Key words in university study: Whole and parts

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Key words in university study: Whole and parts

When you write reports or give presentations you will often need to discuss the relationship between a whole and its parts. To do this you will need to use verbs such as contain and nouns such as constituent.

This dissertation contains six chapters.
The principal constituents of the Earth’s atmosphere are nitrogen and oxygen.

The verbs and nouns below are often used in academic communication. Look up the meanings, example sentences, pronunciation and translations of the words that you do not know by clicking the links. When you know the words, do the exercise below.

Verbs

1. categorise	Definition	Example sentences	Pronunciation	Chinese Translation
2. categorize	Definition	Example sentences	Pronunciation	Chinese Translation
3. classify	Definition	Example sentences	Pronunciation	Chinese Translation
4. composed	Definition	Example sentences	Pronunciation	Chinese Translation
5. comprise	Definition	Example sentences	Pronunciation	Chinese Translation
6. consist	Definition	Example sentences	Pronunciation	Chinese Translation
7. constitute	Definition	Example sentences	Pronunciation	Chinese Translation
8. cover	Definition	Example sentences	Pronunciation	Chinese Translation
9. embrace	Definition	Example sentences	Pronunciation	Chinese Translation
10. encompass	Definition	Example sentences	Pronunciation	Chinese Translation
11. form	Definition	Example sentences	Pronunciation	Chinese Translation
12. include	Definition	Example sentences	Pronunciation	Chinese Translation
13. incorporate	Definition	Example sentences	Pronunciation	Chinese Translation
14. involve	Definition	Example sentences	Pronunciation	Chinese Translation
15. make up	Definition	Example sentences	Pronunciation	Chinese Translation

Nouns

1. area	Definition	Example sentences	Pronunciation	Chinese Translation
2. aspect	Definition	Example sentences	Pronunciation	Chinese Translation
3. category	Definition	Example sentences	Pronunciation	Chinese Translation
4. class	Definition	Example sentences	Pronunciation	Chinese Translation
5. component	Definition	Example sentences	Pronunciation	Chinese Translation
6. compound	Definition	Example sentences	Pronunciation	Chinese Translation
7. division	Definition	Example sentences	Pronunciation	Chinese Translation
8. domain	Definition	Example sentences	Pronunciation	Chinese Translation
9. element	Definition	Example sentences	Pronunciation	Chinese Translation
10. entity	Definition	Example sentences	Pronunciation	Chinese Translation
11. field	Definition	Example sentences	Pronunciation	Chinese Translation
12. group	Definition	Example sentences	Pronunciation	Chinese Translation
13. portion	Definition	Example sentences	Pronunciation	Chinese Translation
14. sphere	Definition	Example sentences	Pronunciation	Chinese Translation

Exercise:
Complete each sentence by replacing the ? with one of the words in brackets. Make sure that the word is in the correct form; i.e. you might need to change the tense, voice or add an 's'. After you finish, click the 'Check All Answers' button to see the answers and feedback.

Exercise:
Complete each sentence by replacing the ? with one of the words in brackets. Make sure that the word is in the correct form; i.e. you might need to change the tense, voice or add an 's'.

1. My presentation ? into four sections. (divide, compose)

2. In this report, pollution ? as follows: atmospheric pollution, freshwater and sea pollution, and land pollution.(involve, classify)

3. Dr Wong’s main ? of study is construction technology in China. (field, element)

4. My report ? an analysis of the most important studies conducted since the 1980s.(form, include)

5. One of the most interesting ? of this project is how students go about planning their written assignments. (category, aspect)

6. The survey I conducted last year ? measuring air pollution on the outlying islands. (involve, make up)

7. This report ? students’ use of English both inside and outside the classroom. (form, encompass)

8. This chapter ? the results of my experiments together with those of my colleagues.(incorporate, involve)

9. My literature review ? six sections.(comprise, categorise)

10. Dr Siu’s new study ? the history of Hong Kong both before and after the British occupation.(form, cover)

Answer Key

Here are the answers:

1. Your answer is:
No answer yet.

The correct answer is 'My presentation is divided into four sections.'
The answer must be passive voice because a presentation can neither divide or compose itself. Composed cannot be correct, because things cannot be composed into, they are usually composed of.

