Curs Ing Ec_an I_sem I_2010.doc

Introduction

The English for Economic & Industrial Engineering is a course of English for Specific

Purposes conceived for students at the Faculty of Economic and Industrial Engineering in the

first year of study. The content and aims of the course are determined by the needs of a specific

group of students doing a Bachelor of Science Degree that interweaves engineering and

economics.

The course provides a complete study of technical texts and grammar matters and it covers a

range of subjects to do with economics and engineering. The course is focused not only on

language (grammar and vocabulary), but also on communication skills that enable students to

work and interrelate in English-speaking environments.

The course uses contexts, texts, situations from students’ subject area. It also uses authentic

materials and makes the tasks as authentic as possible. The main purpose of the course is to teach

and use English in a practical way that brings the real world in the lecture room so that students

should be motivated to study individually and to further develop their knowledge of English.

Students are actively involved in the course completion as they have to find their own texts in

their subject area and to draw a personal dictionary with all the technical words in the field of

economics and engineering.

Course objectives

Acquiring basic knowledge of specialist vocabulary and English grammar;

Identifying and implementing the specialist vocabulary in the field of

economic engineering;

Understanding industry and economic-specific texts published in English

Implementing grammar notions and commonly-used expressions that are

essential to the specialist communication (written or oral)

Competencies acquired

Students will be able to:

Form correct sentences (using the correct verbs, nouns, adjectives) in

various communication situations;

Adjust the terminology learnt in Romanian to an English-speaking

environment;

1

Define their field of study in English and identify its component parts;

Describe objects, materials, economic situations by using commonly-used

expressions and English structures

Initiating and develping various situations of communication

Study resources

Students need to have access to specialist dictionaries, terminologies and

glossaries. Similarly, students need to have access to specialist journals, either

printed or electronic, which is essential in order to develop the vocabulary specific

to their field of study.

Course Structure

The course of English for Economic & Industrial Engineering has 2 modules

that are structured into four learning units. Each unit, at its turn, comprises the

objectives, theoretical aspects regarding the theme of the specific learning unit,

examples and self-assessment tests of English abilities.

A unit of applications at the end of each module is designed to assess students'

knowledge of English grammar and vocabulary. The applications are compulsory

in order to take the English exam. At a date established together with the lecturer,

students have to upload the practical applications on the e-learning platform .

Duration of self study

Each learning units (both theoretical issues and practical tasks) requires 2-3 hours

of self study provided students feel they need to improve their knowledge of the

language specific to economics and engineering.

Assessment

At the end of the semester, each student is assessed and obtains a mark that is

made up of:

a test that comprises grammar and vocabulary exercises extracted from

students’ subject area - 60% of the total mark;

the applications uploaded on the on the e-learning platform - 20% of the

2

total mark

Contents

Introduction 3

Competencies 3

U1. Engineering and Industrialization - Language study 4

U2. Tenses - Grammar study 11

U3. Economic Engineering - Language study 23

U4. Modal Verbs - Grammar study 32

Introduction

Module 1 introduces students to the engineering practice and to the concepts

related to this field and approaches the field of Economic Engineering as well as

the use of English in students’ subject areas. It also provides students with a close

grammar study of the verb (tenses, voices, modal verbs) in English.

Competencies

To cover knowledge related to the faculty student attend;

To be aware of word importance: engineering, industrialization

To talk about their own field of study, about their career;

To improve their engineering-oriented vocabulary in English (Engineering

materials);

To apply specific structures used to describe objects, shape, size, use etc

To revise the English tenses that are important in order to gain proper

communication skills;

To be able to use active and passive voice in scientific contexts;

To establish interpersonal relations by using model verbs: expressing

permission, offer, request, giving advice, etc

To practically apply the knowledge acquired by individual study

3

Module 1: Economic Engineering

Learning Unit M1.U1. Engineering and Industrialization - Language study

Contents

M1.U1.1. Introduction 4

M1.U1.2. Objectives of the learning unit 5

M1.U1.3 What is Engineering – presentation 5

M1.U1.4 Language study 7

M1.U1.4.1. Increase your vocabulary 7

M1.U1.4.1.1. Engineering 7

M1.U1.4.1.2. Aspects of Industrialization 7

M1.U1.5.2. Right words – wrong words 8

M1.U1.5.2.1. Diploma – degree – certificate – licence 8

M1.U1.5.2.2. Nouns – names of sciences 9

M1.U1.6 Assessment Test 9

M1.U1.1. Introduction

English is for sure, if not a lingua franca, then the widest spread language in the world

at all levels of economic, technical, and cultural life.

Unlike other languages, which are still learnt for pleasure, for cultural, educational and

communication reasons, English is more and more learnt for specific reasons. Years

ago people used to learn English to make proof of their erudition, to explore the

culture and the civilization of English-speaking countries. Those who were interested

in specialist English were very few, as it was not really the case for ordinary

population and English was not the dominant language in the world. Nowadays, since

English has became the international language of technology and commerce, people,

especially adults, know exactly what they need English for. English has become an

indispensable instrument for people to get updated on the new discoveries in their

activity, to make their own work known in the world, to sell products, to read

instruction manuals; all in all, to be informed. English is the main language of

information. Consequently, as Tom Hutchinson and Alan Water (1987:7)point out

4

“Whereas English had previously decided its own destiny, it now became subject to the

wishes, needs and demands of people other than language teachers”.

M1.U1.2. Objectives of the learning unit

To cover students’ knowledge related to the faculty they are attending;

To make students aware of word importance: engineering, industrialization


The average length of the first learning unit is 2 hours.

M1.U1.3. What is Engineering? – presentation

Engineers are the ultimate problem-solvers, finding solutions to knotty situations, constantly

aiming to improve the design and production of practically anything you can think of, from

artificial hips to aeroplanes, staplers to cameras, racing cars to power stations - and well beyond.

There are several steps in an engineer's work:

identify the problem, either via the market or by actually looking for it yourself

think creatively, even laterally, about it - is there a better, more original way of doing it than the

accepted way? You'll use applied maths to calculate whether your brilliant idea will actually

work

work out a compromise solution - which does not mean bodging the job, it's all about finding the

best of a range of different approaches.

It doesn't end there, though, as engineers love their work so much that every solution allows them

to move on to the next problem. There's no stopping them!

So an engineering degree involves a lot of thinking, but it's also about communicating your ideas

- a brilliant solution is no good if it just stays in your head. You need to tell people - in writing

and drawings, via computers and the web, and, obviously, by talking to them.

What sort of problems do engineers investigate?

Aerospace engineers might try and work out how to get a new aeroplane, such as the Airbus

A380. to fly more efficiently and reliably

5

Mechanical engineers look for ways to improve a vast range of 'things' - car stereos, space

rockets, x-ray equipment, chairs, tumble-dryers... virtually anything that's actually made

Medical engineers do it bionically! Need a new body part? A medical engineer will help to make

you one - or a new improved one. Got a really bad injury that just won't get better? A medical

engineer will find a way to help make it heal. Medical engineers will eventually be able to rebuild

footballers' broken knee ligaments - and invent new, better, medical equipment to see if it's

worked

Computer aided engineering is about using computer applications to solve real problems. Say you

were developing a new high-performance sports car - you'd need to know how the air flow

around it would affect its speed. It's easier and cheaper to simulate this on a computer than to

wait until the car has been built and then find that the design's wrong.

Why study Engineering? What can I do afterwards?

Engineers are highly employable in lots of fields (not just engineering). Apart from those super

problem-solving skills you’ll:

be able to think both analytically and creatively – it’s essential in solving problems, but useful in

lots of careers, from advertising to investment banking;

have management ability - especially if you've done the MEng, as all final year students have to

run a group project;

be a good team worker - those projects again;

have plenty of experience of presentations - because you'll be doing them throughout the course;

be highly numerate (always a good one for employers);

be able to use a range of IT packages in your sleep - spreadsheets, databases and the internet;

Will I enjoy Engineering?

YES - if you like:

a challenge;

finding out why and how things work. Why is a golf ball dimpled? Why does a jumbo-jet stay in

the air?;

wondering how to make things work better, because surely there will be a better way of removing

crumbs from a toaster;

moving onto the next problem.

M1.U1.4. Language study

M1.U1.4.1. Increase your vocabulary

6

M1.U1.4.1.1. Engineering

Engineering as a profession involves different tasks. It can refer specifically to the manufacture

or assembly of engines, machine tools and machine parts. It is also used more generally to

describe the creative application of scientific principles to design, develop, construct and forecast

the behavior of structures, apparatus, machines, manufacturing processes and works.

The function of scientists is to know, while that of engineers is to do: they must solve problems.

Branches of engineering

chemical • civil • electrical • electronic • highway • hydraulic • industrial

mechanical • mining • petroleum production • production • structural

Processes in treating metals

anneal – anodize – electroplate – forge – found – galvanize – grind

harden – mint – plate – roll – soften – temper – tinplate

M1.U1.4.1.2. Aspects of Industrialization

example explanation

Most of the factory workers are on

piecework which puts them under great

stress.

they are only paid for the amount they

produce

Child labour is a serious problem in

some developing countries.

the employment of children to do adult

jobs

In many countries, the right to trade

union representation has only come

after long struggles.

the right to have a union that negotiates

wages and conditions

Many cheap electrical goods are

produced in sweatshops in poorer

countries.

factories where people work very long

hours for low wages

7

The company became a lame duck and

collapsed after five years.

weak business that loses money

The big multinationals (1) often close

factories as a cost-cutting exercise (2)

and relocate (3) and switch production

(4) to countries where labour and costs

are cheaper.

1 big companies with operations in many

different countries

2 effort to reduce their costs

3 move the company's offices to a different

place

4 move the centre of manufacturing place,

often where labour is cheaperIndustries cannot grow successfully if

there is too much red tape.

bureaucracy, i.e. government rules and

regulations

Retraining and reskilling are necessary

when an economy is modernised.

training people for new jobs and teaching

new skills for things they have not done

before

Many big industries are run as public-private partnerships, [partly state-owned, partly owned

by private industries or businesses]

The car industry receives huge subsidies from the government, [money/grants which enable it to

stay in profit]

Foreign companies are often given sweeteners by the government to persuade the factories in

poor or underdeveloped areas, [money/grants or tax benefits to encourage them to open a factory

or business]

The government tries to encourage inward investment, [investment from foreign countries]

M1.U1.5.2. Right words – wrong words

M1.U1.5.2.1. Diploma – degree – certificate – licence

Pat has a degree in maths. (not ‘diploma’)

I did/took my degree at York. (not ‘made’)

I did a course in computers and gained a diploma. (not ‘degree’)

(a diploma is often a lower qualification than a degree and may be awarded for practical or more

specialised skill: a diploma can also be used to mean the actual certificate)

When did you get your driving licence/certificate? (not ‘diploma’)

(= a document marking official recognition of something: e.g. a birth/marriage/death certificate)

What qualifications do I need to teach English as a Foreign Language?

(= proof of having passed essential exams)

8

M1.U1.5.2.2. Nouns – names of sciences

Notice the following nouns which are a plural form but are normally used with a singular verb

mathematics, physics, economics, mechanics, thermodynamics, statistics, civics

Example: Mathematics is an exact science.

