Page 209 - English - Teaching Academic Esl Writing

LEXICAL CLASSES OF VERBS 195
in general knowledge. But when knowledge is_more complex, scientists begin to choose special partfrom knowledge as a whole. Theirjobs become more specialized. This special approach in science is_important because scientists can accurately make conclusions.... The new approach in research is_important because by this approach scientists can ex- plain a phenomenon or solve a complicated problem. When science is_mature, then re- search needs more special knowledge, and technical knowledge becomes essential. (From a student paper on the history of science.)
To deal with a high number of simplistic linking verb + adjective struc- tures, the issue of sentence compactness needs to be explicitly addressed. For example, if the predicative adjective is moved and placed in front of the subject noun, the second half (the predicate) of the sentence can be "freed up" to include more information (see chap. 9 on adjectives).
science is complex -> complex science (requires specialized knowledge) science is mature —>• mature science
technical knowledge becomes essential -> essential technical knowledge (can lead to more accurate conclusions)
jobs become specialized —> specialized jobs
In classroom instruction, the teaching of copula and linking verbs often takes place at the beginning levels of proficiency because the uses and func- tions of these verbs are relatively uncomplicated. However, as the students' proficiency continues to increase in the course of language study, more di- verse constructions and text functions of other lexical verbs should be brought to the forefront.
3 LOGICAL-SEMANTIC RELATIONSHIP VERBS
In formal academic texts, certain verb classes refer to concepts, causes, proofs, embodiments of knowledge, and other complex relationships be- tween actions and events (Halliday, 1994). The function of logical-semantic relationship verbs is to refer to the construction of knowledge by establish- ing cause and/or providing proof for events or denoting a change in the state of affairs. Although the lexical content of some of these verbs is ad- vanced, their contextual uses do not need to be.
accompany allow (for) approximate belong to change account (for) alternate (with) arise (from) cause combine (with)
3 verbs.
Some of these verbs are mentioned earlier in this chapter among the essential academic
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