Working with a partner, try to make at least five true sentences about what your classmates did at the weekend. When you have written something in most of the lines below or your teacher stops you, go around the class asking questions to check whether your sentences are true or not.
The majority of those questioned _____________________________
Almost all the interviewees ____________________________________
A minority of respondents ________________________________________
Approximately fifty percent of the people surveyed ____________________
A single member of the sample group _____________________________
Several members of the group ___________________________________
A couple of people ________________________________________
Around two thirds of the group ________________________________
None of the people interviewed _________________________________
Most of the people who responded to the interview __________________
Only a few fellow members of the class ____________________________
Just under half of the group in question ____________________________
Write the number of people each statement above would refer to in your class next to each line above, e.g. “6 to 10, but probably 8 or 9” next to the first one. Are there any that mean the same? If so, which one is better language for a report?
Are there any other ways of saying the other numbers of people? If so, which expression is more suitable for reports?
What different expressions are used above to talk about your classmates? Which are most suitable for a report?
Arrange the information you obtained into paragraphs with headings and discuss how you would begin and end the report.
| Typical mistakesWhat is the difference between “Almost everyone” and “Almost people”? Which one means “Nearly human”? |
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PDF version for easy printing: WeekendsReportGeneralisation
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