M1.U1.6. Assessment test

I. Here is an extract from a speech made by a careers advisor to a group of students choosing

their future courses of study at university. Complete the speech by choosing one of the words

from the box.

machines • highway • mechanical • chemical • civil • physics

electrical • develop • production • electronic

Engineering students should have an understanding of maths, (a)_______ and chemistry.

Working with pharmaceuticals, food, mineral processing and chemical manufacturing, a (b)

_______ engineer is trained to understand, design, control, and investigate material flows. If you

enjoy problem solving and find projects such as the Channel Tunnel and the Three Gorges Dam

interesting, (c) ______ engineering may be for you. You will produce creative designs at an

economical price while paying due concern to the environment. If your interest is in road

building then you may decide to follow a specialized course in (d) ________ engineering. By

studying(e) ________ and (f) __________ engineering you learn about the design of complete

systems, such as computers, controllers, power and transport systems.(g) _________ engineers

plan, design and (h) _______ a wide range of things: washing machines, cars and spacecraft. (i)

________ engineers work very closely with mechanical engineers, to make new products at the

right price, on time and in the correct quantity. As well as designing and selecting (j) ________

and materials, they also organize people and finance.

9

II. Use the expressions from Language study (Chapter 2) to rewrite these sentences with more

appropriate vocabulary instead of the underlined words:

The economy cannot depend only on things like restaurants and hotels . We need to

encourage industries that make things we can sell.

In this area there are a lot of industries that use computers and things, while in the

north, they depend more on industries that don't use such up-to-date technology .

The idea that everything should be owned by the government is not very popular any longer, and

selling industries off is the typical pattern all over the world now.

Industry with big factories producing things like steel and so on so_ has declined, and now we're

more dependent on industry that makes things like vehicles and furniture.

III. Give words or expressions which mean:

a payment or tax benefit to a company to persuade it to open a factory somewhere

a combination of state ownership and private ownership

payments or grants from the government which enable loss-making industries to

continue

investment in a country by foreign companies

a weak industry that is losing money and cannot be rescued

bureaucracy and rules and regulations that restrict industry

an economy that depends on factories producing large quantities of cheap goods based on long

hours and low wages

to change the location where goods are produced {two expressions)

10

Learning Unit M1.U2. Tenses - Grammar study

Contents



M1.U2.3 Grammar study 12

M1.U2.3.1 Tenses – present tenses – past tenses – future tense 12

M1.U2.3.1.1 Present tenses 12

M1.U2.3.1.2. The past and perfect tenses 14

M1.U2.3.1.3. Expressing Future Time 20

M1.U2.3.2. Active and passive 20



The importance of languages for special purposes in the current knowledge society

is expressed by Khurshid Ahmad (1994:2):

“Each domain LSP, although embedded firmly in the general language of the

community, the so-called LGP, comprises not only idiosyncratic words and

phrases – the terms – but also the preferred use of certain syntactic constructs and

restricted semantics. Each domain LSP evolves to reduce ambiguity inherent in

LGP for the efficient and safe dissemination of specialist knowledge. This

evolution also reflects the state of the specialist domain: new discoveries; novel

dichotomies; unresolved and unexplained phenomena.”

To put it briefly, the specialized knowledge and, subsequently, the specialized

communication reflect the increasing specialization in science, technology,

economics and all other specialist fields


To revise the English tenses that are important in order to gain proper

communication skills;

11

To be able to use active and passive voice in scientific contexts;



M1. U2.3. Grammar study

M1. U2.3.1. Tenses – present tenses – past tenses – future tense

M1. U2.3.1.1. Present tenses

There are two present tenses in English:

The present continuous: I am working.

The simple present: I work.

The present continuous

Form:

The present continuous is formed with the present tense of the auxiliary verb be + the present

participle:

Affirmative Negative Interrogative

I am working I am not working Am I working?

You are working You are not working Are you working?

He/she/it is working He/she/it is not working Is he/she/it working

We are working We are not working Are we working?

You are working You are not working Are you working?

They are working They are not working Are they working?

Use:

USE EXAMPLE

1. an action happening at the moment of

speaking (the action has duration and is not

complete):

We are working now.

Why are you sitting at my desk?

2. an action that extends over a (slightly)

longer period, including the time of

speaking:

We are designing a new product.

3. a temporary, limited action/behaviour I work in the research department but this

12

(+an adverbial indicating present time): week I am working in the production

department

4. one’s immediate plans for the near future

(the time of the action must be mentioned)

We are having a business meeting on

Saturday

5. a frequently repeated action which

annoys the speaker (+always, forever,

continually, all the time):

Our supervisor is always complaining

about the wage he gets.

The simple present tense

Form:

In the affirmative the simple present has the same for as the infinitive but adds an s for the third

person singular.


I work I do not wok Do I work?

You work You do not work Do you work?

He/she/it works He/she/it does not work Does he/she/it work?

We work We do not work Do we work?

You work You do not work Do you work?

They work They do not work Do they work?

Contractions: the verb do is normally contracted in the negative: I don’t work, he doesn’t work.

Use

USE EXAMPLE

1. habitual actions (+adverbs such as:

often, usually, never, occasionally,

sometimes, always, every day, in the

morning, on Sundays, twice a year etc.)

He usually works fixed hours.

How often do you meet your manager a

week?

I never work shift hours.

2. general truths or characteristics: The Earth moves round the sun.

3. momentary actions, completed almost at

the same time they are performed (in

contexts such as: cooking, demonstrations,

ceremonial utterances, stage directions,

radio or TV commentaries, announcement,

head-lines):

A notice at the end of the road warns

people not to go any further.

13

4. planned future actions when the future

action is considered part of an already fixed

programme (with verbs of motion: come,

go, leave or verbs expressing planned

activity: begin, start, end, finish. The

adverbial indicating future time are

obligatory.):

We leave London at 10.00 next Tuesday

and arrive in Paris at 13.00. We spend two

hours in Paris and leave again at 15.00. We

arrive in Rome at 19.30, spend four hours

in Rome etc.

5. in temporal and conditional clauses,

when there is a future/present/imperative in

the main clause:

If we don’t finish our job we’ll be

dismissed.

M1. U2.3.1.2. The past and perfect tenses

The simple past tense

Form:

The simple past tense in regular verbs is formed by adding ed to the infinitive:

Infinitive: to work Simple past: worked

The same form is used for all persons:

I worked you worked he worked etc.

For the irregular verbs please check the table with irregular verbs.

The negative of regular and irregular verbs is formed with did not not (didn’t) and the infinitive:

I did not/didn’t work

You did not/didn’t work etc.

The interrogative of regular and irregular verbs is formed with did + subject + infinitive:

Did I work? Did you work? Etc.

Use

USE EXAMPLE

for actions completed in the past at a

definite time:

when the time/place or other circumstances

are given:

when the time is asked about:

He phoned me at six o’clock

He phoned me as soon as I got home.

“When did you achieve the project?”

“I achieved it last week.”

14

when the action clearly too place at a

definite time even if this time is not

mentioned:

when there is a sequence of past events

(narrative use):

2. in indirect speech, instead of the simple

present, when the introductory verb (say,

tell, ask, etc) is in a past tense

The train was five minutes late.

I met Philip yesterday and we talked for a

few minutes.

He told me he had a new camera

The past continuous tense

Form:

The past continuous tense is formed by the past tense of the verb to be + V+ ing

Affirmative

Negative Interrogative

I was working I was not working Was I working?

You were working You were not working Were you working?

He/she/it was working He/she/it was not working Was he/she/it working

We were working We were not working Were we working?

You were working You were not working Were you working?

They were working They were not working Were they working?

Negative contractions: I wasn’t working, you weren’t working etc.

Use

USE EXAMPLE

With a point in time/period of time it

expresses an action in progress (going on)

precisely at that moment:

With another action in the simple past it

expresses an action that began before and

probably continued after the other action

which interrupted it.

At 12.30 yesterday/yesterday morning we

were making some investigations.

While/as I was working, a colleague

stopped me and asked me the time.

15

With another action in the past continuous

it expresses an action going on at the same

time with the other past action.

With an adverb of (future) time it expresses

a definite future arrangement seen from the

past

The girls were doing measurements while

the boys were testing the product.

She was busy packing for she was leaving

the next day.

Present perfect tense

Form:

The present perfect tense is formed with the present tense of have + the past participle: I have

worked etc.

The past participle in regular verbs has exactly the same form as the simple past, loved, walked,

worked etc.

In irregular verbs, the past participle vary (please check the irregular verbs)

The negative is formed by adding not to the auxiliary.

The interrogative is formed by inverting the auxiliary and subject.


I have worked I have not worked Have I worked?

You have worked You have not worked Have you worked?

He/she/it has worked He/she/it has not worked Has he/she/it worked?

We have worked We have not worked Have we worked?

You have worked You have not worked Have you worked?

They have worked They have not worked Have they worked?

Contractions: have/has and have not/has not can be contracted thus:

I’ve worked, you haven’t worked, Hasn’t he worked? etc.

Use

The present perfect used with just for a recently completed action.

He has just gone out = He went out a few minutes ago.

Yet in questions and negative answers:

Has he gone out yet?

16

He hasn’t gone out yet.

The present perfect used for past actions whose time is not definite

I have read the instructions but I don’t understand them.

Compare with:

I read the instructions last night.

Note possible answers to questions in the present perfect:

Have you seen my stamps? – Yes, I have/No, I haven’t or

Yes, I saw them on your desk a minute ago.

The present perfect used for actions occurring in an incomplete period

it can be indicated by today or this morning /afternoon/ evening/ week/ month/ year/ century etc.

(at 11 a.m) Tom has rung up three times this morning already.

(at 2 p.m.) Tom rang up three times this morning.

Lately, recently also indicate an incomplete period of time.

There have been some changes lately/recently.

It can be used similarly with ever, never. Always, occasionally, often, several times, etc. since.

Have you ever fallen off a horse?

Yes, I’ve fallen off quite often/occasionally.

They’ve always answered my letters.

I’ve never been late for work.

Note sentences of this type:

This is the best wine I have ever drunk.

This is the easiest job I have ever had.

The present perfect used for an action which lasts throughout an incomplete period

Time expressions include all day/night/week, all my life, all the time, always, lately, never,

recently.

The action usually begins in the past and continues past the time of speaking in the present:

We have waited all day. (We are still waiting.)

He has lived here all his life. (He still lives here.)

Compare with:

We waited all day. (Then we left)

He lived here all his life. (Presumably he is now dead.)

17

Sometimes, however, the action finishes at the time of speaking:

I haven’t seen you for ages. (but I see you now)

Note the questions/answers such as:

How long have you been here? – I’ve been here six months.

The present perfect used with for and since

For is used with a period of time: for six days, for a long time.

For used with the simple paste tense denotes a terminated period of time:

We lived there for ten years. (but we don’t live there now)

For used with the present perfect denotes a period of time extending into the present:

We have lived in London for ten years. (and still live there)

Since is used with a point in time and means ‘from that point to the time of speaking’.

She has been here since six o’clock.

We’ve been friends since our schooldays.

Note that there is a difference between last and the last.

Compare:

I have been here since last week (month, year, etc) and

I have been here for the last week.

It is + period + since + past or perfect tense

It is three years since I (last) saw Bill or

It is three years since I have seen Bill.

I last saw Bill three years ago

I haven’t seen Bill for three years.

