A - Z Index

Academic Essay Example - an essay about designing Internet navigation in which the referencing is highlighted so that you can see when and how to quote, summarise and paraphrase.

Academic Vocabulary - lists of academic words. You can click the links for definitions, example sentences and pronunciations.

Address of CILL:
Centre for Independent Language Learning
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Hung Hom
Kowloon
Hong Kong

N.B. To get to CILL on foot, go to 'A' core (by the fountain steps), 3^rd floor. After that, follow the signs.

Adjective order - what order to write or say adjectives in, and a technique to help you to memorise them.

How to write adjustment letters - includes the stages of dealing with complaints, some useful expressions, some example letters, and an exercise.

Aliens - Prepositions and collocations for job application letters in a Grammar Aliens game

Approximation - an exercise in describing numbers in an easy-to-understand way

Articles and Geography - a quiz which teaches you the correct articles to use before countries, cities, islands, mountains, lakes, seas and oceans

Categorisation - this exercise introduces the vocabulary and grammar needed for the function of categorisation, and includes a short exercise to help you check that you understand.

Cause and Effect - this exercise introduces the vocabulary and grammar needed to describe causes and effects. Includes an exercise.

Checklist for Job Interview Panels- print this out and use it during the interview to record details of the applicants

City - how to find the right city to put in your bibliography for books and edited books.

Collocations - contains links to the vocabulary; e.g. 'meet', and a matching exercise

Collocations - contains links to the vocabulary; e.g. 'express' and a matching exercise.

Collocations - contains links to the vocabulary; e.g. 'empirical' and a matching exercise.

Common Confusions - a developmental vocabulary and grammar quiz with feedback.

Common Error Detector - a program to check your grammar. Paste in your text and this program will check for many common errors. It is an aid to proof-reading, not a replacement.

Company Profile Form - EIW groups should fill this in to give to job applicants

Comparison and Contrast - exercise on the functions of comparison and contrast and definition.

Complaint letters - describes the content, language and organisation of letters of complaint, and includes examples and an exercise.

Concordancer - a program to find example sentences containing words you choose

Confusing words - exercise on the differences between some commonly confused words. Includes links to pronunciation, definitions and examples.

Contact Information:
Address of CILL:
Centre for Independent Language Learning
Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Hung Hom
Kowloon
Hong Kong

Phone: (852) 2766 7526
Fax: (852) 27745172
E-mail (Please include your HKPU student number in the e-mail heading).

N.B. To get to CILL on foot, go to 'A' core, then to the 3rd floor. After that, follow the signs.

C.V. / Resume Writer - fill in the boxes and this program will write your resume for you.

Definitions - exercise on the functions of definition, comparison and contrast.

Describing Numbers - an explanation, a program to write and speak a number, and an exercise

Describing Trends - this exercise introduces the vocabulary and grammar needed to describe trends.

Diagnostic Grammar Test: find out your grammar problems and how to solve them - if you have a PolyU student ID, or else click here

Effects and Causes - this exercise introduces the vocabulary and grammar needed to describe causes and effects. Includes an exercise.

E-mail of CILL: (Please include your HKPU student number in the e-mail heading).

Enquiry letters - describes the content, language and organisation of letters of enquiry. Includes an exercise.

Enquiry letter replies - describes the content and language of letters of enquiry, with example letters. Includes an exercise.

Common Error Detector - a program to check your grammar. Paste in your text and this program will check for many common errors. It is an aid to proof-reading, not a replacement.

Essay Introductory Paragraph Techniques - identify four basic techniques for composing the opening statement of your introductory paragraph: the general statement, the rhetorical question, the impact statement, and the anecdote

Essay Writing - list of useful CILL materials (Early-intermediate and Intermediate)

Essay Writing - list of useful CILL materials (Intermediate and Upper-intermediate)

Error Detector - the Error Detector finds some common problems in academic essay writing and gives you tips how to solve them.

Example Academic Essay - referencing is highlighted so that you can see when and how to quote, summarise and paraphrase.

Good point! - An ELC site for sharing your ideas on topics that you are interested in, and for reading about topics that you can use in discussions, seminars, presentations, papers and essays.

Diagnostic Grammar Test: find out your grammar problems and how to solve them - if you have a PolyU student ID, or else click here

Grammar - Infinitive and -ing (Intermediate) - list of useful CILL materials

Interview Panel Checklist - print this out and use it during the interview to record details of the applicants

Interview Quiz - questions and advice on the content and grammar of job interview answers

Interviews (Early-intermediate and Intermediate) - list of useful CILL materials

Introductions in Reports - a page to help you understand the content and grammar of report introductions. It contains explanations, an example and an exercise.

Introductory Paragraph Techniques for Essays - identify four basic techniques for composing the opening statement of your introductory paragraph: the general statement, the rhetorical question, the impact statement, and the anecdote

Job Interview Panel Checklist - print this out and use it during the interview to record details of the applicants

Job Interview Quiz - questions and advice on the content and grammar of interview answers

Job Interviews (Early-intermediate and Intermediate) - list of useful CILL materials

Numbers - an explanation, a program to write and speak a number, and an exercise

Organisation Tool - type your ideas into the boxes in this program, then re-order them with the 'Up' and 'Down' buttons. You can then print out the re-ordered ideas. Saves you time because this is easier than doing it on paper.

