het krimpen van de
aantallen rode eekhoorns?
Geef antwoord in het Nederlands.

Explaination

The question was: According to paragraph 1, what is the main cause of the decline in

numbers of red squirrels?

Answer in Dutch. 

- Signal words in the text: yet (line 2)

- When we start reading the sentence beginning with yet, we see the word predominantly, meaning ‘most important’.

- The sentence as a whole shows that there is a virulent virus that causes red squirrels to be driven away. 

- All the elements of the question appear in this sentence. So the cause is a virus/infectious disease.

“Can an economist dig a hole without another filling it?” (titel)
Wat wordt met deze vraag in twijfel getrokken?
Leg uit in je eigen woorden.

Explaination

The question was: ‘Can an economist dig a hole without another filling it?’ (title)

What is this question  asking?

Explain in your own words.

- There is a quote, so that is the starting point.

- Something is being questioned.

- If you read the text you will see in line 4 the phrase leads me to wonder. . This suggests doubt. We may assume that behind that phrase comes the reason: what value they have etc 

- Put in our own words, we get an answer that has to do with the usefulness/value/existence of they, i.e. the economists.

 Signal/function words

- Read the sentence before the gap (possibly a little more than 1 sentence). Also read the sentence after the gap.

- Try to see what text connection there is between these two sentences. 

- Find your answer on that.

- If this doesn't work, look at the answers : Is there an answer for example? Chances are that's the right answer. Otherwise possibly contradiction or summation.

- If this doesn't work either, translate the sentences and 

Example

Answers:        A But then

                            B Instead

                            C Similarly

                            D Therefore 

Before the gap, I read an example of how famous Mr Bean is. He is recognised in France. After the gap, I read that Mr. Bean is recognised by Chinese people. So it looks like an expansion/addition.

Having learnt my signal words, I now know that the answer must be C.

Which of the following fits the gap in paragraph 4?

1. Consequently,
2. Moreover,
3. Similarly,
4. Yet,

Explaination

Answers: 

A Consequently,

B Moreover,

C Similarly,

D Yet 

The sentence before the gap says that we should be critical (raise concerns) about programmes where authorities and journalists cooperate.

The sentence after the gap says that the witch hunt (referring here to the above collaboration) was actually ignored.

This indicates a contradiction. 

Having learnt my signal words, I know the answer must be D. 

Which of the following fits the gap in paragraph 2?

1. Obviously
2. In other words
3. Consequently
4. Yet

More of Gap fill

- Read the sentence before the gap (possibly a little more than 1 sentence). Also read the sentence after the gap.

- Look for signal words in those sentences, preferably near the gap.

- Still not enough? See if you can find a contrast of a positive sentence and a negative sentence.

- Not enough yet? See if you can find an opposition in the answers, e.g. between A and B.

- Not enough yet? Choose the answer closest to the topic of the text.

Example

A annoying

B British

C funny

D international 

- In the sentence before the gap, I see a colon first. That gives an example here. Then follows a list with the word and just before the gap. So we are looking for a word that fits into that list. 

- After the gap is again a colon. After an summary, this usually produces a conclusion. That conclusion is that Mr Bean is increasingly becoming a symbol of Britain. With that knowledge, the summing up might turn out to be a collection of traits of the British. However, that Britishness has yet to be truly named.

Dus is het antwoord B

 

Which of the following fits the gap in the text?

1. has become unpopular
2. is no longer justifiable
3. is understandable
4. may finally catch on

Explaination

Which of the following fits the gap in the text?

A has become unpopular

B is no longer justifiable

C is understandable 

D may finally catch on 

- We read before the gap that we don't need to build new power plants if we just start using less power.

- The sentence after it, describes the attitude that people think you are allowed to waste more if you can afford it. We see a contradiction here, so answers C and D already don't fit.

- A and B seem to fit, and the steps listed in step-by-step do not help further. Scanning the text quickly, we see that the author thinks the old wasting is out of place. (Is wasting energy a good eample to set?)

So the answer is B

Which of the following fits the gap in paragraph 1?

1. numerous significant discoveries
2. our closer analysis of metadata
3. radical changes in the field
4. the ever-shrinking size of our focus

Explaination

Answers: A numerous significant discoveries

                             B our closer analysis of metadata

                             C radical changes in the field

                             D the ever-shrinking size of our focus 

- In the sentence before the gap, we see no signal words. The sentence after it gives two: Long ago, but now . There is a passage of time and a contradiction.

- Looking at the content, we see that this text connection relates to the size of what is being studied. It gets smaller and smaller.

So the correct answer is D.

Conclusion

To get a pass, you need to learn words and know tricks.

Practice makes perfect.

Signal words, signal words, signal words.

Good luck!