Further examples of the use of the present perfect and simple past

Note that a conversation about a past action often begins with a question and answer in the

present perfect, but normally continues in the simple past, even when no time is given. This is

because the action first mentioned has now become definite in the minds of the speakers:

Where have you been? – I’ve been to the cinema –

What did you see? What was the film? – I saw Amadeus.

Did you like it?

The present perfect is often used in letters:

18

We have carefully considered the report which you sent us on 26 April, and have decided to take

the following action.

The present perfect continuous tense

Form:

This tense is formed by the present perfect of the verb to be + the present participle:

Affirmative: I have been working, he has been working etc

Negative: I have/haven’t been working, etc.

Interrogative: Have I been working? etc.

Use

This tense is used for an action which began in the past and is still continuing or has only just

finished:

I’ve been waiting for

an hour and he still hasn’t turned up.

I’m sorry I’m late. Have you been waiting long?

The past perfect tense

Form:

This tense is formed with had and the past participle:

Affirmative: I had/I’d worked etc

Negative: I had not/hadn’t worked etc.

Interrogative: Had I worked? etc

Use

The past perfect is the past equivalent of the present perfect.

Present: Ann has just left. If you hurry you’ll catch her.

Past: When I arrived Ann had just left.

Present: I’ve lost my case.

Past: He had lost his case and had to borrow Tom’s pyjamas.

The past perfect continuous tense

Form:

This tense is formed with had been + past participle. It is therefore the same for all persons:

I ha/I’d been working.

They had not/hadn’t been working.

Had you been working?

Use

The past perfect continuous bears the same relation to the past perfect as the present perfect

continuous bears to the present perfect.

It was now six and he was tired because he had worked since dawn.

19

It was now six and he was tired because he had been working since dawn.

M1. U2.3.1.3. Expressing Future Time

FORM MEANING EXAMPLE

THE FUTURE SIMPLE A neutral future even, a

prediction about the future

I shall finish my work next

week

Tomorrow the weather will

be cold and cloudy

BE GOING TO subject’s intention to

perform a certain future

action

I am going to finish the

project tonight

PRESENT CONTINUOUS A future event anticipated

by virtue of a present plan,

programme or arrangement

We are having an important

meeting next Monday.

SIMPLE PRESENT An official plan or

arrangement regarded as

unalterable

We start for Brasov

tomorrow. The train leaves

at 8.30

THE FUTURE

CONTINUOUS

A temporary situation in the

future

Don’t phone me at seven.

I’ll be having dinner

BE ABOUT TO In reference to immediate

future

They are about to leave.

M1. U2.3.2. Active and passive

A preliminary analysis is normally produced.

A special aluminium alloy was developed.

The sentences above are examples of passive sentences. The passive is frequently used in

scientific writing because the form is impersonal and objective.

The passive is formed with ‘to be’, followed by the past participle of the verb: e.g. to be used, to

be developed, etc.

20


I. Choose the correct verb form in each of the following.

1 In this process, the mixture is heated/is heating to 120°C.

2 Once the salts are dissolving/have dissolved, the heat is reduced.

3 Several people have survived/are surviving the earthquake and are treating/are being treated in

hospital at the moment.

4 For security purposes the employees change/are changing their passwords regularly.

5 Up until now people in this area have taken/take waste plastic to recycling centers, but at

present we have tried/are trying a curbside collection system.

II. A journalist is asking some questions. Complete the answers by putting the verb in brackets

into the appropriate present tense in the active or passive.

1 A: Do you normally hold these products in stock?

B: No. They are normally made _ to order. (make)

2 A: Is the chief engineer here at the moment?

B: I'm afraid not. He ________ currently ________ the plant in the north of

Scotland. (inspect)

3 A: Can 1 see the new design?

B: Yes, of course. It ________ just ________ off the production line. (come)

21

4 A: How many units do you produce a month?

B: We ________ 5,000 units a month and only a very small number ________ .

(produce) (reject)

5 A: How long have you been using imported raw materials?

B: We ________ (import) rayon for many years but we ________ only just

________ (begin) using imported polyester.

6 A: Is this the natural color of the fabric?

B: No. this fabric ________ (dye).

7 A: And how long will it be kept in store?

B: Not long at all. We ________ (dispatch) this load tomorrow afternoon.

22

Learning Unit M1.U3. Economic Engineering - Language study

Contents



M1.U3.3 What is Economic Engineering? 24



M1.U3.4.1.1. Engineering materials 25

M1.U3.4.1.2. Describing objects, shape, size, use etc 26

M1.U3.5.2. Right words/wrong words 30

M1.U3.5.2.1 engineer - mechanic - technician 30

M1.U3.5.2.2 engine - motor - machine – machinery 30



Students get familiar with their field of study and research, in both an English-

speaking context, provided they are exposed to complete documentation and

terminology in their field of study.


To encourage students to talk about their own field of study, about their

career;

To help students improve their engineering-oriented vocabulary in English

(Engineering materials);

To provide students with specific structures used to describe objects, shape,

size, use etc


23


M1. U3.3. What is Economic Engineering?

Economic engineering is a specialized field, incorporating a knowledge of engineering and basic micro-

economics. Its main function is to facilitate decision making based on the economic comparison of

different technological alternatives for investment. Its techniques, ranging from use of 'standard

spreadsheets for evaluating cash flow to more elaborate methods such as risk analysis, can be applied to

personal investments and to industrial enterprises.

MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING

Professional manufacturing engineers are responsible for all aspects of the design, development,

implementation, operation and management of manufacturing systems. Since manufacturing is the most

important element in any engineering process, manufacturing engineers are key personnel in many

organisations. The manufactured products can range from aeroplanes and turbines, engines and pumps,

integrated circuits and robotic equipment to automobile components and other batch-produced items.

The manufacturing systems used in modern manufacturing are highly automated. Professionals in the

field of manufacturing must therefore be able to exhibit knowledge of the technology used in modern

manufacturing, and should be prepared to link this technology together using state-of-the-art computer

systems to form coherent manufacturing systems. To do so requires in-depth understanding of activities

such as product design for manufacture, quality management, maintenance engineering, production

planning and manufacturing systems design.

Students following these courses are offered a wide range of specialist subjects from an extensive list of

modules. Twelve modules are taken in each of the first two academic years covering subject areas such

as engineering analysis. experimentation, materials, product design, business strategy and engineering

management, mechanical engineering, manufacturing process and technology, control and automation

and quality management. These subjects are supported by extensive computer-aided engineering tools,

ensuring that modem computer-aided design and manufacturing techniques are built into the modules.

Many of the deployed systems are also used on collaborative research with local, national and

international organisations allowing access to real industrial case studies and expertise.

24

Great use is made of the above in the specialist modules offered in the final year of study. Subjects such

as CAD/CAM, simulation of manufacturing systems, artificial intelligence, robotics and image

processing and industrial control systems are offered, together with advanced studies in product design,

manufacturing systems technology, production economics, quality and reliability engineering and

manufacturing systems management.

As a professional engineer they can then anticipate an exciting and rewarding career in any of a number

of varied activities and environments.

ENGINEERING BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

The Engineering Business Management programme provides a balanced mix of industrially-orientated

economics and engineering. This programme provides graduates with the skills necessary to progress to

the highest positions in industrial and commercial situations. Some graduates choose to remain within

mainstream engineering whilst others take up careers in management. marketing, accounting,

consultancy or finance.

M1. U3.4. Language study

M1. U3.4.1. Increase your vocabulary

M1. U3.4.1.1. Engineering materials

Materials Properties Uses

Metals

Aluminium Light, soft, ductile, highly

conductive, corrosion-resistant.

Aircraft, engine

components, foil, cooking

utensils

Copper Very malleable, tough and

ductile, highly conductive,

corrosion-resistant.

Electric wiring, PCBs,

tubing

Brass(65%copper, 35%

zinc)

Very corrosion-resistant. Casts

well, easily machined. Can be

work hardened. Good conductor.

Valves, taps castings, ship

fittings, electrical contacts

Mild steel (iron with

0.15%to0.3%carbon)

High strength, ductile, tough,

fairly malleable. Cannot be

General purpose

25

hardened and tempered. Low

cost. Poor corrosion resistance.

High carbon steel (iron

with 0,7% to 1.4% carbon)

Hardest of the carbon steels but

less ductile and malleable. Can be

hardened and tempered.

Cutting tools such as

drills, files, saws

Thermoplastics

ABS High impact strength and

toughness, scratch-resistant, light

and durable.

Safety helmets, car

components, telephones,

kitchenware

Acrylic Stiff, hard, very durable, clear,

can be polished easily. Can be

formed easily.

Aircraft canopies, baths,

double glazing

Nylon Hard, tough, wear-resistant, self-

lubricating.

Bearings, gears, casings

for power tools

Thermosetting plastics

Epoxy resin High strength when reinforced,

good chemical and wear

resistance.

Adhcsives, encapsulation

of electronic components

Polyester resin Urea Stiff, hard, brittle. Good chemical

and heat resistance.

Moulding, boat and car

bodies

Urea formaldehyde Stiff, hard, strong, brittle, heat-

resistant, and a good electrical

insulator.

Electrical fittings,

adhesives

M1. U3.4.1.2. Describing objects, shape, size, use etc

Questions and answers about objects:

1. Question:

How

high

wide is…?

26

long

Answer:

….. is

high

wide.

long

2. Question:

What is the

height

width

length

of…?

Answer:

The

height

width

length

of…..is….

…..has a

height

width

length

of…..

Notice that height, width and length are nouns

and high, wide and long are adjectives.

3. Questions:

What

shape

size

colour

is …?

How

height

width

length

is ….?

What is the

height

width of…?

27

length

Answers

…..is

roughly

more or

less

square

circular

triungular

…..is

not very

fairly

quite

very

extremely

heavy

light

large.

small

big

….is

light

dark

red

blue.

green

…is

roughly

approximately

about

nearly

almost

just under

just over

10 kg

….. weighs

measures

5 gm

2 m

Questions

What’s ….. used for?

made of?

What does….. consist of?

contain?

28

Answers

…..is used for ________ing_______.

….is made of ______.

It consists of ________.

It contains __________.

Notice the following pairs of adjectives, verbs and nouns

adjective verb noun

hot heat heat

warm warm warmth

cool cool coolness

cold cool cold/coldness

weak weaken weakness

tough toughen toughness

soft soften softness

hard harden hardness

rough roughen roughness

coarse coarsen coarseness

strong strengthen strength

flexible make something flexible flexibility

elastic make something elastic elasticity

smooth smooth smoothness

rigid make something rigid rigidity

ductile make something ductile ductility

malleable make something malleabilitty

29

M1. U3.5.2. Right words/wrong words

M1. U3.5.2.1. engineer - mechanic - technician

- Can I have a word with the mechanic who serviced my car? (Not *engineer*)

(a mechanic maintains and repairs mechanical equipment with moving parts)

- It is every engineer's dream to design a machine that will use water as fuel.

(Not *mechanic's*)

(an engineer designs and builds machines, engines, bridges, roads, etc.)

- The computer system in the stock exchange was installed by skilled technicians.

(Not *engineers* *mechanics*)

(technicians install and maintain scientific and electronic equipment)

M1. U3.5.2.2. engine - motor - machine – machinery

This machine not only washes clothes but dries them as well (Not *engine*)

(a machine stands alone)

- A car like this needs a powerful engine/motor. (Not *machine*}

(an engine/motor drives something else)

- How often should you equip a factory with new machinery/with new machines?

