Cover of the textbook Speakout Upper-Intermediate - Students' Book

The key answer of exercise 6

The key to exercise solutions in chapter 2.4 - A quiet revolution for the textbook Speakout Upper-Intermediate - Students' Book with authors Frances Eales and Steve Oakes from Pearson Education

Question

  1. Read the notes for the presentation. Which topic below is it about? Which side of the argument appears stronger to you?
  2. Look at the notes again. How does the writer make the notes as short as possible?

Answer

a)

  • The topic is gender-blind hiring.
  • Students can decide for themselves which argument is stronger.

b)

The writer makes the notes short by:

  • omitting subjects and there is / are (There are no problems ...; It may change ...; There would be resistance ...)
  • using abbreviations (re = about / concerning; e.g. = for example)
  • using slashes instead of linkers (men / women, people / cultures)
  • omitting articles (the best person chosen for the job; casting a female role in a film)
  • omitting the verb be (best person is chosen for job)