Back to the questions

2. Your answer is:
No answer yet.

The correct answer is 'In this report, pollution is classified as follows: atmospheric pollution, freshwater and sea pollution, and land pollution.'
Involves does not have the correct meaning, as atmospheric pollution etc. are types of pollution, and dividing things into types is called classification. Using passive voice is correct academic style, as academic style generally avoids mentioning the author.

Back to the questions

3. Your answer is:
No answer yet.

The correct answer is 'Dr Wong’s main field of study is construction technology in China.'
An element is a smaller part of a bigger thing, but the sentence uses main, so element is probably not appropriate. In addition, field collocates (usually goes together with) of study, and element of study is an unusual phrase.

Back to the questions

4. Your answer is:
No answer yet.

The correct answer is 'My report includes an analysis of the most important studies conducted since the 1980s.'
The meaning of 'My report forms an analysis of the most important studies conducted since the 1980s.' would be that the aim of the report is to analyse these studies. However, academic reports usually have a literature review, and first analyse past research, and then move on to describe how the author’s research adds new information to the existing knowledge. Due to this common structure of academic writing, includes is more likely, as academic reports usually include a summary of previous studies.

Back to the questions

5. Your answer is:
No answer yet.

The correct answer is 'One of the most interesting aspects of this project is how students go about planning their written assignments.'
A category is one part of a classification. However, the sentence does not mention any classifications. An aspect is a feature of something, which fits the situation in the sentence better. After the phrase One of the most + adjective, countable nouns should be plural, as one of the shows that there is more than one.

Back to the questions

6. Your answer is:
No answer yet.

The correct answer is 'The survey I conducted last year involved measuring air pollution on the outlying islands.'
As the survey was last year, the alternative option would be 'The survey I conducted last year was made up of measuring air pollution on the outlying islands.' This is wrong because was made up of should be followed by the component parts of something, but in this sentence there is only one part - measuring the air pollution on outlying islands. In addition, made up of is a phrasal verb, and these are often seen as too informal for academic writing.

Back to the questions

7. Your answer is:
No answer yet.

The correct answer is 'This report encompasses students’ use of English both inside and outside the classroom.'
In this sentence encompasses means includes. If your answer is 'This report forms students’ use of English both inside and outside the classroom.', it means that the report controls and develops students’ use of English, and it is unlikely that a report would do this.

Back to the questions

8. Your answer is:
No answer yet.

The correct answer is 'This chapter incorporates the results of my experiments together with those of
my colleagues.'
Incorporates means includes things together. The alternative, involves, does not have this meaning of things being together.

Back to the questions

9. Your answer is:
No answer yet.

The correct answer is 'My literature review comprises six sections.' An alternative answer is 'My literature review is comprised of six sections', but is comprised of is not as common and is less acceptable.
It is unusual to categorise a literature review into sections, as single things, like my literature review, cannot be divided into categories.

Click here to see more examples of is comprised of

Back to the questions

10. Your answer is:
No answer yet.

The correct answer is 'Dr Siu’s new study covers the history of Hong Kong both before and after the British occupation.'
A study cannot form the history of Hong Kong, because form, as a verb, means to control and develop. Covers should have an 's' on the end as Dr. Siu’s new study is a single object and can be replaced by it.

Back to the questions

1. My presentation __________ into four sections. (divide, compose)

Question: 1. My presentation __________ into four sections. (divide, compose)

Answer:
The correct answer is 'My presentation is divided into four sections.' The answer must be passive voice because a presentation can neither divide or compose itself. Composed cannot be correct, because things cannot be composed into, they are usually composed of.

2. In this report, pollution __________ as follows: atmospheric pollution, freshwater and sea pollution, and land pollution.(involve, classify)

Question: 2. In this report, pollution __________ as follows: atmospheric pollution, freshwater and sea pollution, and land pollution.(involve, classify)

Answer:
The correct answer is 'In this report, pollution is classified as follows: atmospheric pollution, freshwater and sea pollution, and land pollution.' Involves does not have the correct meaning, as atmospheric pollution etc. are types of pollution, and dividing things into types is called classification. Using passive voice is correct academic style, as academic style generally avoids mentioning the author.