(= machines in general)

- The motor of my sewing/washing machine is faulty. (Not *engine* *machine*)

(a small machine is driven by a motor, not an engine; a motor is usually powered by electricity;

an engine is usually powered by oil or steam)


Use the Engineering materials table to find a material which is:

soft

ductile

malleable

tough

30

scratch-resistant

conductive and malleable

durable and hard

stiff and brittle

ductile and corrosion-resistant

heat-resistant and chemical-resistant

II.Fill in the spaces with the correct form of the word given

adjective noun

high

wide

long

adjective verb noun

warm warm

hot heat

cool coolness

cold cool

weak weakness

toughen toughness

soft soften

hard harden hardness

roughen roughness

coarse coarseness

strong strength

31

Learning Unit M1.U4. Modal Verbs - Grammar study




M1.U4.4 Summary chart of modals and similar expressions 33

M1.U4.4. Obligation and requirements 36



LSP is the language of “various domain communities”, as they are named in the

Guidelines for Terminology Policies (UNESCO 2005:1). Moreover, in the same

guidelines it is mentioned that: “Members of these communities generally agree

on their own linguistic conventions, which do not necessarily conform fully with

GPL conventions. Since modern society is strongly under the influence of

scientific-technical development, SPLs are increasingly having a strong impact on

the development of the respective GPL.”. Faculties are preparing future specialists

in various fields. In order for students to become members of a particular domain

community, in order for them to be able to master technical language, specialized

knowledge and professional communication, the LSP courses may structure the

specialized knowledge, helping the specialized communication to be conducted in

the ‘right’ way.


To make students aware of the importance of model verbs in establishing

interpersonal relations: expressing permission, offer, request, giving

advice, etc



32

M1. U4.3. Grammar study

M1. U4.4. Summary chart of modals and similar expressions

MAY (1) polite

request

Present/future: May I borrow your pen?

(2) formal

permission

Present/future: You may leave the room.

(3) less than

50% certainty

Present/future: Where's John? He may be at the

library.

Past: He may have been at the library.

MIGHT (1) less than

50% certainty

Present/future: Where's John? He might be at the

library.

Past: He might have been at the library.

(2) polite

request (rare)

Present/future: Might I borrow your pen?

SHOULD (1) advisability Present/future: I should study tonight.

Past: I should have studied last night

(2) 90%

certainty

Present/future: She should do well on the test

(future only)

Past: She should have done well on the past.

OUGHT

TO

(1) advisability Present/future: I ought to study tonight

Past: I ought to have studied last night

(2) 90%

certainty

Present/future: She ought to do well on the test

( future only, not present)

Past: She ought to have done well on the test.

HAD

BETTER

(1) advisability

with threat of

bad results

Present/future: You had better be on time, or we

will leave without you

Past: (past form uncommon)

BE

SUPPOSED

TO

(1) expectation Present/future: Class is supposed to begin at 10.

Past: Class was supposed to begin at 10.

33

BE TO (1) strong

expectation

Present/future: You are to be here at 9:00.

Past: You were to be here at 9:00.

MUST (1) strong

necessity

Present/future: I must go to class today.

Past: I had to go to class yesterday.

(2) prohibition

(negative)

Present/future: You must not open that door.

(3) 95%

certainty

Present/future: Mary isn't in class. She must be

sick. (present only).

Past: Mary must have been sick yesterday.

HAVE TO (1) necessity Present/future: I have to go to class today.


(2) lack of

necessity

(negative)

Present/future: I don't have to go to class today.

Past: I didn't have to go to class yesterday.

HAVE

GOT TO

(1) necessity Present/future: I have got to go to class today.


WILL (1) 100%

certainty

Present/future: He will be here at 6:00

(future only)

(2) willingness Present/future: The phone's ringing. I'll get it.

(3) polite

request

Present/future: Will you please pass the salt?

BE GOING

TO

(1) 100%

certainty

Present/future: He is going to be here at 6:00.

(future only)

(2) definite plan Present/future: I'm going to paint my bedroom

(future only).

Past: I was going to paint my room but I didn't

have time.

CAN

(1)

ability/possibilit

y

Present/future: I can run fast

Past: I could run fast when I was a child, but now I

can't

(2) informal

permission

Present/future: You can use my car tomorrow.

(3) informal

polite request

Present/future: Can I borrow your pen?

34

(4) impossibility

(negative only)

Present/future: That can't be true!

Past: That can't have been true.

COULD (1)past ability Past: I could run fast when I was a child.

(2) polite

request

Present/future: Could I borrow your pen?

Could you help me?

(3) suggestion Present/future: I need help in math. You could talk

to your teacher.

Past: You could have talked to your teacher.

(4) less than

50% certainty

Present/future: Where's John? He could be at

home.

Past: He could have been at home.

(5) impossibility

( negative only)

Present/future: That couldn't be true!

Past: That couldn't have been true!

BE ABLE

TO

(1) ability Present/future: I'm able to help you. I will be able

to help you.

Past: I was able to help him.

WOULD (1) polite

request

Present/future: Would you please pass the salt?

Would you mind if I left early?

(2) preference Present/future: I would rather go to the park than

stay home.

Past: I would rather have gone to the park.

(3) repeated

action in the

past

Past: When I was a child, I would visit my

grandparents every weekend.

USED TO (1), repeated

action in the

past

Past: I used to visit my grandparent every

weekend

SHALL (1) polite

question to

make a

suggestion

Present/future: Shall I open the window?

(2) future with

"I" or "we" as

subject

Present/future: I shall arrive at nine

(will more common)

35

M1. U4.4. Obligation and requirements

Verbs for the obliger

1. Oblige someone to do something:

compel, demand, force, make, oblige, require

2. Oblige someone not to do something:

ban, forbid, prohibit

3. Not oblige someone to do something:

not compel, not force, not make, not require

Verbs for the obliged:

4. Obliged to do something:

be forced to, be required to, be supposed to, have to, must, need to

5. Obliged not to do something:

be prohibited from, cannot, may not, must not, not be allowed to, not be permitted to

6. Not oblige someone to do something

do not need to, need not, not have to


Make sentences from the words in parentheses.

1. Don't phone Ann now. (she might / have / lunch)

She might be having lunch

2. I ate too much. Now I feel sick. (I shouldn't / eat / so much)

/ shouldn 't have eaten so much.__________________

3. I wonder why Tom didn't phone me. (he must / forget)

4. Why did you go home so early? (you shouldn't / leave / so early)

5. You've signed the contract, (it / can't / change / now)

6. Lauren was standing outside the movie theatre, (she must / wait / for somebody)

7. He was in prison at the time that the crime was committed, so (he couldn't / do / it).

36

8. Why weren't you here earlier? (you should / be / here earlier)

9. Why didn't you ask me to help you? (I would / help / you)

10. I'm surprised nobody told you that the road was dangerous, (you should / warn)

11. Brian was in a strange mood yesterday, (he might not / feel / very well)

Complete B's sentences using can / could / might / must / should / would + the verb in

parentheses. In some sentences you need to use have {must have done / should have done,

etc.). In some sentences you need the negative (can't/couldn't, etc.).

1. A: I'm hungry.

B: But you've just had lunch. You can't be______________ hungry already, (be)

2. A: I haven't seen our neighbours for ages.

B: Me either. They must have gone____________ away. (go)

3. A; What's the weather like? Is it raining?

B: Not right now, but it ______________________ later, (rain)

4. A: Where has Julie gone?

B: I'm not sure. She ______________________ to the bank. (go)

5. A: I didn't see you at John's party last week.

B: No, I had to work that night, so I _______________________. (go)

6. A: I saw you at John's party last week.

B: No, you ______________________ me. I didn't go to John's party, (see)

7. A: What time will we get to Sue's house?

B: Well, it's about a two-hour drive, so if we leave at 3:00, we ___there by 5:00. (get)

8. A: When was the last time you saw Eric?

B: Years ago. I ______________________ him if I saw him now. (recognize)

9. A: Did you hear the explosion? B: What explosion?

B: There was a loud explosion a few minutes ago. You ______________________ it. (hear)

10. A: We weren't sure which way to go. We decided to turn right.

B: You went the wrong way. You ______________________ left. (turn)

Which one of the verbs given can complete all three sentences in each set?

1 used to I will I would

a Most days my father ............... get up first and make breakfast.

b When I was training for the marathon, I............... run over 100 kilometres a week.

c We went back to Dublin to see the house where we............... live in the 1960s.

37

2 should I ought to I must

a Students ............... be encouraged to type their assignments.

b 'Whose car is that outside Bill's house?' 'It............... belong to Bill's sister. I heard that she's

staying with him this weekend.' c You ............... have some of this cake. It's brilliant!

3 needn't I mustn't I don't have to

a I'll be quite late getting to London, but you ............... change your plans for me.

b I'm afraid I owe quite a lot of money to the bank - but you ............... worry about it.

c Next time, read the small print in the document before you sign it. You ............... make the

same mistake again.

4 must I need to I have to

a People with fair skins ............... be particularly careful when they go out in the sun.

b The Browns ............... have won the lottery - they've bought another new car!

c We ............... give at least six months' notice if we want to leave the house.

5 may/could/might

a Ray told me that someone had bought the old house next door................ he be right about

that, I wondered. b The major changes to the timetable ............... cause delay and confusion.

c I asked in the bookshop about Will Dutton's latest book, but all they ............... tell me was that

it would be published before the end of the year.

6 can I could I is (or was) able to

a Val had always wanted to go scuba diving and ............... do so last summer.

b I hope Jim ............... help you tomorrow.

c She played the piano quite well even before she ............... read music.

Applications

I. What skills should an engineer have?

II. Find 5 adjectives that describe the work of an engineer. Turn them into

nouns.

III. Look up for synonyms for the following words:

engineer

create

solution

problem

IV. Find a definition for economic engineering.

V. What subjects do Manufacturing Engineering students study?

38

VI. Choose an object and write down a description of it using these headings:

shape

size

colour

material

weight

use

VII. Six of the following sentences contain mistakes. Find the mistakes and

correct them.

1 Sydney Harbour Bridge was building in 1932.

2 While they were carrying out tests in the laboratories, researchers were

analyzing past results.

3 The first real road builders in Britain was the Romans.

4 The Romans built roads of layers of broken stones of various sizes and were

covering them with flat stones.

5 The system didn't working because the loudspeaker had been wrongly

connected.

6 Before factories were told to stop polluting the environment, waste was being

dumped in rivers and in the sea.

7 Louis Pasteur was discovering the action of germs while he was studying

fermentation in wines.

8 The production process had already been shut down when the leak in the fuel

tank was found.

9 Nuclear energy began to be used from the mid-19 50s.

10 In the second half of the 20111 century, the electronics industry transforming

the way we work in factories.

VIII. Make past tense questions and answers using the words given.

1: When were fiber optics first developed?

1 When / be / fiber optics / first / develop?

2 The boxes / break / because they / make / of low quality materials.

3 The power supply / cut off / because / cables / come down / during the storm.

39

4 They / not complete / the foundations / by the time the building materials /

arrive.

5 When / they / install / the solar panels?

6 be / this / the first hydroelectric scheme/ in Scotland?

7 They / not use / wood chip / for heating / when the engineer / visit / the factory.

8 How / they / produce / gas / before they / discover / North Sea gas?

9 be / the oil pollution along the coastline / cause / by an oil tanker spillage?

