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ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS 229
2. This paper evaluates the general/basic principles of Keynesian econom- ics/economic injustice ...
3. In this essay, I will argue that the single most important factor in the success of recycling/the increase of sports gambling is ...
Additional adjectivesemployed to delimit broad noun meanings in aca- demic prose consist of the seven most frequent (Biber et al., 1999).
Topic delimiters are usually derived from nouns (e.g., finance-fi- nancial or politics-political), and these are ubiquitously used in thesis statements, as well as introductory and opening paragraphs, when writers need to orient the reader to the main points made in the essay (Swales, 1990a).
The Most Common Adjectives Used as Topic Classifiers
economic international national public human local political social
These adjectives have the function of narrowing down the scope of the main topic noun:
1. My essay discussesand outlines thepolitical beliefs held byAmericans prior to/ before the beginning of the cold war.
2. This essay describes and explores social impact of television viewing on public attitudes and behaviors.
3. This paper explains the human and economic outcomes of/factors in/con- siderations of teen marriage.
WRITING FROM SOURCES AND EVALUATIVE ADJECTIVES/ADVERBS
Most academic papers and assignments of any length are expected to be based on information obtained from published sources such as books, arti- cles, reports, or print news. Thus, following the thesis statement, the dis- course frame moves to supporting information that takes the form of summaries, paraphrasing, or citations from sources (Swales, 1990a; Swales & Feak, 1994). Usually in academic papers or assignments, in addition to simply making summaries and paraphrasing information, writers are ex- pected to evaluate their sources and the opinions expressed in them criti- cally. According to Swales and Feak (1994), for instance, in literature
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