3. Dr Wong’s main __________ of study is construction technology in China. (field, element)

Question: 3. Dr Wong’s main __________ of study is construction technology in China. (field, element)

Answer:
The correct answer is 'Dr Wong’s main field of study is construction technology in China.' An element is a smaller part of a bigger thing, but the sentence uses main, so element is probably not appropriate. In addition, field collocates (usually goes together with) of study, and element of study is an unusual phrase.

4. My report __________ an analysis of the most important studies conducted since the 1980s.(form, include)

Question: 4. My report __________ an analysis of the most important studies conducted since the 1980s.(form, include)

Answer:
The correct answer is 'My report includes an analysis of the most important studies conducted since the 1980s.' The meaning of 'My report forms an analysis of the most important studies conducted since the 1980s.' would be that the aim of the report is to analyse these studies. However, academic reports usually have a literature review, and first analyse past research, and then move on to describe how the author’s research adds new information to the existing knowledge. Due to this common structure of academic writing, includes is more likely, as academic reports usually include a summary of previous studies.

5. One of the most interesting __________ of this project is how students go about planning their written assignments. (category, aspect)

Question: 5. One of the most interesting __________ of this project is how students go about planning their written assignments. (category, aspect)

Answer:
The correct answer is 'One of the most interesting aspects of this project is how students go about planning their written assignments.' A category is one part of a classification. However, the sentence does not mention any classifications. An aspect is a feature of something, which fits the situation in the sentence better. After the phrase One of the most + adjective, countable nouns should be plural, as one of the shows that there is more than one.

6. The survey I conducted last year __________ measuring air pollution on the outlying islands. (involve, make up)

Question: 6. The survey I conducted last year __________ measuring air pollution on the outlying islands. (involve, make up)

Answer:
The correct answer is 'The survey I conducted last year involved measuring air pollution on the outlying islands.' As the survey was last year, the alternative option would be 'The survey I conducted last year was made up of measuring air pollution on the outlying islands.' This is wrong because was made up of should be followed by the component parts of something, but in this sentence there is only one part - measuring the air pollution on outlying islands. In addition, made up of is a phrasal verb, and these are often seen as too informal for academic writing.

7. This report __________ students’ use of English both inside and outside the classroom. (form, encompass)

Question: 7. This report __________ students’ use of English both inside and outside the classroom. (form, encompass)

Answer:
The correct answer is 'This report encompasses students’ use of English both inside and outside the classroom.' In this sentence encompasses means includes. If your answer is 'This report forms students’ use of English both inside and outside the classroom.', it means that the report controls and develops students’ use of English, and it is unlikely that a report would do this.

8. This chapter __________ the results of my experiments together with those of my colleagues.(incorporate, involve)

Question: 8. This chapter __________ the results of my experiments together with those of my colleagues.(incorporate, involve)

Answer:
The correct answer is 'This chapter incorporates the results of my experiments together with those of my colleagues.' Incorporates means includes things together. The alternative, involves, does not have this meaning of things being together.

9. My literature review __________ six sections.(comprise, categorise)

Question: 9. My literature review __________ six sections.(comprise, categorise)

Answer:
The correct answer is 'My literature review comprises six sections.' An alternative answer is 'My literature review is comprised of six sections', but is comprised of is not as common and is less acceptable. It is unusual to categorise a literature review into sections, as single things, like my literature review, cannot be divided into categories.

10. Dr Siu’s new study __________ the history of Hong Kong both before and after the British occupation.(form, cover)

Question: 10. Dr Siu’s new study __________ the history of Hong Kong both before and after the British occupation.(form, cover)

Answer:
The correct answer is 'Dr Siu’s new study covers the history of Hong Kong both before and after the British occupation.' A study cannot form the history of Hong Kong, because form, as a verb, means to control and develop. Covers should have an 's' on the end as Dr. Siu’s new study is a single object and can be replaced by it.

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Last updated on: Monday, July 29, 2019