10 How / they prepare access to this mine?

IX. Complete the following report of an accident which happened in a factory

with the correct form of the verbs in brackets.

On Friday morning at 9.25 a worker in the chemical plant(a)_________

(find) by a female colleague. He (b) ________ (lie) on the floor. His colleague

(c) ________ (check) that he (d) ________ still _________

(breathe) and then (e)_________ (call) the emergency services. The injured man

(f)_________ (take) to hospital where he later (g) _________ (recover).

An investigation at the factory (h)_________ (find) that a bottle containing a

dangerous chemical liquid (i)________ (leave) open. Vapor from the liquid

(j)_________ (escape) into the air. While he had been working in the room he

(k)_________(become) unwell. He (I)_________(become) drowsy and

then (m)_________ (fall) unconscious. Investigating officers are interviewing

everyone who (n) _________ (work) in the factory that morning.

X. In the following situations choose the correct sentence, a) or b).

1 You are reminding a colleague about the programme for tomorrow.

a Remember that you'll meet the supplier at 12 o'clock.

b Remember that you're meeting the supplier at 12 o'clock.

2 Two colleagues are discussing the future visit by inspectors.

a The inspectors won't allow us to store chemicals in this cupboard.

b The inspectors are not allowing us to store chemicals in this cupboard.

3 Designers are discussing the car models with airbags.

a The use of airbags is going to save more lives in the future.

40

b The use of airbags is saving more lives in the future.

4 Two managers need the results from some research before November.

a They won't be able to complete the research before November.

b They aren't completing the research before November.

5 A senior manager isn't looking forward to next week because he's worried

about the tests.

a Tests will be carried out next week.

b Tests are being carried out next week.

II. A salesman is describing a new product to a customer. Complete what they

say with will or won't and a verb from the box.

Give, operate, deal, take, be, contact, install, provide, need, revolutionize, warm,

see

S: This is an excellent new material which (a) ________ the use of solar panels.

C: I see, and how many hours of sunshine (b) ________ we ________ to

produce energy?

S: It (c) _______ necessary to have sunshine. It (d) _______ in daylight only.

C: (e) _______ it _______ enough energy to warm the building in winter?

S: It (f) ________ the building but you may need additional heating when it is

very cold.

C: What about installation?

S: We (g) ________ it for you. It (h) ________ long and you (i) ________

soon ________ how effective it is. We (j) ________ you a three year

guarantee and if there are any problems we (k) ________ with them immediately.

C: When will you be able to install it?

S: As soon as we receive your order we (I) ________ you to discuss a suitable

date.

XI. Rewrite these sentences using the passive form instead of the active, which is

underlined.

We rarely find pure metals in nature.

We recover metallic ores from the earth in many ways.

41

We obtain lead from a mineral which we call galena.

We need a lot of electrical energy to separate aluminium from the oxygen

in aluminium ore.

XII. Put the verb in brackets in the correct form

There are many ways of shaping plastics. The most common way is by moulding.

Blow-moulding (a) ________ (use) to make bottles. In this process, air (b)

__________ (blow)

into a blob of molten plastic inside a hollow mould and the plastic (c)

____________

(force) against the sides of the mould.

Toys and bowls (d). (make) by injection moulding. Thermoplastic chips

(e) . first ________________ (heat) until they melt and then forced into a

water-

cooled mould under pressure. This method (f) (suit) to mass production.

Laminating (g) (produce) the heat-proof laminate which (h)

_____________

(use), for example, for work surfaces in kitchens. In this process, a kind of

sandwich

(i) _ (make) of layers of paper or cloth which (j) ____________ (soak) in resin

solution. They (k) then (squeeze) together in a heated press.

Thermoplastics can (I) _____________ (shape) by extrusion. Molten plastic (m)

(force) through a shaped hole or die. Fibres for textiles and sheet plastic may

(n). .._.... (make) by extrusion.

XIII. Write a job advertisement in the field of economic engineering using modal

verbs.

42

Contents

Introduction 43

Competencies 43

U1. Production Management- Language study 44

U2. Adjectives - Grammar study 55

U3. Engineering Design - Language study 60

U4. Forming Questions - Grammar study 67

Introduction

Module 2 introduces students to new concepts related to management, production

planning and control and the process to follow. Students get familiar with new

terminology on Engineering design as well as on other concepts used in

engineering. Similarly, Module 2 provides students with a grammar study of

adjectives and adverbs and with a close grammar study of how to form questions

in various communication contexts.

Competencies

To design production management projects at their workplace;

To become aware of word importance: vocabulary related to production;

To h use adjectives and adverbs in various contexts of communication;

To get familiar with the steps of a design process;

To become students aware of word importance: acronyms and concepts in

engineering and process control;

To form questions that help students communicate and debate problems;

To practically apply the knowledge acquired by individual study.

Module 2: Management and Engineering

43

Learning Unit M2.U1. Production Management- Language study

Contents



M2.U1.3 Production Management 45



M2.U1.4.1.1. Production 48

M2.U1.4.1.2. Collocations 50

M2.U1.5.2. Right words – wrong words 50

M2.U1.5.2.1. examine - interrogate/question - interview - ask 50

M2.U1.5.2.2. actual – real – topical – up to date 51

M2.U1.5.2.3 actually – at present/for the present – at the moment 51



The rapid evolution of the specialist and technical vocabulary in all languages due

to the rapid technological development and to the rise of entirely new fields and

industries gives terminology an important part to play in learning not only the

specialist vocabulary of a particular field in a foreign language but also the

specialist vocabulary of a particular field in the native language. Terminology is in

fact the specialist knowledge that is renewed every year, which, they say, doubles

every five to fifteen years, depending on the area concerned. Terminology plays a

fundamental role in characterizing the specialist language and in classifying

different specialist languages, being one of the elements that allow us to make the

difference between the general language and the specialist language.

We suggest that students should get familiar with the terminology in their subject

area in order to function in a specialist English-speaking environment.

44


To get students used to designing production management projects at their

workplace;

To make students aware of word importance: vocabulary related to

production;



M2.U1.3. Production Management

THE "FIVE M'S"

Operations management (known in industry as production management) is a responsibility

similar in level and scope to other specialities such as marketing and to human resource and

financial management. In manufacturing operations, production management includes

responsibility for product and process design, planning and control issues involving capacity and

quality, and organisation and supervision of the workforce.

Production management's responsibilities are summarised by the "five M's": men. machines,

methods, materials, and money. "Men" refers to the human element in operating systems. Since

the vast majority of manufacturing personnel work in the physical production of goods, "people

management" is one of the production manager's most important responsibilities.

The production manager must also choose the machines and methods of the company, first

selecting the equipment and technology to be used in the manufacture of the product or service

and then planning and controlling the methods and procedures for their use. The flexibility of the

production process and the ability of workers to adapt to equipment and schedules are important

issues in this phase of production management.

The production manager's responsibility for materials includes the management of flow

processes-both physical (raw materials) and information (paperwork). The smoothness of

resource movement and data flow is determined largely by the fundamental choices made in the

design of the product and in the process to be used. The manager's concern for money is

45

explained by the importance of financing and asset utilisation to most manufacturing

organisations. A manager who allows excessive inventories to build up or who achieves level

production and steady operation by sacrificing good customer service and timely delivery runs

the risk that over investment or high current costs will wipe out any temporary competitive

advantage that might have been obtained.

PLANNING AND CONTROL

Although the five M's capture the essence of the major tasks of production management, control

summarises its single most important issue. The production manager must plan and control the

process of production so that it moves smoothly at the required level of output while meeting cost

and quality objectives. Process control has two purposes: first, to ensure that operations are

performed according to plan. and second, to continuously monitor and evaluate the production

plan to see if modifications can be devised to better meet cost, quality, delivery, flexibility, or

other objectives. For example, when demand for a product is high enough to justify continuous

production, the production level might need to be adjusted from time to time to address

fluctuating demand or changes in a company's market share. This is called the "production-

smoothing" problem. When more than one product is involved, complex industrial engineering or

operations research procedures are required to analyse the many factors that impinge on the

problem.

Inventory control is another important phase of production management. Inventories include raw

materials, component pans, work in process, finished goods, packing and packaging materials,

and general supplies. Although the effective use of financial resources is generally regarded as

beyond the responsibility of production management, many manufacturing firms with large

inventories (some accounting for more than 50 percent of total assets) usually hold production

managers responsible for inventories. Successful inventory management, which involves the so-

lution of the problem of which items to carry in inventory in various locations, is critical to a

company's competitive success. Not carrying an item can result in delays in getting needed parts

or supplies, but carrying every item at every location can tie up huge amounts of capital and

result in an accumulation of obsolete, unusable stock. Managers generally rely on mathematical

models and computer systems developed by industrial engineers and operations researchers to

handle the problems of inventory control.

To control labour costs managers must first measure the amount and type of work required to

produce a product and then specify well-designed, efficient methods for accomplishing the

necessary manufacturing tasks. The concepts of work measurement and time study introduced by

Taylor and the Gilbreths, as well as incentive systems to motivate and reward high levels of

46

worker output, are important tools in this area of management. In new operations particularly, it

is important to anticipate human resource requirements and to translate them into recruitment and

training programs so that a nucleus of appropriate skilled operators is available as production

machinery equipment are installed. Specialised groups responsible for support activities (such as

equipment maintenance, plant services and production scheduling, and control activities also

need to be hired, trained, and properly equipment This type of careful personnel planning reduces

the chance that expensive capital equipment will stand idle and effort, time, and materials will be

wasted during start-up and regular operations.

The effective use and control of materials often involves investigations of the causes of scrap and

waste; this, in turn, can lead to alternative materials and handling methods to improve the

production process. The effective control of machinery and equipment depends on machine's

suitability to its specific task, the degree of its utilisation, the extent to which it is kept in

optimum running condition, and the degree to which it can be mechanically or electronically

controlled.

THE IMPORTANCE OF MODELS AND METHODS

Because of the enormous complexity of typical production operations and the almost infinite

number of changes can be made and the alternatives that can be pursued productive body of

quantitative methods has been developed to solve production management problems. Most of

these techniques have emerged from the fields of industrial engineering, operations research, and

systems engineering. Specialists in these fields are increasingly using computers and information

processing to solve production problems involving the masses of data associated with large

numbers of workers, massive inventories, and huge quantity of work in process that characterise

most of today's production operations. Indeed, many mass production operations could not run

without the support of these industrial engineers and technical specialists. The important aspects

production control are summarised in the following Table.

Production-Control Summary

processes inventory inspection costs

Observation measuring rate

of output;

recording idle

time or

downtime

recording

stock levels

inspecting

materials and

parts

collecting

cost data

47

Analysis comparing

progress with

the plan

analysing

demand for

stocks in

different uses

and at

different

times

estimating

process

capabilities

computing costs

in relation to estimates

Corrective

action

expediting issuing

production

and

procurement

orders

initiating

full inspection;

adjusting

processes

adjusting

selling price of product

Evaluation estimating

production

capacity and

maintenance

schedules

drawing up

replenishmen

t policies and

inventory

systems

reassessing

specifications;

improving

processes and

procedures

evaluating production

economics;

improving data



M2.U1.4.1.1. Production

Production management is concerned with planning and controlling industrial processes which

produce and distribute products and services. Techniques of production management are also

used in service industries: here they are called operations management. During production

processes, inputs are converted into outputs. These processes take many forms: from basic

agriculture to large-scale manufacturing. Much manufacturing takes place in factories, where

assembly lines allow a steady flow of raw materials (inputs) and finished products (outputs).

