Kryachkov 2!indd

3. Note how the reviewer presents the basis for the author’s reasoning in line 25. Make up a 
sentence commenting on the text in Reading 2 using the following hints:
Building on
— the results from the questionnaires and 
research;
— on their long experience of;
— on an abundance of background 
information on;
— a review of an extensive literature;
— on the premise that;
— on previous research;
— on insights from
the author(s) …
Drawing on 
— the idea that;
— existing empirical evidence;
— on a broad range of comparative work 
on;
— previous research; 
— alternative theories of; 
— a wealth of sources on.
4. Note how the reviewer links ideas in lines 54 and 66. Translate the sentences into Russian. 
Think of Russian equivalents for the following evaluative adverbs and use them in a brief 
comment on the text in Reading 2.
arguably, conceivably, interestingly, presumably, characteristically, predictably, curiously, 
oddly, paradoxically, regrettably 

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160
Д. А. Крячков
UNIT V
5. Comment on the way the reviewer presents his final assessment of the book. Compare it 
with the following suggestions. Use one of them to assess the text in Reading 2. Think of 
possible opposites for the phrases, which would be appropriate in a review.
All in all, 
the article
— is a conspicuous contribution to…
— is a very decent try at;
— is a very welcome addition to the historiography of…
— is a small but quite useful contribution to 
— is a good, concise and compelling exposition of 
— is a useful entry point into current research on
To conclude/in sum, 
the article
— is a particularly welcome addition to the slim literature on…;
— is a major contribution to the existing perspectives on…;
— is a welcome and thought-provoking contribution to…;
— is a real milestone in…;
— is a brilliant endeavor of…;
— is a knowledgeable and judicious review of.
Ex. 26. Choose an article from an academic journal on the topic connected with 
your research and write a critical review of this article following the guidelines in 
Unit 3 (ex. 35). Make use of the active vocabulary and the clichés from ex. 25.