Scientific English Course Master 1st Level AACQ & Veg Prod

Academic Year 2019-2020, 2nd Sem

Academic Vocabulary

Scientific text is precise, impersonal and objective. It typically uses the third person, the
passive tense, complex terminology, and various footnoting and referencing systems. Good
scientific writing is characterised by objectivity.

Adjectives, nouns:

The table below gives you an example of most common items used in academic writing,
Use a dictionary to check the exact meaning, write it.

Adjectives Nouns Meaning

achievable achievement
acquired acquisition
analytical analysis
contributory contribution/ contributor
creative creation
definitive definition
derived derivation
distributive distribution/ distributor
emphatic emphasis
evaluative evaluation
hypothetical hypothesis
indicative indication/ indicator
interpretative interpretation
invested investment
predictive prediction/ predictor
reliable reliability
responsive response
significant significance
synthetic synthesis
variable variation/ variable

Task1:

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Complete the third case with the appropriate verb derived from the adjectives and nouns
above

Adjectives Nouns Verb

achievable achievement
acquired acquisition
analytical analysis
contributory contribution/ contributor
creative creation
definitive definition
derived derivation
distributive distribution/ distributor
emphatic emphasis
evaluative evaluation
hypothetical hypothesis
indicative indication/ indicator
interpretative interpretation
invested investment
predictive prediction/ predictor
reliable reliability
responsive response
significant significance
synthetic synthesis
variable variation/ variable

Task 2: Put the most suitable word ending in each sentence.

a) Green chemistry is pred……………….. to be clean and safe to the environnement,
b) A signif…………………. difference was observed between the experiments,
c) The increase var………………. between 9 and 11 degree,
d) the computer was creat……………………….. during the second world war,
e) you need a hypoth………………….. before starting your thesis,
f) the firm invest………………… all the budget to find solution to the actual disease,
g) the reviewers evaluat……………. the scientific work.
h) you need to find a substitute to the syn………………… product in use,
i) the conclusion is an important cont………………………. to the previous studies.

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Academic Adjectives:
The following table gives you opposite adjectives, put them in order, and retain them

Adjectives
absolute Objective
abstract Literal
logical Practical or empirical or pragmatic
metaphorical Irrational
precise Relative
rational Illogical
relevant Concrete
subjective Vague or approximate or rough
theoretical irrelevant

Adjectives Their opposites

absolute

abstract

logical

metaphorical

precise

rational

relevant

subjective

theoretical

Academic Vocabulary:

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In writing, academics use many expressions which are neutral, but they also use rather
formal expressions which are not common in everyday language. Knowing whether an
expression is formal or just neutral is important.

neutral More formal

In short, briefly, basically In sum, to sum up
only Sole(ly)
Almost/more or less virtually
try attempt
Mainly/mostly primarily
Typical of Characteristic of

Academic language tries to be clear and precise, so it is important to keep a vocabulary

notebook and learn also the differences between similar words,
-Remarque:

Academic language puts a lot of information into noun phrases rather than spreading it out
over a whole sentence. For example, instead of saying Radiation was accidentally released
over a 24-hour period, damaging a wide area for a long time, an academic might say The
accidental release of radiation over a 24-hour period caused widespread long-term damage.
That why it is therefore important to learn the different forms of a word, for example:

noun verb Adjective(s) Adverb(s)

accident - accidental accidentally
Quantity/quantification quantify Quantitative/quantifiable Quantitatively/
quantifiably

To develop your academic vocabulary, you should study the Academic Word List (AWL). This
is a list of 570 items commonly used in academic texts across various disciplines, created by
Averil Coxhead at the School of Linguistics and Applied Language Studies at Victoria
University of Wellington, New Zealand.
In the next page you will find the Academic Word List, use a dictionary to search for their
exact meaning, use each noun in a new sentence.