People in production focus on efficiency and effectiveness of processes in order to maximize

productivity. To achieve overall success, it is important to measure, analyze and evaluate these

48

processes. However, other activities also contribute to success: purchasing. inventory control,

quality control, storage. logistics.

Production varies according to the inputs, processes and outputs. Other important factors are the

place of production and the resources. In addition. stock, a major cost, needs to be carefully

controlled, and the equipment must be regularly maintained to remain productive and prevent

breakdowns.

Production place

factory • layout • plant • site • unit • workshop

Process

assemble • batch • component • convert • effectiveness

efficiency • line • lot • maximize • optimize

Resources

equipment • fixtures • machinery • materials handling • raw materials

Stock

inventory • stock • store

Maintenance

breakdown • failure • fault • maintain • repair

All areas of management require careful planning and organizing. Planning and organizing

production is essential for efficient operations.

Planning

aggregate • backlog • back order • bottleneck • capacity • cycle • downtime

flow • forecast • idle • lead time • make-to-order • make-to-stock

optimization • output • productivity • prototype • requirement • run • satisfy

schedule • sequence • set up • set-up time • slack • throughput • uncertainty

update • work in progress

49

Work organization

lot • overtime • shift • workforce • workload

M2.U1.4.1.2. Collocations

Engineer

Engineer - noun

adjective + engineer

chief – qualified – skilled – trained

consulting – production – civil – design – mechanical – electrical

Verb + engineer

produce – train – be, practise as – have – find – engage, appoint, get, instruct – take advice from,

speak to, talk to

Engineer – verb

adverb + engineer

carefully – finely – precisely – superbly (The car is superbly engineered and a pleasure to drive)

Engineering

adjective + engineering

heavy – light – conventional – precision – advanced – chemical – civil – design – ecological –

electrical

Engineering + noun

company – firm – group – industry – services – work/works

Expression: a feat of engineering (The building is a remarkable feat of engineering)

M2.U1.5.2. Right words – wrong words

M2.U1.5.2.1. examine - interrogate/question - interview – ask

- Did you ask him? Did he give you any reasons? (Not * examine*)

(ask a question/questions)

- It’s normal practice to interrogate/question prisoners of war.

(= ask a large number of questions, especially of prisoners, police suspects, etc.)

- A lot of people are questioning the global warming theory.

50

(= expressing doubts about)

Who interviewed you when you got the job?

(= asked questions about your abilities and experience)

M2.U1.5.2.2. actual – real – topical – up to date

Management Information Systems is a highly topical issue at present because of the row over the

new bypass. (Not actual)

(i.e it’s in the news)

The real/actual problem is the civil war. (= true, the one we are concerned with)

I can’t comment before I have read the actual report. (Not real report)

(=the report itself)

Magazines in doctors’ waiting rooms are never up-to-date. (Not actual, topical)

M2.U1.5.2.3. actually – at present/for the present – at the moment

Frank has been travelling for a month now. At present/At the moment/For the present, I have

no idea of his whereabouts.

(Not actually, to the present)

(=now, for the time being)

Do you realize that Martin has actually been off work for a month now?

(= as a matter of fact, really)

M2.U1.6 Assessment Test

I. Match the words that go together and then complete the sentences below.

quality material

finished manager

industrial lines

production process

51

large-scale manufacturing

assembly levels

raw control

productivity products

1 Improved _______ _______ has led to higher efficiency in production.

2 The manufacture of paper is an ________ _______.

3 Crude oil is the basic ______ _______ for the plastics industry.

4 Increased _______ ________ have reduced the number of manufacturing workers.

5 The large warehouse is used to store _______________ waiting for delivery.

6 Large car manufacturers use _______ ________ in production,

7 The company began in a single room but has now developed into ______________

8 The manufacturing process is the responsibility of the _______ ________.

II. Here is part of a memo from a company director to the production manager. Complete it with

words from the box.

faulty • equipment • repair • site • workshops • factory • stock

breakdowns • layout • maintain • fixtures • machinery

MEMO

From Robert George To Sarah Bridge Re Premises

We are making good progress with the new (a) ________ development. A new (b) _____ close to

the river has been acquired. Designers are currently working on the (c) ______ of the area and

exact location of the factory building. All (d) _________ and fittings will be carried out by Alan

Shores Ltd. The new manufacturing (e) _________ has been ordered and we hope lo be able to

install it ahead of schedule. New (f) ___________ will be purchased for the engineering (g)

__________ once they have been completed. The present machinery is old and several (h)

________ recently have caused production backlogs. We will continue to (i) _______ and (j)

________ these machines until the new ones are up and running. I would ask you to carry out a

52

full (k) _____ inventory as soon as possible- Any (I) ______ goods should be removed from store

and disposed of.

III. Choose the correct answer in the following.

1 Recent faults with machines have cost the company a great deal of ___.

a) maintenance b) slack time .c) downtime

2 Once the mock-up of the new design has been tested, we can build the ___.

a) prototype b) update c) set up

3 It's unprofitable to manufacture small quantities because or the machine ___.

a) lead time b) set-uptime c) sequence

4 The production manager has to produce a production ___ for the next four weeks.

a) set up b) schedule c) output

5 Once the order has been agreed and production begun. the designer is still responsible

for the ___.

a) work in progress b) workload c) back order

6 These items are produced together as one ___.

a) cycle b) delivery c) lot

IV. Match the correct word with each definition.

workload the movement of materials through a

production system

workforce an order from an earlier time which hasn't been

produced yet

back order the volume of goods which are produced

material flow something that is needed for a particular

process

throughput the series of activities following one another to

produce a product

output the amount of work that has to be done

cycle the volume of goods that can be dealt with in a

certain period of time

requirement all the people who work in a particular

53

company

54

Learning Unit M2.U2. Adjectives - Grammar study

Contents




M2.U2.3.1 Comparison of adjectives 56

M2.U2.3.2. Adjectives and adverbs 57



A scientist studies specialist English to keep updated with the latest discoveries in

the field or to make his/her own researcher known; a student studies specialist

English to have access to materials of interest to her/him; a business person studies

specialist English to sell his/her products. Therefore, these purposes and needs are

imposed by the current circumstances with English playing such an important role

in all fields of knowledge. These needs generate, in their turn, the motivation for

learning. People are aware of the needs they have and they end by being strongly

motivated. In other words, “what distinguishes ESP from General English is not

the existence of a need as such but rather an awareness of the need” (Tom

Hutchinson and Alan Waters, 1987:53)


To help students use adjectives and adverbs in various contexts of

communication;



M2.U2.3. Grammar study

55

M2.U2.3.1. Comparison of adjectives

1. If the positive adjective has one syllable, we form the comparative by adding - er and the

superlative by adding -est:

positive comparative superlative

safe safer safest

clean cleaner cleanest

If we compare two objects, we use than in the comparison: Burton's factory is noisier than

Manson's.

If we compare more than two objects, we use the in the superlative. Denham's factory is the

noisiest

2. If the positive adjective has two syllables and ends in -y, ~ow or -k, we form the comparative

by adding ~er and the superlative by adding –est


healthy healthier healthiest

narrow narrower narrowest

simple simpler simplest

Note that in two syllable adjectives ending in -y, the -y changes to -i in the comparative and the

superlative.

3. For other adjectives with two syllables or more, we form the comparative with more and the

superlative with most:


dangerous more dangerous most dangerous

flammable more flammable most flammable

4. Irregular comparative and superlative forms

positive good bad little much far

56

comparative better worse less more farther/furthest

superlative best worst least most farthest/furthest

!!!! Remember:

a little / a lot more than : more than : the most

a little / a lot less than : less than : the least

M2.U2.3.2. Adjectives and adverbs

1. Typical adjective endings and adjective forms:

-ate/-ite accurate -ic scientific

-ful harmful -ou s dangerous

-al/-ial artificial -ing mining

-ive active -ed finished

-able/-ible renewable -ant/-ent transparent

2. Other adjectives, particularly short ones, do not have special endings

bad - big - good - old - small – young

3. Most adverbs are formed by adding -ly to the adjective:

Adjective Adverb

harmful harmfully

active actively

scientific scientifically

dangerous dangerously

artificial artificially

transparent transparently

4. Some adjectives have the same form as adverbs

early - fast - hard - late - straight


57

I.Complete the table

adjective comparative superlative

accurate more accurate the most accorate

pure

stable

hard

heavy

thin

far

impractical

bad

II. Five of the sentences below contain a mistake. Find the mistake and correct it.

This silk fabric is the best quality we produce.

Following the fire, many more people nave been affected by smoke as we had originally

thought.

Pollution of the ground is most serious in area A than in area B.

Please wear ear protection because it's noisier here than in the other areas.

The locked cabinet contains some of most poisonous chemicals there are.

That was the loudest explosion IVe ever heard.

These chemicals should be kept in good containers than these.

Sending the goods by air is certainly the most quick but it's also the most expensive

III. Choose the correct word in bold.

The number of people who work in the textile (a) manufactured/manufacturing industry in the

UK has fallen (b) considerable/considerably over the last 50 years. Today, it employs (c)

approximately/approximate 130,000 people. Textiles for clothing and carpets have always been

(d) important/importantly but today there is (e) increasing/increasingly trade in fabrics for (f)

industrial/industrially applications. Fabrics are used (g) increasing/increasingly in the

healthcare and automotive industries. The export of wool and (h) woollen/wool products has

remained fairly (i) constantly/constant over the last 15 years. The UK also has a G)

significant/significantly silk industry, which produces over £170 million worth of goods (k)

58

annual/annually. The UK îinen trade has an (I) excellent/excellently reputation for quality and

service and British exports remain very (m) healthy/healthily. The UK's expertise in chemistry is

(n) extensive/extensively and this is (o) important/importantly to the (p) dying/dyed industry.

The manufacturing of dyestuffs is (q) relative/relatively strong. The sale of carpets contributes to

the sale of textiles (r) significant/significantly. The carpet industry has (s)

particular/particularly strengths in the ft) high/highly quality end of the market.

59

Learning Unit M2.U3. Engineering Design - Language study

Contents



M2.U3.3 Engineering Design 61



M2.U3.4.1.1. Acronyms and concepts in engineering and process control 63

M2.U3.5.2. Right words/wrong words 65

M2.U3.5.2.1 design – drawing 65

M2.U3.5.2.2 detailed - in detail - with details 65

M2.U3.5.2.3 desk - office - bureau – study 65



Terminology and document data bases may constitute the core structure of a language

course for special purposes. The applications in both monolingual and multilingual

contexts could be outlined as follows:

In a monolingual context the document and terminology database help the

specialist become familiar with his field of study, research or work; the database

enables him/her to improve his/her message as well as the communication with

other specialists;

In a multilingual context the document and terminology database enables the

specialist to deliver his/her message in another cultural context, to convey

messages in another language;

The two types of databases – terminology and document – go together because my

intention is to introduce the student to a specialist field of study by making use of both

terms and documents in order to improve their specialized knowledge and communication.


