The Given-New Principle Jan-Mikael Rybicki Language Centre [email protected] Kenneth Pennington Language Centre [email protected]

The Given-New Principle

Jan-Mikael RybickiLanguage Centre

[email protected]

Kenneth PenningtonLanguage Centre

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

• Our knowledge and information about world accumulates over time

• Verb

• Noun (substantiivi)

• Adjective

• Adverb

The dog quickly ate all the old food that was also left on the table.




• Preposition







(Passive)(Active)

Task 1: Parts of SpeechUnderline the words representing each of the following grammatical classes.

•Noun Phrase (noun-plus-modifier combination)

Countable

•Noun (substantiivi)

Pronoun Non-countable

Tables usually have four legs.

Water can be dangerous.

We have an emergency.

A potential buyer has arrived.

The growing demand for asphalt is surprising.

The EU has established strict limitations on the size of plates that can be handled.

’’Head nouns” are underlined

Which of these units of information is the most important?

Circle the verbs and underline subject in the following text.

1Compressed hydrogen tanks are made from a strong but lightweight

material such as carbon fiber. 2Currently, these systems carry about

5,000 *pounds per square inch of hydrogen, but the goal is 10,000 psi

to improve vehicle range. 3For safety purposes, the tank must have a

burst strength at least twice the pressure of the fuel. 4Thus, the tanks

must be made from materials that are either very heavy or very

expensive. 5These tanks are also quite large, creating packaging

problems in the vehicles.

.

Task 2: Identifying Noun Phrases










.











.











.











.











.


1. Put

2.

3.

4.

Four key principles:

Put Given before New Information

Put "Topical" Information in Subject Position

Put "Light" Before "Heavy" NPs

What is the optimal order for NPs?

How to make your text reader-friendly?

Avoid weak verbs

Information in a sentence

Given New

Begin sentences with information that is familiar (given) to your reader.

Place any new information about the topic at the end of a sentence.

Finland is located in the northern Europe but is not a part of Scandinavia.

A water molecule consists of two hydrogen and one oxygen atoms.

Subject Verb Object / Adverb

The speed of light (c) equals to 299 792 458 metres per second in a vacuum.

Finland is classified as a Nordic country.

Readability principles

What is GIVEN Info?

• Concepts or objects that have already been discussed or are presumed to be understood from the context.

What is NEW Info?

• Concepts or objects that have not already been discussed or presumed to be known from the context.

Topical progression

1. Constant Topic

2. Step-wise Topic

3. Hypertopic

Three patterns for linking Given information

1. Constant Topic

1. …hydrogen tanks are made from…

2. …these systems carry…

3. …the tank must have…

4. … the tanks must be made from….

5. These tanks are also quite large…

Topical progression

Topical progression

2. Step-wise Topic1 …organic waste …shredder and cut into pieces.

2The shredded pieces … mixed with manure and bio-sludge.

3The mixture … a homogenization process.

4The homogenized biomass … pasteurization tanks...

5The pasteurized slurry …methane fermentation...

6The fermentation process…

Topical progression

3. Hypertopic1… PEM fuel cells face several challenges.

2Platinum catalysts are expensive and....3For this reason, catalyst improvements…

4New membranes more resistant to…

5… storage methods, such as...

6Cold starts from frozen internal water

Task 3

M-H Chang, D Das, PV Varde, M Pecht. Light emitting diodes reliability review. Microelectronics Reliability, 52(2012), pp. 762–782. Available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.microrel.2011.07.063.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.microrel.2011.07.063

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.microrel.2011.07.063

TEXT PART 1

M-H Chang, D Das, PV Varde, M Pecht. Light emitting diodes reliability review. Microelectronics Reliability, 52(2012), pp. 762–782.

(1) Does the author maintain given-new principle?(2) If yes, which patterns of topical progression are used?Tip: Underline subjects and circle the main verbs.

Text 1


Text 1

Given info / subject

Yes

Constant topic : LEDs (given)- Each sentence provides new information on LEDs.

TEXT PART 2


Text 2


Text 2

Hyper-topic sentence with four subtopics

(1) Does the author maintain given-new principle?(2) If yes, which patterns of topical progression are used?

Yes (but one exception)

Hypertopic pattern: LED application areas

Better ordering:

For LCD backlights, LEDs are used as a light source in products such as …

Text 2

Hyper-topic sentence with four subtopics


Yes

Hypertopic pattern: LED application areas

Constant topic

Text 2

Hyper-topic sentence with subtopics

Hypertopic: LED application areas

• Notice how subtopics appear in the paragraph in the exact same order as in the topic sentence.

