Questions related to the use of proper writing style in English
8
votes
5answers
13k views
“I and someone”, “me and someone” or “I and someone we” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
When do I use “I” instead of “me?”
A friend of mine asked me for advice about an e-mail he was writing. There was a sentence like this:
I and ...
0
votes
0answers
40 views
What kind of dash character should I use at the end of a famous saying to mark of the author? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Appropriate dash to use when attributing a quotation
What kind of dash character should I use at the end of a famous saying to mark of the author? Should I use "en dash" ...
10
votes
2answers
3k views
“The train will leave” vs. “is going to leave” vs. “leaves” vs. “is leaving”
From the grammatical point of view all are correct, just the meaning are different, please bring your clarification, thank you.
The Train will leave at 10:00 tomorrow morning.
The Train is ...
2
votes
2answers
3k views
Verb+ing as a verb beginning a sentence
Is this good English?
Falling into the ocean, the drop dies as a drop, but not as water.
Or should I say:
When it falls into the ocean, the drop dies...
1
vote
2answers
2k views
Starting a sentence with 'About your question, …'
I have noticed myself often starting a sentence like this:
About your drawing question, I don't think there is an easy way to draw these shapes.
Is it formal to start a sentence that way (formal ...
2
votes
2answers
428 views
How to avoid needless repetition? [closed]
In German, repetition is frowned upon. For example:
Instead of the disfavored repetitions
Der Professor betreut die Studenten bei der Ausarbeitung der Bachelorarbeiten und Masterarbeiten.
...
5
votes
3answers
320 views
What can I do instead of [sic]?
I have a quote that has a misplaced "to":
... they will put you to back to sleep ...
It seems like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. I can either:
Just delete the mistaken "to" (then I ...
0
votes
0answers
223 views
What defines a unique writing style? [closed]
I'm an amateur writer that happens to be a professional programmer.
I say this because I've recently jumped back into a personal research project in which the goal is to automate the de-anonymization ...
8
votes
5answers
368 views
'How to' vs 'How do I'
This question is inspired by comments on a question on stackoverflow. The original poster wrote:
How to correct this error?
And comments say that it's an incorrect question. Better is
How ...
2
votes
2answers
2k views
How would you properly show deletion of unnecessary text in a quote?
I assumed you would use dots to show left-out unnecessary text in a quote, such as in
The definition of used oil is "oil ... that is xyz".
The deleted portion is non-useful text that would ...
-2
votes
2answers
370 views
Isn't this rude? Or am I wrong? [closed]
I recently saw this statement when I unsubscribed an email from DiGi.
We're sorry to see you leave (but you know where to find us again
for the latest information, hot updates and news!)
Isn't ...
2
votes
3answers
3k views
1st or 3rd person in CV/résumé? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Is it normal in English to talk about oneself in the third person in these cases?
I’m currently preparing my CV in English. I’m not a native English speaker, and I ...
4
votes
2answers
1k views
“Hypothesize” vs “postulate”
When writing a scientific or engineering paper, how do we choose between hypothesize and postulate?
4
votes
3answers
626 views
What's an example of good style for an “if/then” statement?
I'm not sure what's common for conditional statements, with and without alternative consequent clauses, in speech—even my own—but as a computer programmer, I'm niggled whenever I have to write English ...
1
vote
2answers
201 views
Can I write different spellings of the same word in the same context? [closed]
Can I use "color" in one paragraph, but write "colour" in the next one?
Yes, I just did it. But is it acceptable to do so when not talking about spelling differences?
0
votes
3answers
88 views
“Iran diplomats return to heroes' welcome”
That's an example of the type of headline increasingly seen in the media - I first noticed the trend on Sky News but it seems to have become endemic.
To my mind the example above should read "Iranian ...
1
vote
2answers
242 views
What is the proper grammatical terminology to describe this parenthetical remark?
The following sentence appears in this book review:
But this idea has been a driving force in mathematical logic and computer science since Alan Turing, A. N. Kolmogorov and Emil Post (he of the ...