To introduce students to the steps of a design process;

To make students aware of word importance: acronyms and concepts in

engineering and process control;

60



M2.U3.3. Engineering Design

We frequently talk about designing 'a system'. By a system, we mean the entire combination of

hardware, information and people necessary to accomplish some specified mission. A system

may be an electric power distribution network for a region of the nation, a procedure for detecting

flaws in welded pressure vessels, or a combination of production steps to produce automobile

parts. A large system usually is divided into subsystems, which in turn are made up of

components,

There is no universally acclaimed sequence of steps that leads to a workable design. However, let

us more or less arbitrarily consider the process to consist of the following steps:

Recognition of a need

Definition of a problem

Gathering information

Conceptualization

Evaluation

Communication of the design

The design process generally proceeds from top to bottom in the list, but it must be understood

that in practice some of the steps will be carried out in parallel and that feedback leading to

iteration is a common fact of design.

Recognition of a need

Needs usually arise from dissatisfaction with the existing situation. They may be to reduce cost,

increase reliability, or just change because the public has become bored with the product.

Definition of a problem

Probably the most critical step in the design process is the definition of the problem. The true

problem is not always what it seems to be at first glance. Because this step requires such a small

part of the total rime to create the final! design, its importance is often overlooked. Figure 2-3

illustrates how the final design can differ greatly depending upon how the problem is defined.

61

It is advantageous to define the problem as broadly as possible. If the definition is broad, you will

be less likely to overlook unusual or unconventional solutions. Broad treatment of problems that

previously were attacked in piecemeal fashion can have a big payoff. However, you should

realize that the degree to which you can pursue a broad problem formulation toward a final

design will depend on factors often outside your control. In most cases, the extent to which you

are able to follow a broad problem formulation will depend on the importance of the problem, the

limits on rime and money that have been placed on the problem and your own position in the

organization.

One approach that you should not take is to consider the existing solution to the problem to be the

problem itself. That approach immediately submerges you in the trees of the forest, and you will

find yourself generating solutions to a problem you have failed to define.

The definition of a problem should include writing down a formal problem statement, which

should express as specifically as possible what the design is intended to accomplish. It should

include objectives and goals, definitions of any special technical terms, the constraints placed

upon the design, and the criteria that will be used to evaluate the design.

Perhaps the best way to proceed is to develop a problem statement at the initial problem

definition step and then, in the second iteration after much information has been gathered,

develop a much more detailed problem statement that is usually called the problem analysis.

Gathering information

Perhaps the greatest frustration you will encounter when you embark on your first design

problem will be due to the dearth or plethora of information. No longer will your responsibility

stop with the knowledge contained in a few chapters of a text. Your assigned problem may be in

a technical area in which you have no previous background and you will not even nave a single

basic reference on the subject. At the other extreme you may be presented with a mountain of

reports of previous work and your task will be to keep from drowning in paper. Whatever the

situation, the immediate task is to identify the needed pieces of information and find or develop

that information.

Conceptualization

The conceptualization step is to determine the elements, mechanisms, processes or configurations

that in some combination or other result in a design that satisfies the need. It is the key step for

employing inventiveness and creativity.

Very often the conceptualization step involves the formulation of a model which may be either of

the two general types: analyzed and experimental. A vital aspect of the conceptualization process

is synthesis. Synthesis is the process of taking elements of the concept and arranging them in the

62

proper order, sized and dimensioned in the proper way. Synthesis is a creative process and is

present in every design.

Design is very individualized. There are no ironclad rules for teaching successful design, and

unfortunately very little has been written about the conceptualization step that is at the heart of

the design process.

Evaluation

The evaluation step involves a thorough analysis of the design. The term evaluation is used more

in the sense of weighing and judging than in the sense of grading. Typically, the evaluation step

may involve detailed calculation, often computer calculation, of the performance of the design by

using an analytical model. In other cases, the evaluation may involve extensive simulated service

testing of an experimental model or perhaps a full-sized prototype.

Communication of the design

It must always be kept in mind that the purpose of the design is to satisfy the needs of a client or

customer. Therefore, the finalized design must be properly communicated or it may lose much of

its impact or significance. The communication is usually by oral presentation to the sponsor as -

well as by a written design report. Detailed engineering drawings, computer programs and

working models are frequently part of the 'deliverables' to the customer. It hardly needs to be

emphasized that communication is not a one-time thing to be carried out at the end of the project.

In a well-run design project, there is continual oral and written dialog between the project

manager and the customer.



M2.U3.4.1.1. Acronyms and concepts in engineering and process control

The IT industry's talent for reducing everything to alphabet soup is only equalled by

manufacturing, which you can almost discuss without using any real words at all. But it is the

only way to avoid jaw-breaking terminology like 'supervisory control and data acquisition'.

CAD/CAM (Computer Aided Design/Manufacturing): Use of PCs and workstation applications

to automate the design and manufacturing process. Designers use CAD/CAM îo prototype

designs without redrawing them by hand. Popular PC packages include AutoCad, VersaCad and

RoboCad. Workstation systems from IBM, DEC, HP, Intergraph, and Computervision. CAM

helps in preparation of programs to control robotic and manufacturing equipment.

63

MRP (Materials Requirement Planning): Breaks down product into list of components needed to

build it. Helps manufacturers plan what raw materials they need in stock.

MRP II (Manufacturing Resources Planning): includes the concept of MRP, but also includes

aspects of order processing, distribution, and processing time.

JIT (Just-in-Time Manufacturing): Carries on where MRP and MRP II leave off. Means you only

make the products you have to in order to satisfy market needs. Process extends from design and

MRP to distribution of finished products. JIT-embracing manufacturers try not to hold any stock,

either of raw materials or finished products, but make products just in time to fill customer

requirements.

CAPP (Computer Aided Process Planning): Systems work out how best to route the production

of items that need to go through several different processes.

Scada (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition): Systems collect data, monitor manufacturing

processes, and produce management reports on the effectiveness of manufacturing processes. Are

oft e n PC systems and use graphical displays to alert shop-floor staff to problems in a process.

Concurrent Engineering: Concept of developing different aspects of a product concurrently.

Products' design, manufacturing, and documentation are integrated from the start. If design of a

new product is changed, this is automatically passed through to the next stages of production

planning. Intended to replace traditional linear approach, where each stage has to wait for

previous stage to be completed. Aim is to reduce time-lag between design and finished product.

EDM (Engineering Data Management): Part of a move towards Concurrent Engineering and CIM

(Computer Integrated Manufacturing}. Central database stores all documentation related 45 to

particular products. Product manuals and technical data can be generated from original design

Information, and engineers should be able to reuse design data from previous projects. One

company has halved time between introducing a change request at the design stage and producing

complete plans.

PLC (Programmable Logic Control): Small, rugged controllers are programmed via a

programming panel to do a particular job in a process. Once programmed, the controllers will do

64

the same job as a full computer system, but at a lower cost. They can be reprogrammed easily to

do different jobs.

M2.U3.5.2. Right words/wrong words

M2.U3.5.2.1. design – drawing

- Meryl did a lovely drawing of our house when she stayed here (Not *design*)

(= a picture drawn in ink or pencil)

- We've been discussing the design of the new house with the architect. (Not *drawing*)

(= a plan from which it will be built)

M2.U3.5.2.2. detailed - in detail - with details

- You have to complete the form in detail.

(Not *detailed* *with details*)

(= thoroughly, including all the small points)

- I sent them my curriculum vitae with details of my previous jobs.

(with details = including facts)

- When you've tested the new vehicle, we'd like you to write us a detailed report.

(= thorough, with all the facts)

M2.U3.5.2.3. desk - office - bureau – study

- Alan doesn't like anyone to ring him at the office. (Not *desk* *bureau* *study*)

(- a room or rooms devoted to business)

- We need another room we can use as a study. (Not *an office*)

(= a room for academic or domestic reading and writing)

- The computer takes up half the space on my desk. (Not *bureau*)

(= a table where you sit and write)

- The papers you want are in the top drawer of the bureau.

(= an old-fashioned writing desk with a lid in BrE; a chest of drawers in AmE)

- Reuters has a news bureau in every country in the world.

(= an office for collecting and distributing information)

65


I. What do these acronyms used in engineering mean?

CAD, CAM, CIM, IT, MRP, JIT, PC, PLC

II. Answer the following questions making reference to Acronyms and concepts in engineering

and process control

What is the aim of Concurrent Engineering?

What are AutoCad, VersaCad and RoboCad?

66

Learning Unit M2.U4. Forming Questions - Grammar study




M2.U4.3.1 Forming questions 68

M2.U4.3.2 Irregular plurals 70

M2.U4.4. Assessment Test 71


The goal of the English course has been to explore the implications of terminology

management in education and training, more precisely, in teaching English for

special purposes (ESP), starting from the hypothesis that students, master degree

students, research students, specialists get familiar with their field of study and

research, in both a monolingual and multilingual context, provided they are

exposed to complete documentation and terminology in their field of study and that

examination of shades of meaning in the terminology in their field of study should

help them better communicate with other specialists and provide them with a

better understanding of their own specialist area.


To form questions that help them communicate and debate problems;



67

M2.U4.3. Grammar study

M2.U4.3.1. Forming questions

A. Some questions begin with a wh-word. We can call these wh-questions:

• What are you doing tomorrow? • Where have you been?

Some questions can be answered with ‘yes’ or ‘no’. We can call these yes/no questions.

• Have you had to come far? • Did she leave any message?

B. If there is an auxiliary verb (be, do, have, can, will, etc.) we put it in front of the subject:

• Have you ever visited California? • Why are you telling me this now?

If there is more than one auxiliary verb, we put only the first auxiliary in front of the subject;

• Will they be arrested if they refuse to leave? (not Will be they arrested...?)

We can make questions in a similar way when be is a main verb:

• Was she happy when she lived in France? • When is he likely to arrive?

When we ask yes/no questions with have as the main verb, we usually use Have...got...? or Do…

have...? Questions such as ‘Have you a pen?’ are rather formal:

• Do you have... / Have you got a reservation? {rather than Have you a...?)

C. If there is no other auxiliary verb, we make a question by putting do or does (present

simple),or did (past simple) in front of the subject. A bare infinitive comes after the subject:

• Does anyone know where I left my diary? • When did you last see Mary?

If we use what, which, who or whose as the subject, we don’t use do:

• What happened to your car? (not What did happen...?) Compare:

• Who (= object) did you speak to at the party? And • Who (= subject) spoke to you?

Notice that we can sometimes use do when what, which, who or whose is subject if we want to

encourage the speaker to give an answer. Do is stressed in spoken English:

• Come on, be honest – who did tell you?

D. Study how we ask questions about what people think or say using a that-clause:

• When do you think (that) he will arrive? • What do you suggest (that) I should do next?

We can ask questions like this with advise, propose, recommend, say, suggest, suppose, think.

When the wh-word is the subject of the second clause we don’t include that:

• Who did you say was coming to see me this morning? (not ...say that was coming...?)

68

Wh-questions with how, what, which, and who

A. Study these sentences:

• Which biscuits did you make – the chocolate ones or the others? (rather than What...?)

• I’ve got orange juice or apple juice. Which would you prefer? (rather than What...?)

• He just turned away when I asked him. What do you think he meant? (not Which...?)

• What do you want to do this weekend? (not Which...?)

We usually use which when we are asking about a fixed or limited number of things or people,

and what when we are not. Often, however, we can use either which or what with little difference

in meaning. Compare:

• What towns do we go through on the way? (the speaker doesn’t know the area) and

• Which towns do we go through on the way? (the speaker knows the area and the towns in it)

B. We usually use who to ask a question about people:

• Who will captain the team if Nick isn’t available?

