Tim Johns' Kibbitzers

These are ideas Tim created for language teaching, usually based on problems he had met in his work in English for Academic Purposes at Birmingham University.

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1. Connotation: incessant v. steadfast	PDF
2. Blending: as-clause & that-clause	PDF
3. Collocation: take (on) a job	PDF
4. Topicalisation: As to etc.	PDF
5. By v. Using	PDF
6. Data: Singular or Plural?	PDF
6a Data: singular or plural? More evidence from academic writing and speaking: PDF only	PDF
7. Logical Connectives: Reason-result or Part-whole?	PDF
8. Illustrate v. Account for/Explain	PDF
9. Can a superconductor expel a magnetic field?	PDF key
10. Population which or Population who?	PDF
11. Predict v. Forecast	PDF
12. Offering Insights	PDF
13. Enable v. Facilitate	PDF
14. Premature Evaluation	PDF
15. Which Verb for the Adverb?	PDF
16. Composing or Compiling Information?	PDF
17. Closely related or Deeply related?	PDF
18. So far v. Hitherto	PDF
19. The Overworked 'It' (Part One)	PDF
20. Cross-reference of relative pronouns	PDF key
21. Reason to v. Reason for	PDF
22. Structuring a list	PDF
23. Improve (on)	PDF
24. Cause v. lead to v. bring about	PDF
25. Topic prominence	PDF
26. In Fact	PDF
27. Comparing Like with Like	PDF
28. Facts and Ideas	PDF key
29. Making Measurements	PDF
30. Heavy Subjects	PDF
31. Read widely v. widely read	PDF
32. Academic Modesty	PDF
33. By contrast, etc.	PDF
34. Taking Part in Activities	PDF
35. The Overworked 'It' (Part Two)	PDF
36. Making a Transition	PDF
37. Mention	PDF key
38. Starting from the Right Place	PDF
39. Adding Feet to the Snake	PDF
40. View	PDF key
41. It is recommended that ...	PDF key
42. Emphatic 'do'	PDF
43. Although ... but	PDF
44. 'Same or worse than'	PDF
45. Shortcomings v. shortfall	PDF
46. Spelling checker problems	PDF
47. Blending: oblique and subject	PDF
48. The or no the? (1)	PDF key
49. In accordance with v. According to	PDF
50. Pose	PDF
51. In turn	PDF key
52. Throwing Light On	PDF
53. Structuring Complex Noun Groups	PDF key
54. Challenges and Opportunities	PDF
55. Specificity	PDF
56. Whose Argument?	PDF
57. Topic & Comment	PDF
58. The Overworked 'It' (Part Three)	PDF key
59. Discourage, Prevent etc.	PDF key
60. Cross-reference through Repetition	PDF
61. What are tests for?	PDF
62. In terms of etc	PDF
63. Existence v. Presence	PDF key
64. Express	PDF
65. Show an Increase/Decrease	PDF
66. Hypothetical or Real?	PDF
67. Too v. so	PDF key
68. Until now v. To date	PDF key
69. Connotations in Contrast	PDF key
70. Apology not needed	PDF
71. Countering arguments by raising objections	PDF key
72. Describe that?	PDF
73. Easy to be done	PDF key
74. Stress on	PDF
75. The question remains	PDF
76. Order of Events	PDF
77. Predominate	PDF
78. Getting the Theme right	PDF

Tim Johns' Kibbitzers

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Copyright Tim Johns and University of Birmingham