• Notice also the repeated keywords (i.e., subtopics)

LED application areas include (1) LCD backlights, (2) displays, (3) transportation equipment lighting, and (4) general lighting (see Table 1).

1) For LCD backlights, LEDs are used as a light source … 2) Display applications … 3) Examples of transportation equipment lighting areas … 4) General lighting applications …

TEXT PART 3


Text 3


Text pt3


Yes

Constant and Step-wise topic

Constant

Step-wise

The introductory phrase ”In this process,” is used to shift topical focus to ”fusing of ...”

Step-wise

The topic”carbonization of the encapsulant” is repeated to ensure cohesion.

OPTIMAL ORDERING OF NOUN PHRASES

1.

2.

3.

4.


Put Given Information Before New Information

Keep Topical Information in "Subject" Position


Put "Action" into the Verb

Often many NPs carry GIVEN info:

Which should go in subject position?

• NP that carries information most closely related to the paragraph topic!

Put “Topical" info in the Subject

Unlike Finnish:

• English sentences always have an agent or “doer”!

Tänään Ø sataa lunta. (who or what is raining?)

It is snowing today. (dummy “it”)

Huoneessa Ø on kolme ikkunaa (what has three windows?)

There are three windows in the room. (dummy “there”)

Put "Topical" info in the Subject

The room has / contains three windows.

Unlike Finnish:

• English has no “headless horsemen”!

Kuvassa 2 Ø esitetään työmotivaatioon yhteydessä olevat tekijät.

In figure 2 Ø is presented the factors associated with work motivation.

Figure 2 presents the factors associated with work motivation.

Put “Topical" info into the Subject


1.

2.

3.

4.






Put "Light" before "Heavy"

1We have received and acted upon requests for equipment from several branch offices. 2We have sent the research, development, and testing office in Chicago a gas analyzer.

Object of Preposition

to the research, development, and testing office in Chicago

Direct object

a gas analyzerhave sentWe

Direct object

a gas analyzer.Indirect object

the research, development, and testing office in Chicagohave sentWe

Limits to Human Info Processing: 7±2 items

a gas analyzer.

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 2 3 1

Indirect object12 13 14

the research, development, and testing office in Chicagohave sentWe

11 12 13 14 15

7 8 9 10 4 5 6 2 31

and testing office in Chicago

Object of PrepositionDirect object

to the research, development, a gas analyzerhave sentWe

BETTER:

SUBJECT (= 23 words)

The idea of designing an economical AM/FM receiver that is both affordable for the average consumer and profitable for the company was presented.

Avoid Top-Heavy Subjects!

that is both affordable for the average consumer and profitable for the company

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

This study presents the design of an economical AM/FM receiver

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

BETTER: Light Heavy

Processing and Counting

At the IEEE conference held last June in Honolulu, we presented our design for an economical AM/FM receiver that is both affordable for the average consumer and profitable for the company.

Where to start counting?

Introductory Phrases:

Up to comma [,] processed as one unit

LIGHT HEAVY , LIGHT HEAVY

our design for an economical AM/FM receiver that is both affordable for the average consumer and profitable for the company.

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

At the IEEE conference held last June in Honolulu, we presented

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2

VERBSUBJECT

BEST!

ACCEPTABLE (if subject not too long)

BAD!

VERB SUBJECT

VERBSUBJECT

WORST!!

VERBSUBJECT

Balancing Information Elements

Strategies to reorder information(… and to avoid end-verbs)

1. Passive-Active Shift

2. Equative Shift

3. Animate-Inanimate Shift

4. Personal-Impersonal Shift

5. Means-Purpose Shift

6. Introductory “It”

7. Existential “There”

8. Resultative –ing clause

9. Purpose clause

10.Split relative clause

11. Nominalization

12.When + -ing

13.Reorder clauses

14.Default subject

1. Passive‑Active Alternation

[Active]

Engineers NEED good English language skills.

2. Equative Shift

One form of pollution IS air pollution.

Air pollution IS one form of pollution.

by engineers.Good language skills ARE NEEDED[Passive]


In this report, systems that use speech recognition are described.

3. Animate-Inanimate ShiftIn this report, systems that use speech recognition are described.

describes[active]

This report systems that use speech recognition.

