More practice with the language you're learning
Supplementary support — grammar, vocabulary, speaking and review — built from language already taught in the course. Not a lesson, and never a test.
1.Transformation: express the same meaning without repeating the original wording — "**Neutral**: Smith (2021) reports that screen time correlates with reduced attention scores."
2.Transformation: express the same meaning without repeating the original wording — "**Endorsing**: Smith (2021) demonstrates a robust correlation between screen time and attention scores across age cohorts."
3.Transformation: express the same meaning without repeating the original wording — "**Cautious positioning**: Smith (2021) argues that the correlation reflects a causal relationship."
4.Rewrite as ENDORSING: 'Carter (2019) talks about the procedural opacity variable.'
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'Carter (2019) establishes procedural opacity as a distinct and measurable variable.'
5.Rewrite as CRITICAL: 'Lin and Park (2022) argue that culture explains the trust decline.'
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'Lin and Park (2022) attribute the trust decline to culture, leaning on a measure of culture that the paper itself acknowledges as imprecise.'
6.Mini-context: someone disagrees with you in a meeting. Reply in two turns, using this structure at least once.
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Reporting verbs at C2: (a) NEUTRAL ATTRIBUTION ('reports', 'notes', 'observes'); (b) ENDORSING ('demonstrates', 'establishes', 'shows convincingly'); (c) CAUTIOUSLY POSITIONING ('suggests', 'argues', 'maintains'); (d) CRITICAL ('overstates', 'claims', 'asserts without sufficient ground', 'concedes'). The choice signals where YOU stand before any explicit critique.
1.Sort these into "positive", "neutral" and "critical" in tone, and be ready to defend a borderline case: to draw on (a source), to follow X (in arguing / against Y), to lean on (a source / a claim), to qualify (a source's claim), in conversation with (the literature), to misattribute (a position to)
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to draw on (a source) — to use a source as an analytic resource | to follow X (in arguing / against Y) — to align with one source while disagreeing with another | to lean on (a source / a claim) — to rely heavily on, often more than the source can bear | to qualify (a source's claim) — to accept the claim with named restrictions | in conversation with (the literature) — treating sources as interlocutors rather than props | to misattribute (a position to) — to assign a view incorrectly to a source
2.Odd one out: which of these is least like "to draw on (a source)" in meaning or use — to follow X (in arguing / against Y) / to lean on (a source / a claim) / to qualify (a source's claim)? Explain why.
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Compare against: to use a source as an analytic resource
3.Odd one out: which of these is least like "to follow X (in arguing / against Y)" in meaning or use — to lean on (a source / a claim) / to qualify (a source's claim) / in conversation with (the literature)? Explain why.
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Compare against: to align with one source while disagreeing with another
4.Odd one out: which of these is least like "to lean on (a source / a claim)" in meaning or use — to qualify (a source's claim) / in conversation with (the literature) / to misattribute (a position to)? Explain why.
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Compare against: to rely heavily on, often more than the source can bear
5.Odd one out: which of these is least like "to qualify (a source's claim)" in meaning or use — in conversation with (the literature) / to misattribute (a position to) / to draw on (a source)? Explain why.
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Compare against: to accept the claim with named restrictions
6.Semantic map: place "to draw on (a source)" on a scale from mild to strong against two other words you know. Then use the strongest one.
7.Semantic map: place "to follow X (in arguing / against Y)" on a scale from mild to strong against two other words you know. Then use the strongest one.
8.Semantic map: place "to lean on (a source / a claim)" on a scale from mild to strong against two other words you know. Then use the strongest one.
9.Mini-dialogue: write four lines in which two of this lesson's words appear naturally.
1.Word family: give the noun, verb, adjective and adverb forms linked to "to draw on (a source)" where they exist, then use the form that is hardest for you.
2.Word family: give the noun, verb, adjective and adverb forms linked to "to follow X (in arguing / against Y)" where they exist, then use the form that is hardest for you.
3.Word family: give the noun, verb, adjective and adverb forms linked to "to lean on (a source / a claim)" where they exist, then use the form that is hardest for you.
4.Word family: give the noun, verb, adjective and adverb forms linked to "to qualify (a source's claim)" where they exist, then use the form that is hardest for you.
5.Spot the mismatch: which partner does NOT work with "to draw on (a source)" — and what would a proficient speaker say instead?
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Natural model: I draw on Carter (2019) for the conceptual distinction between opacity and corruption.
6.Spot the mismatch: which partner does NOT work with "to follow X (in arguing / against Y)" — and what would a proficient speaker say instead?
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Natural model: I follow Carter in arguing for opacity, against Lin and Park.
7.Spot the mismatch: which partner does NOT work with "to lean on (a source / a claim)" — and what would a proficient speaker say instead?
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Natural model: The argument leans heavily on a single dataset.
8.Rewrite one sentence from your last piece of writing, swapping a weak combination for a precise one from this lesson.
1.Shift the register twice: make this markedly formal, then markedly conversational — "**Neutral**: Smith (2021) reports that screen time correlates with reduced attention scores."
2.Shift the register twice: make this markedly formal, then markedly conversational — "**Endorsing**: Smith (2021) demonstrates a robust correlation between screen time and attention scores across age cohorts."
3.Shift the register twice: make this markedly formal, then markedly conversational — "**Cautious positioning**: Smith (2021) argues that the correlation reflects a causal relationship."
4.Diplomatic vs direct: soften this, then sharpen it. Which version would you actually use, and to whom? "Which citation is doing most argumentative work?"