Academic Wordlist

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List 1
Words 21- Words 31-
Words 1-10 Words 11-20 30 40 Words 41-50

achieve authority consistent distinction factors

administration available constitutional economic feature

affect benefit consumer element final

analysis category context environment financial

approach community create error focus

appropriate complex culture equation function

area concerning data establish global

aspects conclusion definition estimate identify

assistance conduct destructive evaluation impact

assume consequence discovery evidence income

Words 51- Words 71- Words 81- Words 91-

60 Words 61-70 80 90 100

indicate media policy regulations similar

individual method positive relevant solution

injury modern potential require source

investment normal previous research specific

involve obtain primary resident strategy

issue restrict process resources structure

item occur purchase response theory

legal participation range sector threat

maintenance percent recent security traditional

major period region significant transport

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List 2
Words 21- Words 31-
Words 1-10 Words 11-20 30 40 Words 41-50

access attitude constant demonstrate ensure

activity aware contact despite equivalent

alter capacity contribution dimension evolution

alternative challenge core domestic exclude

amendment circumstance correspond dominant exposure

annual comment criteria emerge external

apparent communication cycle emphasis facilitate

application concentration debate enable fundamental

approximate conflict decline energy funds

artificial considerable deduction enforcement generation

Words 51- Words 71- Words 81- Words 91-

60 Words 61-70 80 90 100

hence location occupation project sufficient

hypothesis logic option promote summary

illustrate marginal orientation proportion supply

image maximum outcome psychology task

immigration mechanism overall reaction technique

implement medical parallel remove technology

initial mental perspective resolution transition

integration modification philosophy specify trend

layer negative precise stability version

legislation network predict subsequent volume

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List 3
Words 21- Words 31-
Words 1-10 Words 11-20 30 40 Words 41-50

abstract author definite exceed identical

accurate brief deny expansion ignorance

acknowledge capable discrimination expert imply

adaptation civil disposal fees incentive

adequate classical diversity flexibility incorporated

adjust comprehensive domain foundation index

adult contrary dynamic gender infrastructure

advocate coordination eliminate global inhibition

aid couple equipment grade innovation

attribute decades estate guarantee instance

Words 51- Words 71- Words 81- Words 91-

60 Words 61-70 80 90 100

instruction minimum pursue simulation sustainable

intelligence monitoring rational solely symbolic

interact motivation recovery somewhat topic

interval neutral reject status trace

investigation obvious release stress transformation

isolated overseas reveal style ultimate

justification parameter role substitution underline

lecture phenomenon satisfy successive unique

liberal prohibit scope survey utility

migration publish sequence survive visible

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List 4

Words 11- Words 21- Words 31-

Words 1-10 20 30 40 Words 41-50

accommodatio
n behalf contradict devote exhibit

accompany bias controversy differentiation explicit

advance cease conversely diminish exploitation

analogous chart cooperate displacement extract

anticipate clarity crucial display federal

appendix coherence currency distorted fluctuations

appreciate coincide denote dramatic format

arbitrary commodity detect duration founded

assure confirm deviation ethical guidelines

automatically contemporary device eventually highlighted

Words 61- Words 71- Words 81- Words 91-

Words 51-60 70 80 90 100

implicit medium portion revision theme

incompatible military precede revolution thereby

predominantl
induce mutual y scenario uniform

inevitably norms priority schedule validity

inherent notion prospect sphere vehicle

intensity nuclear qualitative suspended via

intermediate objective radical target violation

internal paragraph random team virtual

manual passive reinforce temporary vision

mature perceive relax tension widespread

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List 5

Words 21-
Words 1-10 Words 11-20 30 Words 31-40 Words 41-50

abandon assembly compile creditable encounter

abate assessment complement deceive enhance

abrupt assign comprise depression enormous

accumulation attain conceive derive entirely

acquisition avert concurrent distribution entrepreneur

adjacent coal confined divergent erosion

aggregate collapse conform doubt forbearance

albeit colleagues confuse drastic forthcoming

ambiguous combat consciousness election frustration

ancestor commit convinced empirical goal

Words 51- Words 71- Words 91-
60 Words 61-70 80 Words 81-90 100

homogenous invoke ongoing reluctant substantiate

inclination justify overlap restore supplementary

indulge likewise persistent restraint sympathy

infer link pose rigid termination

initiative manage possess route transmission

insight manipulation preliminary sacrifice undergo

inspection merge presumption scale unify

integral nonetheless ratio so-called vital

notwithstandin
intervention g refine straightforward voluntary

intrinsic odd relate subordinate whereby

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