Grammar and Mechanics for Technical Communication

7/25/2019 Grammar and Mechanics for Technical Communication

1/24

Grammar,

Mechanics, andStyle for Technical

CommunicationEnglish 3153: Thursday, February 11, !1"


2/24

SentenceStructure

Sentences usually include the follo#ing: Sub$ect: The actor #ho %erforms the &erb of

sentence'

(erb: The action %erformed by the sub$ect ofsentence'

)b$ect: The reci%ient of the action %erformed

sub$ect' *redicate: The conte+t %ro&ided for the sub$e

&erb'

Sentences fall into four categories: Sim%le Sentence: The researchers dissected

they could e+amine the tumors on its %ancre

Com%ound Sentence: The researchers dissec

frog, and they concluded that its tumors res#ater %ollution'

Com%le+ Sentence: es%ite the %eaceful %roanimal-rights organi.ations, the researchers dissected the frog'

Com%ound-Com%le+ Sentence: /fter they disfrog, the researchers met near Cam%us Corndrin0s, but their fa&orite bar #as closed forreno&ations'


3/24

CommonSentence*roblems

Sentence Fragments: Sentence fragments do not hsub$ects, &erbs, andor com%lete %redicates'

2un-on Sentences: 2un-on sentences %resent multof information #ithout a%%ro%riate %unctuation'

ncorrect: The bridge colla%sed during the thunderstthe cement columns under the dec0 failed une+%ecengineers res%onsible for the mista0e ha&e been 4r

ncorrect: The bridge colla%sed during the thunderstthe cement columns under the dec0 failed une+%ecengineers res%onsible for the mista0e ha&e been 4r

Correct: The bridge colla%sed during the thunderstothe cement columns under the dec0 failed une+%ec

the engineers res%onsible for the mista0e ha&e bee Correct: The bridge colla%sed during the thundersto

the cement columns under the dec0 failed une+%ectengineers res%onsible for the mista0e ha&e been 4r

Correct: The bridge colla%sed during the thunderstothe cement columns under the dec0 failed une+%ecengineers res%onsible for the mista0e ha&e been 4r


4/24


Sub$ect-(erb /greement: The &erb of the seshould match the tense and sub$ect of the s

E+am%le: The mechani.ed turtle ram%aged aFrancisco'

E+am%le: Mechani.ed turtles normally ram%%o%ulous metro%olitan areas, including San F

E+am%le: The mechani.ed turtle had alreadythe Golden Gate 6ridge #hen the military ar

E+am%le: The military a%%reciates the threatmechani.ed turtles'

*arallel Structure: 7se the same %art of s%e

e&ery entry of sentence-le&el lists and bulle ncorrect: The mechani.ed turtle had steel sc

foot cla#s, and out#itted its ad&ersaries #itsu%erior intellect'

Correct: The mechani.ed turtle defeated its ad&ersaries #ith its steel scales, four-foot clasu%erior intellect'


5/24



6/24

*unctuation:/%ostro%he

s

/%ostro%hes are used for %ossessi&es andcontractions:

E+am%le: The %rogrammers corrected thes%readsheet8s faulty scri%t #ith t#o additioncode'

E+am%le: The %rogrammers8 re&ised scri%t imtheir manager'

E+am%le: The business8s s%readsheets #ere con4dential'

E+am%le: 9hy #ouldn8t the business share is%readsheets #ith its in&estors, and #hy didcom%lain

tst8s: 7se ;its< for the %ossessi&e form of ;;it8s< for the contraction of the %hrase ;it is'

E+am%le: 9hen the accountants initially re&s%readsheet, they noticed se&eral mista0es #contents'

E+am%le: t8s al#ays unfortunate #hen faultydelay %ro$ects'

=our=ou8re: 7se ;your< for the %ossessi&e fo;you'< 7se ;you8re< for the contraction of th;you are'ists: Cell theory includes three %rinci%les: e

organism contains cells, cells %erform the bifunctions of the organism, and all cells origin%ree+isting cells'

/%%ositi&es: 2udolf (ircho#, the most &ocal of the third %ostulate of cell theory, studied cduring the mid-1?!!s'