5.Compress: express the idea behind "I draw on Carter (2019) for the conceptual distinction between opacity and corruption." in six words or fewer without losing the nuance.
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to use a source as an analytic resource
6.Compress: express the idea behind "I follow Carter in arguing for opacity, against Lin and Park." in six words or fewer without losing the nuance.
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to align with one source while disagreeing with another
7.Compress: express the idea behind "The argument leans heavily on a single dataset." in six words or fewer without losing the nuance.
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to rely heavily on, often more than the source can bear
8.Read one of your own paraphrases aloud. Which word choice is doing the most work? Replace everything around it.
1.Rank and justify: order the ideas in Which citation is doing most argumentative work? / Which citation is doing only positioning work? / Where could a less disciplined writer have over-cited? from most to least convincing. Defend your top choice.
2.Role-play: Five minutes silent reading and stance-mapping before writing. Take the position you least agree with.
3.Decision task: you have two minutes to reach a single recommendation on 300-word response + one sentence naming the stance you found hardest to defend.. State it in one sentence.
4.Now switch sides and argue the opposite for 60 seconds. Which language had to change?
5.Follow-up — push further: Topic: AI and creative work. Add a counter-example.
6.Follow-up — push further: Topic: urban density and mental health. Add a counter-example.
1.Paragraph ordering: draft your four topic sentences only, then decide their best order and say why.
2.Partial writing: write only the concession paragraph of Write a 250–280-word literature paragraph on a topic in your field. You MUST: (a) cite at least three sources (real or plausibly invented), (b) use at least three different reporting stances, (c) qualify at least one source you follow, (d) avoid 'states' and 'mentions' entirely, (e) use at least three target items. — 60–80 words.
3.Editing pass: cut 15% of your words without losing content. What went first?
4.Audience switch: rewrite your opening for a hostile reader, then for a sympathetic one.
5.Self-check: underline every repeated word and replace two with precise choices from this lesson.
1.Pick any topic. Invent one source. Write THREE sentences citing it: endorsing, cautious, critical. Aloud.
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Aim for one endorsing + one cautious + one critical citation across the piece, each in a different reporting voice.
2.Find the evidence: which exact words in the text/script support this — How does the writer position the paper among the three lines?
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Contributes to the third (opacity) without dismissing the other two.
3.Find the evidence: which exact words in the text/script support this — Find a CAUTIOUSLY POSITIONING reporting move.
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'attributes the decline to…' / 'argues that institutions have themselves become more opaque.'
4.Find the evidence: which exact words in the text/script support this — Find a CRITICAL reporting move.
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'Carter leans heavily on a single survey instrument…' / 'Lin and Park misattribute to Carter a deterministic position he does not hold.'
5.Key word transformation: rewrite "**Neutral**: Smith (2021) reports that screen time correlates with reduced attention scores." using the structure from Reporting verbs as stance, in 3–8 words.
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Reporting verbs at C2: (a) NEUTRAL ATTRIBUTION ('reports', 'notes', 'observes'); (b) ENDORSING ('demonstrates', 'establishes', 'shows convincingly'); (c) CAUTIOUSLY POSITIONING ('suggests', 'argues', 'maintains'); (d) CRITICAL ('overstates', 'claims', 'asserts without sufficient ground', 'concedes'). The choice signals where YOU stand before any explicit critique.
6.Reflection: which part of this task type costs you most time, and what will you do differently next time?
1.True, false or not stated? Decide for each, then correct the false ones: "Contributes to the third (opacity) without dismissing the other two." · "'attributes the decline to…' / 'argues that institutions have themselves become more opaque.'" · "'Carter leans heavily on a single survey instrument…' / 'Lin and Park misattribute to Carter a deterministic position he does not hold.'"
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How does the writer position the paper among the three lines? → Contributes to the third (opacity) without dismissing the other two. | Find a CAUTIOUSLY POSITIONING reporting move. → 'attributes the decline to…' / 'argues that institutions have themselves become more opaque.' | Find a CRITICAL reporting move. → 'Carter leans heavily on a single survey instrument…' / 'Lin and Park misattribute to Carter a deterministic position he does not hold.'
2.Retrieval race: in 60 seconds, list every word from this lesson you can remember, then check what you missed.
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to draw on (a source), to follow X (in arguing / against Y), to lean on (a source / a claim), to qualify (a source's claim), in conversation with (the literature), to misattribute (a position to)
3.Use "to draw on (a source)" in a sentence about a completely different topic from the lesson.
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to use a source as an analytic resource
4.Use "to follow X (in arguing / against Y)" in a sentence about a completely different topic from the lesson.
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to align with one source while disagreeing with another
5.Use "to lean on (a source / a claim)" in a sentence about a completely different topic from the lesson.
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to rely heavily on, often more than the source can bear
6.Teach it back: explain Reporting verbs as stance to someone who has never met it, in under 45 seconds.
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Reporting verbs at C2: (a) NEUTRAL ATTRIBUTION ('reports', 'notes', 'observes'); (b) ENDORSING ('demonstrates', 'establishes', 'shows convincingly'); (c) CAUTIOUSLY POSITIONING ('suggests', 'argues', 'maintains'); (d) CRITICAL ('overstates', 'claims', 'asserts without sufficient ground', 'concedes'). The choice signals where YOU stand before any explicit critique.
7.Where in your past writing have you over-relied on 'states' and 'mentions'?