Computers and Grammar Reading Answers

May 18, 2024

Computers and Grammar Reading Answers is an academic reading answers topic. Computers and Grammar Reading Answers have a total of 13 IELTS questions in total. In the questions you have to choose the correct word from the passage.

Candidates should read the IELTS Reading passage thoroughly to recognize synonyms, identify keywords, and answer the questions below. IELTS Reading practice papers, which feature topics such as Computers and Grammar Reading Answers. Candidates can use IELTS reading practice questions and answers to enhance their performance in the reading section.

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Section 1

Read the Text Below and Answer Questions

Computers and Grammar

What happens if computer takes to reading what we write, and judging it too? Experiments with using computers to mark exams have been on the rise for some time, and have now reached the point where they are supposed to be able to judge styles of writing.

Last week, the Westminster Education Forum amused itself with by hooking an exam-marking computer up to various classic works of literature and rhetoric. What marks would Jane Austen, William Golding, Hemmingway, Churchill get? The answer was predictable: too much repetition; not proper sentences; even grammatical incorrectness (it thought Churchill's phrase "the might of the German army" was a misuse of the conditional "might").

The conclusion was clear: a computer was at least as likely to make mistakes in marking as a student is in writing. But computers do not make up these standards themselves. They arise out of the principles of writing installed in them by, I am afraid to say, school teachers. Those school-taught principles have a way of hanging around in the head. It's surprising to discover what a load of old rubbish many of them are. First, teachers were always telling pupils not to repeat words- this is the one that did for Hemingway in the forum's experiment. But why not? The alternative is something called elegant variation - not a good thing- and the style of very old sports reporters; Wayne Rooney, for instance, becomes, in succession, "the recent proud young father", the lad from Liverpool", "the Scouse bruiser", "the pug-faced virtuoso of the leather globe" and so on, deliriously. Much better to stick to the accurate word. A specific terrible application of this comes when pupils writing a story are asked not to repeat "he said" and " she said", but to vary the verbs of speech, so that people are always described as murmuring, stating, enunciating, chirruping, guffawing

and so on. I expect teachers want to increase their pupils vocabulary but the fact remains that only truly terrible writers do this; good ones generally stick to "he said, she said".

Probably, nowadays, the demented old rules about not ending a sentence with a preposition and never splitting an infinitive have disappeared. But what seem to have taken their place are some creative-writing derived principles. The good principle of not using unnecessary words is interpreted by teachers, and I dare say computers, to mean" if you can cross out a word, do so". A "tiny little" object means something different from either a tiny, or a little, object; Sebastian Barry's memorable title 'A Long Long Way' is different from both 'a long way', and 'a very long way'. Either of these examples would get the computer's alarm bells ringing. Computers could be programmed to recognise and deplore the passive voice such as, indeed," could be programmed teachers hate it, despite its obvious usefulness. They could even be instructed to identify instances where students have lapsed from that saddest of creative-writing instructions, "show don't tell", or to reward the pathetic belief that writing in the present tense is somehow more vivid than in the past. But should they? Some of the things we are told in school, and apparently go on believing quite fervently, are not good general rules to which genius provides an exception. They are just terrible rules. Incidentally, I just ran this page through my computer's grammar checker. It ticked me off for two fragmentary sentences, one misspelling and one non-existent word ]("Scouse"), and made an impertinent suggestion regarding a comma. Its day, I think, is still to come.

Section 2

Solution and Explantion

Questions 27-32

Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in Reading Passage 3?

In boxes 27-32 of your answer sheet, write

YES - if the statement agrees with the views of the writer
NO - if the statement contradicts the views of the writer
NOT GIVEN - if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

If computer-checked, great writers like Jane Austin and] Hemmingway would get poor scores for grammar.

Answer: YES
Supporting statement:“.......What marks would Jane Austen, William Golding, Hemmingway, Churchill get? The answer was predictable: too much repetition; not proper sentences; even grammatical incorrectness..........”
Keywords: marks, repetition
Keyword Location: para 2, lines 2-4
Explanation: The writer indicates that computers would give low marks to famous authors for their writing styles.

Many of the writing principles taught in schools are necessary.

