NBT Academic Literacy: Text Coherence and Discourse Organisation

Question 1

Which word or phrase signals a CONTRAST between two ideas in academic writing?

Accepted Answer

Nevertheless

Answer

'Nevertheless' is a concessive discourse marker that signals a contrast or concession — the writer acknowledges one point but introduces an opposing or qualifying idea. 'Furthermore', 'Similarly', and 'In addition' all signal continuation or similarity, not contrast.

Question 2

Which of the following best describes the function of a topic sentence in an academic paragraph?

Accepted Answer

It introduces the main idea or claim that the paragraph will develop

Answer

A topic sentence states the controlling idea of a paragraph — what the paragraph is about or what it argues. It is typically the first sentence and is then developed through supporting evidence and explanation. It does not provide evidence itself, nor does it summarise the whole text.

Question 3

Read the following: 'Scientists discovered a new compound. It significantly reduced inflammation in clinical trials.' What does the word 'it' refer to?

Accepted Answer

A new compound

Answer

'It' is a pronoun that refers back to 'a new compound' — the noun most recently introduced as the subject of the action. This is an example of a cohesive device called pronominal reference, which links sentences and maintains text flow.

Question 4

What organisational pattern does the following paragraph use? 'Unemployment rises when consumer confidence falls. As spending decreases, businesses cut production costs by reducing staff.'

Accepted Answer

Cause and effect

Answer

The paragraph shows how one event (falling consumer confidence) triggers another (rising unemployment), and then how that triggers another (businesses cutting staff). This chain of consequences is the cause-and-effect pattern. There is no problem/solution, no comparison, and no time-based sequencing.

Question 5

Read this paragraph: 'Water conservation is essential in arid regions. Installing low-flow taps reduces household water use significantly. Cape Town successfully avoided a water crisis in 2018. South Africa has a rich diversity of wildlife.' Which sentence does NOT belong?

Accepted Answer

South Africa has a rich diversity of wildlife.

Answer

The paragraph is about water conservation. Sentences about low-flow taps, Cape Town's water crisis, and the need for conservation all relate to this theme. 'South Africa has a rich diversity of wildlife' is entirely unrelated to water conservation and breaks the paragraph's coherence.

(NBT) National Benchmark Test Practice Test

(NBT) National Benchmark Test Practice Test

NBT Academic Literacy: Text Coherence and Discourse Organisation