@onrestricti&e Clauses: Catharine 6eecher sucell theory inside The American Womans Hosu%%lied clear domestic ad&ice for nineteent#omen'

ntroductory *hrases: 6efore cell theory gain#ithin the scienti4c community, %athologistsused microsco%es'

Com%ound Sentences: Contem%orary scientdre# %arallels bet#een cell theory and %olitimeta%hor of the cell-state continued #ell intt#entieth century'


8/24

*unctuation: )therMar0s

Semicolon: Semicolons connect t#o com%lesentences #ithout using the traditional comstructure'

Colon: Colons may signal Auotations, introd

and e+%lain %receding inde%endent clauses' E+am%le: The %ro%osal reAuired the e+%ertis

diBerent de%artments: Mechanical Engineeri*hysics, and /rchitecture'

E+am%le: The @ational Science Foundation uendorsed the %ro%osal: the credentials of its and the Auality of its %reliminary research seincontestable'

y%hen: y%hens dra# the #ords of ad$ecti%hrases together'

E+am%le: T#enty-4rst-century uni&ersities dethe funds obtained from successful grant a%

*arentheses: *arentheses identify sources aintroduce asides'


9/24

*unctuation: )therMar0s


10/24

CitationGuidelines

irect Auotations and %ara%hrases are cited%arenthetical citations, footnotesendnotes,bibliogra%hies'

irect Duotation /*/: ar#in %ersonally crThomas Malthus for the theory of natural se

during the 1?5 introduction of the Origin of;This is the doctrine of Malthus, a%%lied to thanimal and &egetable 0ingdoms< ar#in, 1?

Multi%le /uthors: ar#in and 9allace, 1?"H,

Multi%le Cited *ages: ar#in, 1?5, %%' 33-3I

*ara%hrase /*/: ar#in %ersonally credits Malthus for the theory of natural selection du1?5 introduction of the Origin of Species, #mentions Malthus by name ar#in, 1?5'

Footnote M>/: ar#in credits Thomas Malttheory of natural selection during the 1?5 iof the Origin, #hich mentions Malthus by na

J Charles ar#in, On the Origin of Species: A Fthe First EditionCambridge: 7ni&ersity of a!!3 5'


11/24

CitationGuidelines

irect Auotations are introduced using three metho nde%endent Clause: ar#in credits Thomas Malthus

theory of natural selection: ;This is the doctrine of Ma%%lied to the #hole animal and &egetable 0ingdom

1?5, %' 5' e%endent Clause: The introduction of the Originco

is the doctrine of Malthus, a%%lied to the #hole anim&egetable 0ingdoms< ar#in, 1?5, %' 5'

ntegrated Duotation: ar#in consistently labeled naselection ;the doctrine of Malthus, a%%lied to the #hand &egetable 0ingdoms< ar#in, 1?5, %' 5'

f the Auotation does not need any citation or a%%e

the %eriod, insert the %unctuation inside the Auotat E+am%le: ar#in insisted natural selection e+tendedfrom human society into the ;animal and &egetable and the theory of e&olution s%anned multi%le 4elds 1?5, %' 5'

E+am%le: ;@ot e&eryone reali.es,< r' 6ar0er e+%lainmuch ar#in used the research of his scienti4c cont


12/24

CitationGuidelines


13/24

Miscellaneous:Modi4ersand

*ronouns

Mis%laced Modi4ers: *lace descri%ti&e clauses directnouns and %ronouns they modify'

ncorrect: The re%ort contains se&eral %roblems #ritte

Correct: The re%ort #ritten by Cal&in contains se&eral

angling Modi4ers: ntroductory %hrases should modthe sub$ects of the follo#ing inde%endent clause'

ncorrect: 7nli0e other #riting, Cal&in a%%reciates aca

Correct: 7nli0e other #riting, Cal&in a%%reciates acade

nde4nite *ronouns: *air the %ronouns ;this< and ;thnouns and use sub$ect %ronouns carefully'

ncorrect: The sno#man heard the chants of the cro#dthis slo#ly dre# him to#ards the ledge'