Answer: NO
Supporting statement:“.........It's surprising to discover what a load of old rubbish many of them are........”
Keywords: rubbish, principles
Keyword Location: para 3, line 3
Explanation: The writer believes that many writing principles taught in schools are unnecessary.

It is not possible for common people to totally avoid repetition.

Answer: YES
Supporting statement:“.......First, teachers were always telling pupils not to repeat words... But why not?..........”
Keywords: repeat, words
Keyword Location: para 3, lines 4-6
Explanation: The writer argues against the avoidance of repetition, suggesting it is unnecessary.

Genius does not like to abide by the terrible grammar rules.

Answer: YES
Supporting statement:“........Some of the things we are told in school... are not good general rules to which genius provides an exception. They are just terrible rules..........”
Keywords: genius, rules
Keyword Location: para 6, lines 3-4
Explanation: The writer states that geniuses do not need to follow poor grammar rules.

It is not possible to create great literary works strictly following grammar rules.

Answer: NOT GIVEN
Explanation: The passage does not specifically address whether great literary works can be created strictly following grammar rules.

Computer checking of literary works is an inevitability of the day.

Answer: NO
Supporting statement:“........Its day, I think, is still to come..........”
Keywords: day, come
Keyword Location: para 6, line 7
Explanation: The writer suggests that computer checking has not yet reached its full potential.

Questions 33-37

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.

COMPUTER CHECKING

Computers are poor evaluators of 33........ Their possibility of committing mistakes while checking is equal to that of a 34.............. in writing. Computers follow the age-old writing rules installed by 35........ Many a times, writers vehemently try to avoid 36………

which only make reading problematic. Some such harsh rules have been replaced by the principles of 37.........

Ques 33:

Answer: GRAMMAR
Supporting statement:“........The conclusion was clear: a computer was at least as likely to make mistakes in marking as a student is in writing..........”
Keywords: mistakes, marking
Keyword Location: para 3, line 2
Explanation: The passage explains that computers often make errors in evaluating grammar.

Ques 34:

Answer: STUDENT
Supporting statement:“.......The conclusion was clear: a computer was at least as likely to make mistakes in marking as a student is in writing..........”
Keywords: mistakes, student
Keyword Location: para 3, line 2
Explanation: Computers are as prone to errors as students.

Ques 35:

Answer: SCHOOL TEACHER (S)
Supporting statement:“.......They arise out of the principles of writing installed in them by, I am afraid to say, school teachers..........”
Keywords: principles, teachers
Keyword Location: para 3, line 3
Explanation: The writing rules followed by computers are those taught by school teachers.

Ques 36:

Answer: REPETITION
Supporting statement:“........First, teachers were always telling pupils not to repeat words... But why not?.........”
Keywords: repeat, words
Keyword Location: para 3, lines 4-5
Explanation: Writers often try to avoid repetition, as advised by teachers.

Ques 37:

Answer: CREATIVE WRITING
Supporting statement:“........But what seem to have taken their place are some creative-writing derived principles .........”
Keywords: principles, creative-writing
Keyword Location: para 4, line 2
Explanation: Old rules have been replaced by creative writing principles.

Questions 38-40

Which three of the following are correct according to the writer?

Write the correct letter, A-F.

We follow some rules taught in schools religiously
Genius provides exception to all rules
Some rules of writing only make troubles in creative writing
Great literary works sometimes do not follow the rigorous rule
Avoiding repetition of words in writing is possible for every wri
It is high time to start using computer for grammar checking

Ques 38:

Answer: A
Supporting statement:“........Some of the things we are told in school, and apparently go on believing quite fervently, are not good general rules.........”
Keywords: told, school
Keyword Location: para 6, lines 3-4
Explanation: The writer mentions that people continue to follow school-taught rules fervently.

Ques 39:

Answer: C
Supporting statement:“........They are just terrible rules..........”
Keywords: terrible, rules
Keyword Location: para 6, line 4
Explanation: The writer suggests that some writing rules cause problems.

Ques 40:

Answer: D
Supporting statement:“........Some of the things we are told in school... are not good general rules to which genius provides an exception.........”
Keywords: good, rules
Keyword Location: para 6, lines 3-4
Explanation: The writer implies that great literary works often do not adhere to strict rules.

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