In practice is used in contrast to In theory or In principle to show the reality compared to the idea or the original intention. In effect is close to In fact in meaning and usage. It suggests ‘for practical purposes’. An alternative is To all intents and purposes.
C. Expressing a Personal Opinion
When you want to make it clear that what you are saying is a personal, as distinct from a general opinion, use one of the following:
In my opinion, In my view, To my mind, As I see it (more conversational).
Personally and For my part tend to contrast the individual opinion with that of the majority.
As far as I am concerned means ‘in so far as the matter affects me’. It is less likely to appear in written argument than in speech:
e.g. I don’t care whether we go to one seaside resort or another.
As far as I’m concerned, it won’t make any difference.
D. Modifying what is said
There are many ways in which we modify statements by limiting their meaning or pointing to specific circumstances where what is said is correct.
1 General statements
These express what is true in general terms, though not in all circumstances:
In general, As a rule, As a general rule, On the whole, In the main, For the most part.
2 Partly correct
These limit the truth of the statement in general terms:
To some extent, To a certain extent, Up to a point.
In a way and In a sense limit the truth in terms of interpretation:
e.g. In a sense one could say that the local people are responsible for what has happened because they welcomed the tourists, but on the whole they are not really to blame.
3 Limit of knowledge
The fact that the speaker’s knowledge is limited can be expressed by:
As far as I know, To the best of my knowledge.
For all I know suggests ignorance of the topic.
|
4 Assigning responsibility
According to … By all accounts indicate that responsibility for a statement lies with someone else.
At least is used to avoid personal responsibility:
e.g. I know he intended to come on holiday with us. At least, that is what he told me.
5 Limited validity
Under the circumstances, As it is, Things being as they are suggest that what is suggested is only valid in the present situation but not in ideal circumstances.
E. Intensifying what is said
1 Obviously
One way of intensifying what is said is to suggest that it is obvious to everyone by using of these:
Clearly, obviously, of course, Needless to say, As everyone knows.
2 Especially
Another way is to draw attention to a particular aspect:
In particular, especially.
Note that especially will appear within the sentence as an adverb and not as a connector at the beginning.
e.g. They had very bad weather on holiday, especially during the first week.
3 More noticeably
Let alone and Not to mention are used to indicate a more noticeable example of the same thing:
e.g. The taxi fare to the airport was very expensive, let alone the cost of the flight itself.
F. Rephrasing what is said
The most common phrases indication that the speaker is going to rephrase what has been said are:
In other words, That is to say.
|
VI. Elements of Style
When assessing written work we usually consider two aspects of it: what is said, and how is said. It often happens that the content is interesting enough, but the mode of expressing it is poor, and not because there are mistakes in spelling or grammar. The form may be poor even if grammar is correct – in this case we say that the style is bad. The style is bad when the sentences are monotonous, the vocabulary is poor, and the writing is unimaginative. The style is bad, too, when the form does not suit the subject of the composition. The same basic content can be expressed in different ways or styles. Just as a builder can use bricks and mortar to construct almost anything from a shack to a palace, we use the same raw material – English words and grammar – to describe different subjects and to express a wide variety of ideas in appropriate style.
Уважаемый посетитель!
Чтобы распечатать файл, скачайте его (в формате Word).
Ссылка на скачивание - внизу страницы.