5
votes
2answers
13k views
Did I “get” (or “take”) my degree “from” (or “in”) the University of Somewhere?
I would like to know what is the preferred way to indicate that I took a degree in some subject while also naming the place where I obtained the degree from:
I got my master's degree from the ...
5
votes
6answers
932 views
Dropping the subject from sentences
Consider this example:
He got into the car. Started the engine, checked the mirrors. Stepped on the gas and headed down Main Street.
Omitting the subject from a sentence isn't proper ...
7
votes
3answers
2k views
Analysis of “It is like a dream come true”
I've been unable to grammatically analyse the sentence
It is like a dream come true.
To me, it should either be
It is like a dream that has come true
or
It is like a dream comes true.
...
14
votes
4answers
695 views
What is it called when words are deliberately written wrong but pronunciation is kept unchanged?
For example,
Night -> Nite
Nite even appears in some dictionaries as having the same meaning as night.
What is it called when words are deliberately written incorrectly but the pronunciation ...
1
vote
1answer
342 views
Is it better to write without contractions? E.g. “cannot” instead of “can't” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Using contracted forms (“don't”, “let's”) in a formal text
Usage of contractions like “it's” and “that's” in textbooks
Should contractions ...
2
votes
3answers
603 views
Is the singular “they” acceptable in formal writing? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Is there a correct gender-neutral, singular pronoun (“his” versus “her” versus “their”)?
I am linking to this post for reference.
...
4
votes
7answers
483 views
Term to describe generalizations such as “it is well known”
Is there a term to describe phrases such as:
"it is well known that,"
"most people believe that," or
"it is often thought that?"
I see these phrases used when someone tries to present their opinion ...
0
votes
0answers
630 views
How to write an essay using known grammar rules [closed]
I am wondering are there any grammar rules just designed for an essay ?
As a non-native English speaker I have been making number of grammar mistakes in all the research essays or reports.
And also ...
4
votes
3answers
239 views
“Today is Joe's birthday” or “Joe's birthday is today”
Perhaps some of you have already observed that Facebook reminds one of friends' birthdays using
[xyz]'s birthday is today.
To my ears,
Today is [xyz]'s birthday
sounds better. I guess both ...
1
vote
1answer
300 views
How do you format a sentence to avoid or use “to to” correctly? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Rules about prepositions and duplicating 'to'
Where did you travel to to get that?
Using to, to has always looked/seemed awkward to me. What is the proper ...
1
vote
3answers
2k views
Use of “of course” in technical writing
Can of course be used in technical writing? I heard that it is used typically in informal writing. I am not sure though. For example,
The existing scheduling techniques work well on a mix of ...
4
votes
3answers
849 views
“Each X” vs. “each of the Xs”
Are each X and each of the Xs interchangeable?
For example, in the following sentence, I would use each of the characters:
Each of the main characters is interesting.
But one could also write ...
0
votes
1answer
950 views
Improving written English and Grammar [closed]
What is the best way to improve your Grammar and improve your writing style?
What would be the best online resource to improve my grammar?
I maintain a blog of my own, and I have reasonably good ...
10
votes
1answer
323 views
Writing the most important part of a sentence (at the end, between parentheses)
I've seen this writing style several times, where the most important part of a sentence - or a twist - is put at the end between parentheses. This is typically used in titles and gives the sentence an ...
7
votes
3answers
1k views
Name and origin of writing with period after each word
It may be limited to the web ecosystem, but I've read a lot of those sentences lately, where each word is followed by a period.
Examples:
Oh. My. God.
Best. Job. Ever.
No. F***ing. Way.
...
1
vote
2answers
463 views
Make a slogan sound native [closed]
My friend contacted me to help him to translate a slogan into English. The slogan is for the company, that is manufacturing food under its own brand. And the slogan in Russian ("едим сами, кормим ...
4
votes
4answers
19k views
“I would like to ask you a favour” vs. “I would like to ask you for a favour”
Which form is to be preferred?
