Generalizations: Geography
Keith Kelly looks at examples of language used in making generalizations from the area of geography; these can be split into three broad groups: quantity, frequency and certainty.
To download the accompanying lesson plan, please click on the link to the right of the screen.
Quantity
| word / phrase | example |
|---|---|
| a few | A few large companies have continuously retained economic power in the banana trade. |
| a majority (of) | A majority of small farm holders is finding it harder and harder to survive. |
| a minority (of) | Private enterprises in Russia have recently created a great deal of wealth for a minority of Russian men and women. |
| a number (of) | The river is forced to break up into a number of smaller channels called distributaries. |
| several | Several severe droughts have occurred in the Sahel since the 1970s. |
| all | Trees produce oxygen, which is needed by all living things. |
| every | Demand for housing in Calcutta ensures that every available space is occupied, many at high rents. |
| little | Little level land is available for the construction of roads. |
| many | ManyItalian locations have attractive characteristics. |
| many millions | Many millions of people are employed in the tourist industry in Europe. |
| most | Most population growth is taking place in the poorest and least prepared countries of the world. |
| much | Much of the material is ground into soil particles, stones and boulders called erratics. |
| over | Over a hundred million people take holidays in the Mediterranean every year. |
| some | Some industries take finished products from other factories to use as raw materials for further processing. |
Frequency
| word | example |
|---|---|
| always | Egyptians had always wished to control the Nile and its level throughout the year. |
| frequently | Depressions frequently develop over the North Atlantic. |
| generally | People generally build houses some distance from rivers, or on higher ground, to avoid flooding. |
| often | The people who live in the slums are often elderly single men and women who never married. |
| never | Many of the women never sign a contract and can easily be kicked out. |
| normally | Streets are normally straight and usually joined at right angles. |
| occasionally | Feelings of boredom and isolation may occasionally give rise to anti-social behaviour. |
| seldom | The vegetation seldom provides enough rich humus to make fertile soil. |
| sometimes | Rivers in hanging valleys sometimes enter a main valley as a waterfall. |
| tend | Land use intensity and value tend to increase towards the city centre. |
| tendency | There is a general tendency for different city zones to be given over to different functions or uses. |
| usually | A volcano usually goes through three stages in its life cycle. |
Certainty
| word | example |
|---|---|
| clear | It is clear that different countries experience different rates of population change. |
| probable | Describe three probable functions of the town with reference to the map. |
| probably | Suggest the soil type that probably exists in this region. |
| likely | The farther from the equator a place is, the cooler it is likely to be. |
| perhaps | The workers have a room measuring perhaps six square metres. |
| maybe | The clay particles remained suspended in the water for maybe a week. |
| possible | Suggest a possible reason for the fall in coffee prices in 1978. |
| uncertain | The centres with indoor facilities are not as affected by the uncertain weather conditions as other locations. |
| unlikely | The urban sprawl is unlikely to develop further towards the south. |
Have your say
You must sign in to make a comment
Readers' comments (2)
Keith Kelly | Sat, 15 Sep 2012 1:03 am
Thanks for the comments Christiane, we're always trying to keep the tasks rich and varied. Do let me know how it goes with your students and perhaps if there are other similar Geography topics you'd like us to cover, get in touch and I'll see if we can incorporate your ideas into future lessons.
Best wishes
Keith
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
CSS | Wed, 12 Sep 2012 4:57 pm
Excellent lesson plan. Thank you very much for sharing your ideas!
By presenting lots of different activities, the teacher can keep the lesson interesting and students focussed.
I will try a similar lesson with my German as a foreign language students.
Christiane St., Munich, Germany
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment