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Flow of Writing aSummary

Scientific Writing in Englishfor Chinese Authors

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Objective of Scientific

Writing Communication Inform

Communicate the most amount ofinformation in the least amount ofreading time

Persuade Present logical arguments in the most

convincing manner

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Using Language Effectively

Being Precise Being Clear

Being Forthright Being Familiar Being Concise

Being Fluid

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Being Precise

Most important goal of language Communicate exactly what you did

Choose the right word Choose the appropriate level of

accuracy

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Other Similar Words Comprise/compose

include/make up Continual/continuous

Repeated/without interruption Affect/effect

to influence/result Principal/principle

main, most important/law, rule Many others

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Choose the Right Level of Detail

Balance general statements andspecific details

Our new process eliminates 99 percent of nitrogenoxide emissions from diesel engines and industrialfurnaces.

Add: Previous processes have, at best, reduced

nitrogen oxide emissions by only 70 percent.

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Avoid Needlessly Complex Words

The objective of this study is to develop aneffective commercialization strategy for solarenergy systems by analyzing the factors that are

impeding early commercial projects and by prioritizing the potential government and industryactions that can facilitate the viability of the

projects.

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Avoiding needless

complexity (cont.) Rewritten as:

This study will consider why current solar energysystems have not yet reached the commercial stageand will evaluate the steps that industry andgovernment can take to make these systemscommercial.

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Avoid Needlessly Complex

Sentences Sentence seems too long

Many prepositional phrases More than one idea Wanders Contains participial phrases

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Avoid Ambiguity

Use of a word, phrase, or sentencethat can be interpreted in more

than one way The solar collector worked wellunder passing clouds.

Walking down the street a housecame into view.

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Ambiguity in Word Choice

Many English words have multiplemeanings

T cells, rather than B cells, appeared as(because/while ?) the lymphocytes migrated tothe thymus gland.

T cells appeared since (because/after?) theywere migrating to the thymus gland

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Ambiguity in Syntax

Only I tested the bell jar for leaks yesterday.

I only tested the bell jar for leaks yesterday.

I tested only the bell jar for leaks yesterday. I tested the bell jar only for leaks yesterday.

I tested the bell jar for leaks only yesterday.

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Ambiguity in Pronouns

There should be no doubt as towhat the pronoun refers

Because the receiver presented theradiometer with a high flux environment, it(?) was mounted in a silver plated stainlesssteel container.

A:...environment, the radiometer was

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Being Forthright

Sincere and straightforward Control tone

Avoid pretentious words facilitate (cause, bring about) implement (put into effect, carry out)

Avoid arrogant phrases

as is well known results clearly demonstrate

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Being forthright 2

Use strong nouns Provide helpful image (concrete)

computers, ash, Mt. St.Helens

Reduce abstract nouns ability, factor, methods, criteria define or anchor such nouns with a

concrete noun or a definition

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Being Familiar

Use language your readers willunderstand

Avoid jargon (initials, nicknames)unless they are clear to readers

Define unfamiliar terms Incorporate examples and analogies

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Eliminating redundancies Needless repetition of a word

within a sentence The use of gaseous insulation is becoming

increasingly widespread in use.A: Scientists are using gases more as insulators.

Some common redundancies (already) existing never

(before) (currently) underway (still) persists

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Vary sentence length

Try to keep average sentence length11-19 words ( below 20 words )

Change sentence length often, at leastevery two or three sentences

Occasionally use a short or a longsentence

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Vary sentence structure Simple sentence

Lava from a nonexplosive eruption ordinarily containsonly 0.2% water.

Compound sentence

Precursor activity to the eruption began on March 20,1980, and many times during the next two months themountain shook for minutes.

Complex sentence Although the amount of devastation caused by the blast

was a surprise , the eruption itself had been expected forweeks.

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Applying the Principles

Will be meaningful as they are appliedin writing

Are intended as general guides, notfixed formulas

Can be applied flexibly Will make writing more understandable

and more interesting