Writing essays and dissertations can be a major concern for overseas students studying at English-medium colleges and universities. Virtually all courses contain a large degree of written assessment and it is essential to ensure that your writing skills meet the necessary standard. | 90 Elements of Writing oss-r Comparisons Numbers 4. as the cosmopolitan lifestyle the city provides. Many international students attend British universities. Most welcome the chance to meet classmates from all over the world and all are pleased to have the chance to improve their English. When he goes home to Shanghai Li Pang will have a network of international contacts to support his future career. Overgeneralising This means making statements which are too simple or inaccurate. For example using income figures from the table below a writer might claim People were much richer in 1999 than 20 years earlier. This ignores inflation over the period. It is more accurate to say Average incomes in 1999 were nearly four times higher than in 1979. Changes in key economic indicators in the UK 1979-1999 Britain 1979 1989 1999 Inflation rate Interest rate 12 Unemployment Average income 5 000 11 700 19 000 Average house price 19 800 61 500 68 300 Each of the following contain overgeneralisation. Rewrite them more accurately. a Between 1979 and 1999 the worst period for unemployment was 1989. b Inflation fell steadily for 20 years after 1979. c There was a dramatic rise in house prices in these two decades. d Interest rates peaked in 1989. Generalisations 91 5. Study the table below and complete the generalisations. Regional population in 2000 and forecasts for 2100 with over 60 years old Region 2000 over 60 2100 over 60 N. America 314 16 454 40 W. Europe 456 20 392 45 S. Asia 1 367 7 1 958 35 S. America 515 8 934 33 N. Africa 173 6 333 32 a By 2100 nearly half the population of W Europe may b The population of N. Africa may. c S. Asia and S. America both have. d W Europe is likely to experience a. e By 2100 all these regions may. 6. Read the text on Dreams and write five generalisations using the data. A recent survey on dreams completed by over 10 000 people found that 68 of all dreams came into the anxiety category. Being chased
