Study the notes for the essay below and write a conclusion in about 100 words.

The vital final part of the writing process, proof-reading can prevent confusion and misunderstanding of your work. Although most word-processing programmes check your spelling, they will not detect other common types of mistakes. 1. Before handing in any piece of written work for marking, it is important to check it carefully for errors that may distort your meaning or even make your work difficult to understand. The following examples each contain one common type of error. Underline the error and match it to the list of error types in the box. i factual; ii word ending; iii punctuation; iv tense; v vocabulary; vi spelling; vii singularplural; viii style; ix missing word; x unnecessary word a The natural poorness of Japan has been overcome … b In 1980 in the United States there are 140,000 people who … c Actually, hardly any of these has succeeded … d … to choose the most suitable area in which they can success. e Chinese history reflects in real social and cultural changes. f The highest rate of imprisonment was regestred in the USA … g Malaria is on the increase in countries such as Africa … h I am very interested in German economy … i … the french system is quite different. j You don’t always know which method is best. 2. When proof-reading, it is a good idea to exchange texts with another student, since you may become over-familiar with your own work. However, even in exam conditions, when this is not possible, it is vital to spend a few minutes checking through your work, for this may reveal careless errors that can be quickly corrected. Underline and correct the errors in the extracts below one or two in each. a The graph shows changes in the number of prisoners over five years 1930–1980. b … the way the government prepares his citizens to contribute in the development ... c Secondly, education not only teach people many knowledge … d However, weather it is the most important factor is the issue … e There has been a sharp decrease between 1930 and 1950. f The quality of a society depends in the education level. g America had the biggest figure for crime. 3. Proof-reading a longer text is more difficult. The following was written by a student who was asked to describe his background and future plans.

16. Proof-Reading

2.10 Style 3.9 Nouns and Adjectives 3.15 Punctuation 3.18 SingularPlural 3.19 Tenses cross reference Underline the errors and then write in suitable corrections. NB. As the subject is personal, a relatively informal style is acceptable here. I come from China, which is a very traditional country. I think before give my own situation and plan, I have to say something about my country, because her cultures effect me very much. My country has 5,000 years history, so in my brain there are a lot of thing which is from it. When I first arrived UK I studied in Cambridge, which is the best university all over the world. Although I just studied in a language school in Cambridge, I felt so good. I learned a lot not only from the school but also from the Cambridge society. That is why I choose Cambridge to learn my foundation course. The foundation course just for oversea studies to improve their English. I would like to study buiness, because when China join in WTO, my country will need a lot of people who know business very well. So I will choose business foundation course, computer and mathematics, because computer is very useful in modern society. In the future course I think the big problem is vocabulary, so I am planning to remember as many as I can. I will spend more time on mathematics, because I never learn it before. Another problem is to finish the homework in time. Sometimes I think the homework is no useful for me, so I just leave it, which is a bad customer. The last and the big is homesick, which always slow down my progress, but studying broad is my own choice, I have to try my best. Student Introduction The Elements of Writing are the various skills that are needed for most types of academic writing, whether a short report, a longer essay or a dissertation. Many essays, for example, begin by defining a term in the title Unit 4, then make some generalisations about the subject Unit 7, before going on to provide examples of the main areas the writer wishes to examine Unit 6. Throughout the essay the writer needs to provide references to sources used Unit 9 and to employ an appropriate academic style Unit 10. Most academic subjects also require discussion of numbers Unit 8, and graphs and charts Unit 12. The model essays in Part 4 provide examples of how these various elements are employed in one text Part 4 Unit 4. In the case of Units 3 and 5 Comparisons and Discussion, students should note that the comparison or discussion might apply to the overall pattern of the essay or to just one section. It is common, for instance, for longer essays to have a discussion section before the conclusion. In either case similar structures can be used. There is no fixed order for working on the units in Elements of Writing. They are organised alphabetically for easy access, but most students will have their own priorities. Business students, for example, might choose to begin by working on Visual Information Unit 12.

2. Elements of Writing