Categorisation

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Categorisation

Aim:
This exercise introduces the vocabulary and grammar needed for the function of categorisation. For students taking the English for Academic Purposes course, this function is from Unit 3 of the EAP book and will help EAP students prepare for Assignment One. (Teachers: Click here for a printable version of this document.)

Instructions:
Read the 'Background' and 'Vocabulary and Grammar' sections, then complete the exercise.

Background

Categorisation is dividing a topic into sub-topics. Some topics can be divided into a small number of sub-topics that account for all of the topic. For example humans can be categorised as either male or female.

However, many other topics cannot be divided so easily. For example movies can be categorised as romances, horror, thrillers and comedies. The number of categories is uncertain, as some people may categorise computer animated films such as 'Shrek' as different from cartoons.

To deal with this problem, you should use a word such as 'main' or 'including'. For example, 'Movies can be categorised into a number of main types. There are comedies, horror, thrillers, musicals, and romances.' or 'Movies can be categorised into a number of types, including comedies, horror, thrillers, musicals, and romances.' The words 'main' or 'including' are used to show that there may be other types, but that these are not so important. For example, there may be experimental or art movies such as 'Dancer in the Dark' that do not fit into any of these categories. Also, some movies combine these types. You do not need to worry about exceptions to your categorisation system if you use the words 'main' or 'including'. See the Vocabulary and Grammar section for more examples.

Vocabulary and Grammar

Examples of introductions to categorisation:

- '	Students can be categorised in a number of ways, including as independent or dependent, collaborative or competitive and participant or avoidant.'
- '	Students can be categorised as isolated, social, alienated, phantom, dependent and task-orientated.'
- '	There are a number of different types of student, including independent or dependent, collaborative or competitive and participant or avoidant ones.'
- '	There are six main types of student: isolated, social, alienated, phantom, dependent and task-orientated.'

Describing a Category

After introducing a categorisation system the categories need to be explained. This can be done by describing the category and / or by giving examples:

- '	Comedy movies are designed to make the audience laugh. An example is 'Home Alone'.' (Available in CILL.)
- '	Horror movies are frightening for audiences. An example of a horror movie is 'The Sixth Sense'.' (Available in CILL.) (Language Note: NOT 'Horrible movies...' because this means that the movies are low quality.)
- '	Dependent students depend on their teachers for guidance, for instance in what books to use.'
- '	Social students like to work in groups, for example when cooperating on projects.'

Singular or plural can be used in descriptions of categories, although plural is more common and easier to understand. For example:
- '	A dependent student depends on his or her teacher for guidance, for instance in what books to use.'
- '	A social student likes to work in groups, for example when cooperating on projects.'
- '	The dependent student depends on his or her teacher for guidance, for instance in what books to use.'
- '	The social student likes to work in groups, for example when cooperating on projects.'

The descriptions of the categories can also be done using relative clauses, for example:
- '	Romance movies are movies which are for people who want to feel romantic.'
- '	A phantom student is a student who is quiet but attentive.'

Exercise

The following sentences have grammatical and meaning mistakes. Correct the grammatical ones and make write a comment about the meaning ones:

1.	Students can categorised in a number of ways, including as independent or dependent, collaborative or competitive and participant or avoidant.
2.	There are a number of different type of student, including independent or dependent, collaborative or competitive and participant or avoidant ones.
3.	There are six types of student: isolated, social, alienated, phantom, dependent and task-orientated.
4.	Students can be categorised in a number of ways, including as independent or dependent, collaborative or competitive and participant or avoidant. Dependent students depend on their teachers.
5.	Movies can be categorised into a number of types, including comedies, horror, thrillers, musicals, and romances. Romance movies are movies which for people who want to feel romantic.
6.	Students can be categorised in a number of ways, including as independent or dependent, collaborative or competitive and participant or avoidant. Social student like to work in groups, for example when cooperating on projects.
7.	Students can be categorised in a number of ways, including as independent or dependent, collaborative or competitive and participant or avoidant. A social student likes to work in group, for example when cooperating on projects.
8.	Movies can be categorised into a number of types, including comedies, horror, thrillers, musicals, and romances. Comedy movies are designed to make the audience laugh, for example, Home Alone.

Answers

1. Your answer was
Not done yet.

The correct answer is: 'Students can be categorised in a number of ways, including as independent or dependent, collaborative or competitive and participant or avoidant.' As 'can be categorised' is a passive voice verb phrase, it needs to have the verb 'be'.

2. Your answer was
Not done yet.

The correct answer is, 'There are a number of different types of student, including independent or dependent, collaborative or competitive and participant or avoidant ones.' The phrase 'a number of' should be followed by a plural noun, such as 'types' or 'categories'.

3. Your answer was
Not done yet.

The correct answer is 'There are six main types of student: isolated, social, alienated, phantom, dependent and task-orientated.' 'Main' is important because there may be other types of student, such as independent ones.

4. Your answer was
Not done yet.

This is not a good description of this category because of course dependent students depend on someone, and obviously they are likely to depend on teachers. This description needs an example to help the reader to understand more than what is obvious.

5. Your answer was
Not done yet.

The correct answer is 'Romance movies are movies which are for people who want to feel romantic.' After relative pronouns such as 'which' and 'that' there must be a verb.

6. Your answer was
Not done yet.

The correct answer is 'Social students like to work in groups, for example when cooperating on projects.' or 'A social student likes to work in a group, for example when cooperating on projects.', or 'The social student likes to work in a group, for example when cooperating on projects.' You can choose singular or plural, but you must choose one. The original sentence did not show if the student(s) were singular or plural because it did not have an article or a plural 's'.

7. Your answer was
Not done yet.

The correct answer is 'A social student likes to work in groups, for example when cooperating on projects.' or 'A social student likes to work in a group, for example when cooperating on projects.' Not only do you need to decide whether the subject is singular or plural, you also need to check every noun in the sentence to make sure that you have chosen correctly whether it should be singular or plural.

8. Your answer was
Not done yet.

The sentence in the question, 'Comedy movies are designed to make the audience laugh, for example Home Alone' is not good because Home Alone is not an example of laugh. The example should follow the thing it is an example of, such as 'Comedy movies such as Home Alone are designed to make the audience laugh.', or be in a separate sentence; e.g. 'Comedy movies are designed to make the audience laugh. An example is Home Alone.'

Total Score:

Last updated on: Monday, March 26, 2012