In this report, we systems that use speech recognition.describe[active]

[PURPOSE] [MEANS]

The humidity ratio was calculated (by) using Equation 8.


to calculate [PURPOSE]

the humidity ratio.Equation 8 was used [MEANS]

It would be necessary to add heat and thus raise the temperature of the gas before expanding it in the turbine.

6. Introductory “It” (dummy subject)

Adding heat and thus raising the temperature of the gas before expanding it in the turbine would be necessary.

IT would be necessary

The fact that different objects with similar frequency spectra can interfere with each other has been reported [2].

has been reportedIT that different objects with similar frequency spectra interfere with each other [2].

Avoid overusing dummy “It”

"It" can be used as a dummy subject with only a limited number of verbs.

It would be necessary to add heat and thus raise the temperature of the gas before expanding it in the turbine.

6. Introductory “It” (dummy subject)

Adding heat and thus raising the temperature of the gas before expanding it in the turbine would be necessary.

7. Existential “There” (dummy subject)A processor overhead associated with reconfiguration is available.

IT would be necessary

a processor overhead associated with reconfiguration.There is

There are several important factors that / which must be considered in the design of a nuclear power plant.

There are several important factors that / which must be considered in the design of a nuclear power plant.

Avoid overusing “There is”

Use the dummy “there” only when starting a new topic:

Once upon a time, there was a little girl called Little red riding hood.....

Dummy “there” hides the action (verb) in a noun:

Several important factors must be considered in the design of a nuclear power plant.

The laser light forms an EM field, thus slowing the vibration of the atoms.

8. Resultative –ing (so that thus + -ing)

… forms an EM field, so that the vibration of the atoms is slowed.

9. Purpose clause (so that ---> to infinitive) … algorithm clones a procedure, so that the code can be optimized.

...algorithm selectively clones a procedure to optimize the code.

An It would be necessa that can facilitate fast image browsing.

10. Split relative clause (that / which)

An algorithm that can facilitate fast image browsing is proposed.

11. Nominalization (verb ---> noun)

Health experts fear that technology addiction will increase.

An algorithm

an increase [noun]

Health experts fear in technology addiction.

is proposed

a PMR solution.

12. When / before / after + -ing

… is an important factor when a PMR solution is selected.

13. Reorder clauses

… is an important factor when selecting

Various algorithms to generate testing automata have been developed.

Various algorithms have been developed to generate testing automata.

14. Find a Default Subject Many ... measuring devices for computer input have been developed.

Many studies have developed gesture measuring devices for...

Strategies to reorder information

1. Passive-Active Shift

2. Equative Shift

3. Animate-Inanimate Shift



6. Introductory “It”

7. Existential “There”

8. Resultative –ing clause

9. Purpose clause

10.Split relative clause

11. Nominalization

12.When + -ing

13.Reorder clauses

14.Default subject

Task 3

Revise the following top-heavy sentences to meet "light-heavy" criteria.

1. Chemical processes from fossil fuels, hydrolysis of water with oxygen as a by-product, or thermal decomposition can produce hydrogen.

2. To overcome these limitations, an automated test system capable of flexibly handling a wide variety of test conditions was developed.

3. Using our methodology, these interactions can be automatically detected.

1. Hydrogen _____________ chemical processes from fossil fuels, by hydrolysis of water with oxygen as a by-product, or by thermal decomposition can produce.

(Which strategy?)



1. Hydrogen can be produced by chemical processes from fossil fuels, by hydrolysis of water with oxygen as a by-product, or by thermal decomposition.

(Strategy: 1. Active-Passive Shift)



Task 3






2. To overcome these limitations, ____________ was developed an automated test system capable of flexibly handling a wide variety of test conditions.

(What is topical?)



2. To overcome these limitations, we developed an automated test system capable of flexibly handling a wide variety of test conditions.

(Strategy: 4. impersonal-personal shift justifying choices)



2. To overcome these limitations, ________ developed an automated test system capable of flexibly handling a wide variety of test conditions.

Other possible topics?



2. To overcome these limitations, this study developed an automated test system capable of flexibly handling a wide variety of test conditions.

(Strategy: 3. Animate-Inanimate shift)



2. To overcome these limitations, this thesis developed an automated test system capable of flexibly handling a wide variety of test conditions.


But also…


Diplomityö



(Strategy: 5. Means-Purpose shift)



2. These limitations were overcome by developing an automated test system capable of flexibly handling a wide variety of test conditions.




2. These limitations were overcome through the development of an automated test system capable of flexibly handling a wide variety of test conditions.