I would like to ask you a favour.
I would like to ask you for a favour.
3
votes
2answers
258 views
Non-idiomatic “would be a rare X that Y”: “…would be a rare hurricane that…”
In following, a writer quotes and summarizes Bill Read's remarks regarding Hurricane Irene:
“This is not just a coastal event,” said Bill Read, director of the National Hurricane Center. He said ...
-2
votes
3answers
193 views
“The aims are promoting and protecting” vs. “the aims are to promote and protect”
Which of the following two constructions is correct? and why?
Some of the important aims of the UNO are to promote peace and protect human rights.
Some of the important aims of the UNO are ...
9
votes
3answers
426 views
Where can I find a list of common padding words?
Like a lot of people, I actually have the habit of actually adding a lot of actual padding words when I actually write. A common one I use is actually. These are actually rarely worth keeping, ...
14
votes
4answers
2k views
Is it ever appropriate to use a space before and after an ampersand?
A colleague and I have a difference of opinion. I believe our department should be abbreviated as "L&D." She believes it should be "L & D," which just looks silly to me. I never see spaces ...
6
votes
4answers
477 views
Comma splices and fragments in novels
I have noticed that many authors incorporate the use of fragments and comma splices in their novels. Given that this is acceptable practice in a novel, is it acceptable to use a comma splice or a ...
5
votes
4answers
253 views
Weird wording in our FAQ
This is completely minor, but it caught my eye in the signature section:
Please don’t use signatures or taglines in your posts, or they will be removed.
Maybe it's me, but the "or" feels ...
0
votes
0answers
70 views
Comma usage for multiple words [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Comma before last item in a list
Is it correct to write:
a,b, or c
a,b, and c
Is the comma used after b correct?
10
votes
7answers
2k views
Is using passive voice “bad form”?
Whenever I create a document in Microsoft Word, it complains about a lot of my sentences being in passive voice. But, when I read that sentence aloud, it sounds fine to me. I am not sure if it is just ...
3
votes
2answers
982 views
“has” or “have”? As in “X requires that Y have …” versus “X requires that Y has …”
To me, it seems that the following subtly differ in meaning:
X requires that Y have (occurred prior to blah-blah-blah)
X requires that Y has (occurred prior to blah-blah-blah)
Problem is, I can't ...
1
vote
1answer
104 views
Where did the person change?
"She realizes there is nothing to fear, not world travel alone to remote places, nor her own disease - and that letting go of identity is the only hurdle to leap before doing what you want."
I ...
3
votes
4answers
3k views
Standard format for phone numbers? [closed]
I've recently noticed a wider variety in how phone numbers are presented, both in print and online, specifically with regard to spacing & punctuation.
Examples:
+1 (555) 123 4567
+1 (555) ...
3
votes
2answers
842 views
When is it appropriate to use non-breaking spaces?
I started using non-breaking spaces between a number and a unit of measure (10_ft), and within a name (Dr._John_Smith). I like the "look" of using non-breaking spaces to prevent titles from wrapping, ...
1
vote
4answers
433 views
What is prefacing paragraphs with “first,” “further,” and “also” called?
When I write longer posts, I tend to split my points up into paragraphs, then, for some reason, add "first," "secondly," "further," "also," "keep in mind," and so forth in front of them.
I'm not sure ...
6
votes
5answers
375 views
Is “i.e.” in this situation incorrect?
I.e. is used when we would like to use a situation as a kind of clarification.
Suppose I was to write something like this:
Nano-boxes are used in medical science i.e. cancer treatment, where ...
8
votes
3answers
343 views
Capitalization of “Internet” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Should the words “internet” and “web” be capitalized?
For the most part Internet is capitalized, less frequently it occurs uncapitalized. Is ...
28
votes
6answers
11k views
Use of “I”, “we” and the passive voice in a scientific thesis [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Style Question: Use of “we” vs. “I” vs. passive voice in a dissertation
When the first person voice is used in scientific writing it is mostly ...
