EAP Sentence Meaning 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What meaning does the sentence 'Despite its widespread adoption, the framework has attracted considerable criticism' convey?
- The framework is used broadly and is universally praised.
- The framework is popular but also significantly critiqued. (Correct answer)
- The framework was abandoned due to criticism.
- Criticism prevented the framework from being widely adopted.
Correct answer: The framework is popular but also significantly critiqued.
'Despite' introduces a contrast: broad use does not prevent significant criticism.
Question 2: In the sentence 'The study's external validity is limited by its reliance on a convenience sample,' what is the key implication?
- The findings can be widely generalized to other populations.
- The sample selection method restricts how broadly the results apply. (Correct answer)
- Convenience samples always produce the most reliable data.
- External validity is unimportant in academic research.
Correct answer: The sample selection method restricts how broadly the results apply.
A convenience sample lacks random selection, limiting how confidently findings can be applied to other contexts.
Question 3: Which sentence uses a passive voice construction to de-emphasize the agent?
- The committee approved the proposal unanimously.
- Researchers conducted three separate trials.
- Errors were identified in the original dataset. (Correct answer)
- The author argues that further study is needed.
Correct answer: Errors were identified in the original dataset.
In 'Errors were identified,' the agent (who identified them) is omitted, which is a typical feature of academic passive voice.
Question 4: The sentence 'This paper seeks to interrogate the assumptions underpinning dominant discourse' most closely means:
- The paper accepts and reinforces mainstream views without question.
- The paper questions the beliefs that support prevailing ideas. (Correct answer)
- The paper surveys existing research on communication.
- The paper provides a historical account of a topic.
Correct answer: The paper questions the beliefs that support prevailing ideas.
'Interrogate' in academic writing means to critically examine, and 'underpinning dominant discourse' refers to the foundations of mainstream ideas.
Question 5: What does 'The variable yielded no statistically significant effect' mean in a research context?
- The variable had a large and meaningful impact on the outcome.
- The difference observed could easily have occurred by chance. (Correct answer)
- The study failed to measure the variable correctly.
- The variable was excluded from the analysis entirely.
Correct answer: The difference observed could easily have occurred by chance.
No statistically significant effect means the result was not reliable enough to rule out random chance as an explanation.
Question 6: In 'The two concepts are often conflated, yet they remain analytically distinct,' what does 'conflated' mean?
- Separated into different categories.
- Incorrectly treated as identical when they are different. (Correct answer)
- Compared using the same analytical framework.
- Defined using contrasting examples.
Correct answer: Incorrectly treated as identical when they are different.
To conflate means to merge or confuse two different things as if they were the same.
Question 7: Which sentence expresses a concession followed by a counter-argument?
- The experiment confirms the hypothesis definitively.
- Researchers have not studied this topic extensively.
- Although the sample size was small, the effect size was notably large. (Correct answer)
- The participants were selected using random assignment.
Correct answer: Although the sample size was small, the effect size was notably large.
'Although' introduces a concession (small sample), and the main clause presents a counter-balancing point (large effect size).
EAP Sentence Meaning 3
What meaning does the sentence 'Despite its widespread adoption, the framework has attracted considerable criticism' convey?