Panel Discussion - example phrases and an ordering activity for a panel discussion in a job interview.

Problem words - exercise on the differences between some commonly confused words. Includes links to pronunciation, definitions and examples.

Proofreading - the Error Detector finds some common problems in academic essay writing and gives you tips how to solve them.

Reference Letter Writer - fill in the boxes and the computer will give you a correctly-formatted reference letter

Reply to an enquiry letter - describes the content and language of letters of enquiry, with example letters. Includes an exercise.

Content and Organisation

The Report Writing Process: an ordering exercise to re-order the stages of this process
Academic report writing template: useful phrases and expressions to use in your report.
Types of Report - the names of different types of report and what they mean.
Report Stages and Content - what goes in each section of a report.
Stages and Language of a Report - useful phrases for the sections of a report
Report Headings - understand the type of information each section of a report should contain.
Subject Headings - how to write correct subject headings.

Introductions

Report Writing: Introductions - a page to help you understand the content and grammar of report introductions. It contains explanations, an example and an exercise.
Report Introductions - a text-reconstruction exercise to help you remember the language of the introduction to a report.

Method / Methodology / Procedure

The Procedure / Method / Methodology section of a report: how to write it.
The Procedure / Method section of a report - a text-reconstruction exercise to help you remember the language of this section of a report.

Findings and Discussion

Matching Nouns and Verbs for Reports - an exercise in choosing the right vocabulary for reports.
Formality - an exercise to help you to write reports using formal language.
Describing Numbers - an explanation, a program to write and speak a number, and an exercise
Trends - this exercise introduces the vocabulary and grammar needed to describe trends. Includes an exercise.
Describing trends in line graphs
Trends Headings - this exercise shows how to use headings when describing trends. Includes an exercise.
The Language of Approximation - an exercise in describing numbers in an easy-to-understand way
Approximation Correction exercise - to check that you can use the language of approximation correctly
Approximating Dissatisfaction - an exercise to help you describe dissatisfaction
Describing Satisfaction in the Findings and Conclusion sections of a report - choosing between 'satisfy', 'satisfied', 'satisfying' and 'satisfactory', etc.
Important or Importance? Explanation and exercise on which word to use when describing Findings and Conclusions.
Concern - how to use concern correctly

Conclusion

The Conclusion section - an explanation, an example and an exercise.
The Conclusion section of a report - a text-reconstruction exercise to help you remember the language of this section of a report.

Recommendations

Report Recommendations - an explanation, an example and an exercise.
Report Recommendations Correction Exercise - correct the common errors.
The Recommendations section of a report - a text-reconstruction exercise to help you remember the language of this section of a report.

Practice Materials

Report Correction Exercise - correct these common errors made by students in report writing, so that you can avoid making the same mistakes.
List of common errors in report writing assignments
Common Errors in Report Writing - revision exercise.
Report Writing Scenario Site - practice the whole process of report writing
Scanner - a program that highlights the words in a text that are easy for a reader to find. Use it to improve the organisation and reader-friendliness of your writing.
List of Materials in CILL for Business reports

Resume Writer - a program to help you with the content and format of resumes - fill in the boxes, press a button, and the program will make a resume for you

Satisfaction - choosing between 'satisfy', 'satisfied', 'satisfying' and 'satisfactory', etc.

Scanner - a program that highlights the words in a text that are easy for a reader to find. Use it to improve the organisation and reader-friendliness of your writing.

The Sounds of British English in the IPA (International Phonemic Alphabet) chart

Spoken Opinions (Early-intermediate and Intermediate) - list of useful CILL materials

Spoken Opinions (Intermediate and Upper-intermediate) - list of useful CILL materials

Summarising (Intermediate and Upper-intermediate) - list of useful CILL materials

Synthesis - gives information and examples of how to describe different opinions in the same text, how to analyse them, and how to give your own opinion.

Trends - this exercise introduces the vocabulary and grammar needed to describe trends.

Trends Headings - this exercise shows how to use headings when describing trends. Includes an exercise.

Verbs of Academic Communication - Crossword - categorise, classify, compose, comprise, consist, constitute, cover, embrace, encompass, incorporate, form, include, involve, make up.

Verbs of Knowledge and Opinion - this exercise is to help you to avoid common confusions between the uses of the verbs know, learn, understand, think and believe.

Academic Vocabulary - lists of academic words. You can click the links for definitions, example sentences and pronunciations.

Vowel game- for groups to practise IPA vowel sounds; e.g. /I/, /i:/, /e/ and /?

Words - exercise on the differences between some commonly confused words. Includes links to pronunciation, definitions and examples.

Words: Academic Vocabulary - lists of academic words. You can click the links for definitions, example sentences and pronunciations.