Task 3





(possible topic?)




means (Finnish: keino)



3. Our methodology can be used to detect these interactions automatically and compositionally.

(Strategy: 5. Means-Purpose shift) But also…



3. Our methodology can be used for detecting these interactions automatically and compositionally.

(Strategy: 5. Means-Purpose shift) But also…



3. Our methodology can be used for the automatic and compositional detection of these interactions.


Any other strategies?

Task 3




3. Our methodology was used for the automatic and compositional detection of these interactions.

(Strategy: 5. Means-Purpose shift) Any other strategies?




(Strategy: 13. Reorder clauses)



3. Using our methodology, these interactions can be automatically detected _________________.




3. Using our methodology, these interactions can be automatically detected _________________.


automatically and compositionally



3. Using our methodology, these interactions can be automatically and composit detected __________________________.


automatically and compositionally



3. Using our methodology, these interactions can be detected __________________________.


automatically and compositionally.


Task 3




3. These interactions can be automatically detected using our methodology.



Task 3










3. Using our methodology can be detected these interactions automatically and compositionally.




3. Our methodology can detect these interactions automatically and compositionally.

(Strategy: 3. Animate-Inanimate shift) Where to put adverbs?



3. Our methodology CAN automatically DETECT these interactions.

(Strategy: 3. Animate-Inanimate shift) Mid-position(within the

verb)

Task 3


4. Further work is required so that safety standards regarding the storage and recycling of spent nuclear waste can be developed.

5. In this study, a technique that scans and labels pixels into components based on pixel connectivity was used.

6. The process of sorting through large amounts of data and picking out relevant information is known as data mining.





(Strategy: 9. so that to infinitive)



4. Further work is required (in order) to develop safety standards regarding the storage and recycling of spent nuclear waste.

(Strategy: 9. so that to infinitive)



Task 3


4. Further work is required to develop safety standards regarding the storage and recycling of spent nuclear waste..












5. This study ___________ a technique that scans and labels pixels into components based on pixel connectivity was used.




5. This study uses a technique that scans and labels pixels into components based on pixel connectivity was used.




5. This study uses a technique that scans and labels pixels into components based on pixel connectivity.




Task 3


4. Further work is required to develop safety standards regarding the storage and recycling of spent nuclear waste.



Relative clause



(Strategy: 10. Split relative clause)



5. In this study, a technique __________ that scans and labels pixels into components based on pixel connectivity was used.




5. In this study, a technique was used that scans and labels pixels into components based on pixel connectivity was used.




5. In this study, a technique was used that scans and labels pixels into components based on pixel connectivity.



Task 3







6. __________ the process of sorting through large amounts of data and picking out relevant information is known as data mining.



6. Data mining ___________ the process of sorting through large amounts of data and picking out relevant information is known as.



6. Data mining is the process of sorting through large amounts of data and picking out relevant information.

(Strategy: 2. Equative shift)

Definition

Task 3


7. Trees shelter buildings through direct shading and evapotranspiration, so that the costs of heating in the winter and cooling in summer will be reduced.

8. The fact that LED brake lights improve highway safety by giving drivers 0.5 seconds more time to react than conventional lights has been reported.

9. Some basic experiments must be conducted before the simulation can begin.







7. Trees shelter buildings through direct shading and evapotranspiration, thus reducing the costs of heating in the winter and cooling in summer.

(Strategy: 8. Resultative ‘-ing’)



Always requires a comma!

7. Trees shelter buildings through direct shading and evapotranspiration, thereby reducing the costs of heating in the winter and cooling in summer.

(Strategy: 8. Resultative ‘-ing’)



Both thus or thereby

Task 3



8. The fact that LED brake lights improve highway safety by giving drivers 0.5 seconds more time to react than conventional lights has been reported [1-5].









8. It has been reported that LED brake lights improve highway safety by giving drivers 0.5 seconds more time to react than conventional lights [1-5].

(Strategy: 6. ‘dummy’ it)



Task 3



8. Numerous studies have reported that LED brake lights improve highway safety by giving drivers 0.5 seconds more time to react than conventional lights [1-5].

(Strategy: 14. Default subject)



Task 3



8. __________ have reported that LED brake lights improve highway safety by giving drivers 0.5 seconds more time to react than conventional lights [1-5].



8. Many researchers [1-5] have reported that LED brake lights improve highway safety by giving drivers 0.5 seconds more time to react than conventional lights [1-5].

