Functional language for academic discussion (C1 Vocabulary)

Open a hypothesis with let us suppose that or what if we were to, and report a careful second look with on closer examination.

Hypothesizing and analyzing

Not "What if we would survey part-time students?" — say "What if we were to survey part-time students?". Use what if we were to + base verb, not what if we would + verb.
Try it: Sofia: The quotes in your proposal looked fine to me at first. Farid: To me too, but ___ two of them came from the wrong interview. Choose the words for the blank. (on closer examination / let us suppose that / what if we were to) Answer: on closer examination — Farid found the problem only on a careful second look, which is what on closer examination signals.

Word	Pronunciation	Example
let us suppose that	/lɛt ʌs səˈpoʊz ðæt/	Let us suppose that the sample had been larger; how might the result change?
what if we were to	/wʌt ɪf wi wɜr tu/	What if we were to survey part-time students separately before drawing conclusions?
on closer examination	/ɑn ˈkloʊsər ɪɡˌzæmɪˈneɪʃən/	On closer examination, the drop in attendance coincided with the fee increase.

Use it can be argued that for a debatable claim, a major weakness for a flaw, and to a certain extent for partial agreement.

Try it: Farid: So the panel's criticism of your proposal is completely fair? Sofia: Only ___. My chapter titles are confusing, but the main idea still holds. Choose the words for the blank. (to a certain extent / it can be argued that / a major weakness) Answer: to a certain extent — Sofia agrees only partly, and to a certain extent means partly, within limits.
Try it: Sofia: I think my proposal is ready for the panel. Farid: It's close, but ___ the proposal is its timeline: four weeks is too short. Choose the words for the blank. (a major weakness of / let us suppose that / on closer examination) Answer: a major weakness of — Farid names one serious flaw, and a major weakness of the proposal names it directly.

Word	Pronunciation	Example
it can be argued that	/ɪt kæn bi ˈɑrɡjud ðæt/	It can be argued that the policy fails to address the underlying cause of the problem.
a major weakness	/ə ˈmeɪdʒər ˈwiknəs/	A major weakness of the report is its narrow sample base.
to a certain extent	/tu ə ˈsɜrtən ɪkˈstɛnt/	To a certain extent, the reform improved transparency, though not in every department.