However, we use which when we want to identify a person or people out of a group (for example,

in a crowded room, or on a photograph) and when we ask about particular classes of people. We

can use what to ask about a person’s job or position:

Which is your brother? ‘The one next to Ken?

• Which would you rather he – a doctor or a vet? (or What would...?)

• ‘What’s your sister?’ ‘She’s a computer programmer.

C. We use which, not who or what, in questions before one(s) and of:

• Which one of us should tell Jean the news? (not Who one of us...?)

• I’ve decided to buy one of these sweaters. Which one do you think I should choose? (rather

than What one do you think...?)

• Which of these drawings was done by you? (not What of...)

• Which of you would like to go first? (not Who of...)

D. When we use who or what as a subject, the verb that follows is singular, even if a plural

answer is expected:

69

• Who wants a cup of coffee? (said to a number of people)

• What is there to do in Leeds over Christmas? (expects an answer giving a number of

activities)

E. Study the use of how and what in these questions:

What’s this one called? (not How...) • What do you think of her work? (not How...)

What is the blue button for? (= What purpose does it have?) (not How...)

How about (having) a swim? (= a suggestion) (or What about...)

What is your brother like? (= asking what kind of person he is) (not How...)

How is your brother? (= asking about health) (not What...)

What was the journey like? (= asking an opinion) (not How...)

How was the journey? (= asking an opinion) (not What...)

What do you like about it? (= asking for specific details) (not How...)

How do you like it? (not What...)

= asking for a general opinion

= asking for details about coffee, tea or a meat dish (‘How would you like it?’ is al\so possible)

M2.U4.3.2. Irregular plurals

Nouns of Latin origin:

Singular: -a / Plural: ae

Antenna, antennae; Formula, formulae

Singular: -um/ Plural: a

Datum, data; medium, media; pendulum, pendula; stratum, strata

Singular: -us/ Plural: -i

focus, foci; nucleus, nuclei; radius, radii; terminus, termini

Nouns of Greek origin:

Singular: -is/ Plural: es

Analysis, analyses; axis, axes; basis, bases; crisis, crises; hypothesis, hypotheses; synthesis,

syntheses;

Singular: -on/ Plural: a

Criterion, criteria; phenomenon, phenomena;

Singular: -x/ Plural: ces

index, indices; matrix, matrices

70


1 I can’t get the computer to work. Which/What have you done to it?

2 When we get to the next junction, which/what way shall we go?

3 Which/What countries in Europe have you been to?

4 Which/What are you worried about?

5 Which/What kind of work do you do?

6 Which/What do you think I should wear – my blue or my red tie?

7 I still have to type these letters and photocopy your papers. Which/What do you want me to do

next?

8 Which/What is the best way to get to Sutton from here?

Look again at the answers in which you have underlined both. Are there any where which is more

likely than what?

Complete the sentences with who, which or what.

..................… are you working for now?

..................... are Paul’s parents?’ ‘The couple near the door.’

............…….living person do you most admire?

................. are Tom’s parents?’ ‘They’re both teachers.’

..................... of them broke the window?

..................... one of you is Mr Jones?

..................... else knew of the existence of the plans?

.............….. is to blame for wasting so much public money?

..................... knows what will happen next?

..................... of the countries voted against sanctions?

I know that Judy is an accountant, but..................... is her sister Nancy?

If necessary, correct these sentences.

What one of you borrowed my blue pen?

‘Who do you want to be when you grow up?’ ‘An astronaut.’

71

Who are you inviting to the meal?

What are left in the fridge?

Which of the children are in the choir?

‘Who are coming with you in the car?’ ‘Jane, Amy and Alex.

Applications

I. Look up for synonyms for the following words:

production

analysis

plan

control

II. What does the "five M's": stand for?

III.Give the definitions for the following words:

IV. Match each of the verbs below with the phrase which best goes with it:

Accomplish solutions to a problem

Proceed a new idea

Carry out the needs of a client

Create a task

Generate research or test work

Formulate from step to step

Satisfy someone to a project

assign s problem in precise

terms

V. Find words in the text which mean the following:

what you are aiming to achieve with a design

something which restricts what you can do

standards by which something can be judged

the impression made by an idea

72

VI. What do these acronyms used in engineering mean?

CAD, CAM, CIM, IT, MRP, JIT, PC, PLC

VII. Answer the following questions making reference to Acronyms and concepts

in engineering and process control

What is the aim of Concurrent Engineering?

What are AutoCad, VersaCad and RoboCad?

VIII. Make up 5 questions that you wish to ask your manager referring to the

tasks you are required to accomplish at your workplace.

IX. Make up 10 questions so that you could find the answers in the text

‘Engineering Design”

References 1. Alexander, L.G. Right Word Wrong Word. London: Longman, 1998

2. Brieger, Nick; Pohl, Alison. Technical English. Vocabulary and Grammar. Oxford:

Summertown Publishing Limited, 2004

3. Dictionar tehnic englez-roman. Bucuresti: Editura Tehnica, 1997;

4. Glendinning, E, Glendinning, N. English for Electrica land Mechanical Engineering.

Oxford University Press, 1996;

5. Hutchinson, Tom; Waters, Alan (1987). English for Specific Purposes. Cambridge:

Cambridge University Press, pp. 48 – 64;

6. McCarthy, Michael; O’Dell, Felicity. English Vocabulary in Use. Cambridge:

University Press, 2002;

7. Raymond, Murphy. Advanced Grammar in Use. Cambridge: University Press, 2002;

8. Thomson, A.J; Martinet, A.V. A Practical English Grammar. Oxford: Oxford

University Press, 1997;

9. Vaughan, J (General Editor). General Engineering. London: Prentice Hall

International, 1992;

*** Undergraduate Prospectus, Queen Mary University 2003-2004;

*** http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business

73

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business

Table of Contents

Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………… 1

Competencies ………………………………………………………………………………… 1

Module 1 Economic Engineering..................................................................... 3

Introduction………………………………………………………………… 3

Competencies……………………………………………………………… 3

Learning Unit1. Engineering and Industrialization - Language

study………………………………………………………………..

4

M1.U1.1. Introduction…………………………………………………… 4

M1.U1.2. Objectives of the learning unit……………………………… 5

M1.U1.3 What is Engineering – presentation………………………… 5

M1.U1.4 Language study………………………………………………… 7

M1.U1.4.1.I ncrease your vocabulary………………………………….. 7

M1.U1.4.1.1. Engineering………………………………………………… 7

M1.U1.4.1.2. Aspects of Industrialization……………………………… 7

M1.U1.5.2. Right words – wrong words………………………………… 8

M1.U1.5.2.1. Diploma – degree – certificate – licence……………….. 8

M1.U1.5.2.2. Nouns – names of sciences……………………………….. 9

M1.U1.6. Assessment Test………………………………………………… 9

Learning Unit 2. Tenses - Grammar study………………………… 11

M1.U2.1. Introduction…………………………………………………….. 11

M1.U2.2. Objectives of the learning unit…………………………… 11

M1.U2.3. Grammar study…………………………………………………. 12

M1.U2.3.1. Tenses – present tenses – past tenses – future tense……. 12

M1.U2.3.1.1. Present tenses……………………………………………… 12

M1.U2.3.1.2. The past and perfect tenses………………………………. 14

M1.U2.3.1.3. Expressing Future Time………………………………….. 20

M1.U2.3.2. Active and passive…………………………………………… 20

M1.U2.4. Assessment Test………………………………………………… 21

Learning Unit 3. Economic Engineering - Language study 23

M1.U3.1. Introduction…………………………………………………….. 23


M1.U3.3. What is Economic Engineering? ………………………… 24

M1.U3.4. Language study…………………………………………… 25

74

M1.U3.4.1. Increase your vocabulary………………………………. 25

M1.U3.4.1.1. Engineering materials………………………………… 25

M1.U3.4.1.2. Describing objects, shape, size, use etc………………… 26

M1.U3.5.2. Right words/wrong words………………………………. 30

M1.U3.5.2.1. engineer - mechanic - technician…………………… 30

M1.U3.5.2.2. engine - motor - machine – machinery…………………. 30

M1.U3.6. Assessment Test…………………………………………… 30

Learning Unit 4. Modal Verbs - Grammar study………………… 32

M1.U4.1. Introduction………………………………………………. 32


M1.U4.3. Grammar study…………………………………………… 33

M1.U4.4. Summary chart of modals and similar expressions……….. 33

M1.U4.4. Obligation and requirements……………………………... 36


Module 2 Management and Engineering …………………………………….. 43

Introduction………………………………………………………….. 43

Competencies…………………………………………………………. 43

Learning Unit1. Production Management- Language study 44

M2.U1.1. Introduction………………………………………………... 44

M2.U1.2. Objectives of the learning unit…………………………….. 45

M2.U1.3. Production Management………………………………….. 45

M2.U1.4. Language study……………………………………………. 48

M2.U1.4.1. Increase your vocabulary……………………………….. 48

M2.U1.4.1.1. Production…………………………………………….. 48

M2.U1.4.1.2. Collocations…………………………………………… 50

M2.U1.5.2. Right words – wrong words…………………………….. 50

M2.U1.5.2.1. examine - interrogate/question - interview – ask………. 50

M2.U1.5.2.2. actual – real – topical – up to date……………………. 51

M2.U1.5.2.3. actually – at present/for the present – at the moment…. 51

M2.U1.6. Assessment Test……………………………………………. 51

Learning Unit 2. Adjectives - Grammar study……………………… 55

M2.U2.1. Introduction……………………………………………….. 55


M2.U2.3. Grammar study……………………………………………. 56

M2.U2.3.1. Comparison of adjectives……………………………….. 56

M2.U2.3.2. Adjectives and adverbs………………………………….. 57

75

M2.U2.4 Assessment Test ……………………………………………. 58

Learning Unit 3. Engineering Design - Language study………… 60

M2.U3.1. Introduction……………………………………………….. 60

M2.U3.2.Objectives of the learning unit…………………………….. 60

M2.U3.3. Engineering Design……………………………………….. 61

M2.U3.4. Language study…………………………………………… 63

M2.U3.4.1.Increase your vocabulary……………………………….. 63

M2.U3.4.1.1. Acronyms and concepts in engineering and process

control…………………………………………………………………

63

M2.U3.5.2. Right words/wrong words………………………………. 65

M2.U3.5.2.1. design – drawing……………………………………… 65

M2.U3.5.2.2. detailed - in detail - with detail……………………….. 65

M2.U3.5.2.3. desk - office - bureau – study…………………………. 65


Learning Unit 4. Forming Questions - Grammar study……………. 67

M2.U4.1. Introduction……………………………………………….. 67

M2.U4.2. Objectives of the learning unit……………………………. 67

M2.U4.3. Grammar study…………………………………………… 68

M2.U4.3.1. Forming questions……………………………………… 68

M2.U4.3.2. Irregular plurals………………………………………… 70

M2.U4.4. Assessment Test ………………………………………… 71

References ………………………………………………………………………………… 73

76

Date post:	01-Nov-2014
Category:	Documents
Upload:	cosmin-burcea-blendea
View:	117 times
Download:	6 times

Curs Ing Ec_an I_sem I_2010.doc

Documents