(Strategy: 14. Default subject)







9. Some basic experiments must be conducted BEFORE beginning the simulation.

(Strategy: 12. When / Before / After + -ing)

Task 3


10. The participation of women in almost all professional fields during the past decade has greatly increased.

11. Writing the mass number as a subscript to the left of the chemical symbol (e.g., 65Cu) can be used to name isotopes.

12. In the next section, the verified interconnection scheme is briefly described.

10. The participation of women in almost all professional fields during the past decade has greatly increased.



Task 3


10. The participation of women in almost all professional fields during the past decade has increased

(Strategy: move adverb to the end…)



GREATLY.


Task 3


10. There has been a great increase in the participation of women in almost all professional fields during the past decade.

(Strategy: 7. ‘Dummy’ there)




Task 3


10. The participation of women professional fields during the past decade .

(Strategy: 13. Re-order clauses)



in almost allhas increased10. The participation of women has increased in all professional fields during the past decade.




Task 3


10. The participation of women has increased in almost all professional fields during the past decade.



10. The participation of women has increased in the participation of women in almost all professional fields during the past decade.



isotopes

10. The participation of women has increased in all professional fields during the past decade.

11. Isotopes can be named by writing the mass number as a subscript to the left of the chemical symbol (e.g., 65Cu).

(Strategy: 5. Means-purpose)


Task 3







12. The next section describes the verified interconnection scheme is briefly described.

Where should the adverb go?



12. The next section briefly describes the verified interconnection scheme.



1.

2.

3.

4.






1. Avoid ’’there is…”

Put Action into the Verb

There are several important factors that must be considered in the design of a nuclear power plant.

Ø Several important factors Ø must be considered in the design of a nuclear power plant.

Where is the action?

2. Avoid generic verbs


An analysis of the framework was performed using standard criteria.

The action is hiding in the noun phrase!

2. Avoid generic verbs


An analysis of the framework was performed using standard criteria.

The framework was analyzed using standard criteria.

Generic Verbs:

perform, do, make, achieve, accomplish, carry out, conduct

The action moved from the noun phrase

to the verb!Topical

information is placed at beginning

3. Avoid using "to be" to hide action


The first developer of the JavaScript language was Netscape.

The JavaScript language was first developed by Netscape.

What is the action here?

Shift topic to beginning of NPs

4. Avoid "to be" to introduce numerical results

The substrate thickness of the DVD is only 0.6 mm.

The DVDThe DVD has a substrate thickness of only 0.6 The DVD has a substrate thickness of only 0.6 mm.

1. The result of a long service interruption time is the loss of IP packets during the cell reselection procedure.

2. The most common use of holography is to display static 3-D pictures.

3. There is a wide range of disciplines contributing to the developments in nanostructure science and technology worldwide.

4. The predictions of flawed computer climate models were that man-made global warming should have already begun to affect our climate in 1950.

Task 4The following sentences contain weak verbs. How would you make the sentences clearer and more effective?

3. There is a wide range of disciplines that contributes to the developments in nanostructure science and technology worldwide.

3. A wide range of disciplines contributes to developments in nanostructure science and technology worldwide.

1. A long service interruption time results in the loss of IP packets during the cell reselection procedure.

2. Holography is most commonly used to display static 3-D pictures.

4. Flawed computer climate models predicted that man-made global warming should have already begun to affect our climate in 1950.

5. Plagiarism is the “use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one’s original work”.

5. Plagiarism is defined as the “use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one’s original work”.

6. The surface of the inkjet-printed films was relatively smooth, and the root mean square (RMS) average roughness of the surface was 3.5 nm.

7. Dramatic modifications were made to the model, as further analysis of the data revealed unexpected errors.

6. The surface of the inkjet-printed films was relatively smooth, and the surface had a root mean square (RMS) average roughness of

3.5 nm.


7. The model was dramatically modified, as further analysis of the data revealed unexpected errors.

5. Plagiarism refers to the “use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one’s original work”.


8. The reconstruction of the hammer-beam roof was done by a team of specialists in medieval architecture.

10. In all electric-generating wind turbines, there are four basic components: a rotor, electrical generator, speed control system, and a tower.

9. There have been significant improvements in performance and usability since the first models were introduced in 2001.

10. All electric-generating wind turbines consist of four basic components: a rotor, electrical generator, speed control system, and a tower.

8. The hammer-beam roof was reconstructed by a team of specialists in medieval architecture.

9. Performance and usability have significantly improved since the first models were introduced in 2001.Peform

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The Given-New Principle Jan-Mikael Rybicki Language Centre [email protected] Kenneth Pennington Language Centre [email protected]