Correct: The sno#man heard the chants of the cro#d this sound slo#ly dre# him to#ards the ledge'

ncorrect: Cal&in and obbes build countless sno#men#inter months, and they often unner&e the neighbors

Correct: Cal&in and obbes build countless sno#men #inter months, and their scul%tures often unner&e the


14/24

Miscellaneous:9ord-

Choice

>essFe#er: 7se ;less< for inde4nite amounts and nouns' 7se ;fe#er< for measurable Auantities'

E+am%le: The introductory statistics midterm co&ercontent than the organic chemistry midterm'

E+am%le: Fe#er students %assed the organic chemithan the midterm for introductory statistics'

ThenThan: 7se ;then< for series of e&ents, times, causation' 7se ;than< for direct com%arisons'

E+am%le: The students chec0ed their grades on thethen frantically emailed the %rofessor'

E+am%le: The organic chemistry %rofessor recei&es messages than his colleagues #ho teach statistics'

They8reTheirThere: 7se ;they8re< for the %hrase ;7se ;their< for %ossession' 7se ;there< for locatione+istence'

E+am%le: The %rofessor a&oided his students all #eof their Auestions about the midterm'

E+am%le: The students ho&ered around the de%artmhours, but there #as no sign of their %rofessor'


15/24

Miscellaneous:9ord-

Choice

That9hich: 7se ;that< for attributions and restricti&e7se ;#hich< for nonrestricti&e clauses and after %re%

E+am%le: @ancy said that the .ombies had breached t E+am%le: The .ombies that breached the barricades ha

E+am%le: Konathan 4red his riLe, #hich barely slo#ed t

E+am%le: @ancy 0ne# the direction from #hich the .om

>ose>oose: 7se ;lose< for the &erb ;mis%lace'< 7se ;the ad$ecti&e ;not tight< and the &erb ;release'atinate: fabricate, terminate, initiate, utili.etransaction, e+ist'

/nglo-Sa+on: build, end, start, use, deal, are

2ecogni.e the connotations of the #ords frodocuments'

7se inclusi&e language, %articularly #ithin%rofessional conte+ts'

9hy should s0illed technical #riters follo# t


23/24

E+am%le*aragra%h

;The %ermanent neurological im%airment tychronic inLammatory demyelinating disordecentral ner&ous system C@S, such as multsclerosis, is due to the a+onal loss resulting recurrent e%isodes of immune-mediateddemyelination' So far, e+%erimental cell the

these disorders has been based mainly on ttrans%lantation of myelin-forming cells, or th%recursors, at the site of demyelination' /lthsuch an a%%roach can trigger functional recrestore a+onal conduction, the limited migralineage-restricted, myelin-forming cells throbrain %arenchyma highlights the bene4cial etrans%lantation to the site of the in$ury' This

critical issues regarding the thera%eutic usecell trans%lantation to treat diseases in #hicmultifocal demyelination is the main %atholofeature' Such issues are com%ounded by thee+%ansion ca%acity of myelin-forming cells i#hich greatly limits their a&ailability and furham%ers their %ros%ecti&e a%%lication in clinsettings< *luchino et al', !!3, %' "??'


24/24

E+am%le*aragra%h

Multi%le sclerosis damages the myelin sheatco&er the a+ons of the central ner&ous syste

These myelin sheaths hel% transmit informabet#een the ner&ous system and the body,

deterioration of these sheaths can cause %ablindness, loss of sensation, etc' Multi%le sclrelated disorders belong #ithin the categoryimmune diseases, #here the cells of the %atdestroy hisher o#n tissues' 9hile researchesho#n ho# trans%lanting myelin-forming cesub$ects #ith multi%le sclerosis im%ro&es thesym%toms, trans%lanted cells seldom s%read

their original sites' This study #ill therefore cthe thera%eutic limitations of cell trans%lantof multi%le sclerosis #here demyelination haacross multi%le sites' t #ill also e+%lain ho#gro#th of arti4cial cultures of myelin-forminreduces the clinical usefulness of trans%lant

Grammar and Mechanics for Technical Communication

Documents

Transcript of Grammar and Mechanics for Technical Communication