This tag is for questions specifically related to written English.
-1
votes
1answer
110 views
Examples of written stereotypical Italian English? [closed]
I am doing a project on different European languages stereotyped in English writing. For Italian, I remember reading some work of fiction that had a character that would talk really fast in a "It's a ...
-1
votes
5answers
1k views
Official e-mail
How should I begin an official e-mail if I don't know who I am writing to? I mean, normally I would write "Dear x", but when I have to send an e-mail to an institution, what should I write?
1
vote
2answers
84 views
Is it suitable to use “trump card” in scientific papers?
Suppose you improved an old method with a novel technique. Is it OK to say that it (your technique) is your trump card in paper? If not, what is your suggestion?
0
votes
2answers
149 views
“Feeding” data or “entering” data: which one is correct?
Which is the better verb to use with data: feeding or entering?
Furthermore, which is more common in the
literature of the field and which do people who
work in the field say more often?
Are they ...
-1
votes
5answers
574 views
“that's why” in formal essays
"I'm", "it's" are forbidden in formal essays.
Can I use "that's why" in the opening of my Statement of Purpose?
Fancy flights used to fill me with euphoria, that's why I named myself Joseph, but ...
1
vote
2answers
2k views
Using “and” twice in a list
About using and, I've learned it is usually used in lists, between the last two items. For example:
I like movies, traveling and going out with friends.
Please tell me if the use of and ...
12
votes
7answers
13k views
Can “hence” be used at the beginning of a sentence?
Can the word ‘hence’ be used at the beginning of a sentence? For example:
Hence, I am not feeling well, I am unable to work.
0
votes
1answer
144 views
How can I say “I know him well” in a formal way [closed]
I need help in formal writing.
Can somebody tell me how to say "I know him well after 2 year teaching him" formaly?
Thanks in advance.
0
votes
2answers
1k views
Is the abbreviation “etc.” or “and so on” acceptable in formal writing? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
On the usage of “etcetera”
Is the abbreviation etc. or "and so on" acceptable in scientific writing papers?
5
votes
2answers
1k views
What are the uses of ellipses in essays? [closed]
I’m wondering about how ellipses are used in essays. Are there any examples that I could see?
18
votes
3answers
3k views
Capitalisation of nouns in English in the 17th and 18th centuries
It seems to have been common practice in the 17th and 18th centuries in Britain to capitalise the first letters of nouns in English, e.g.
At which Time he prov'd himself the Noah's Dove, that ...
37
votes
7answers
2k views
Which variant of English should I use when my target audience is the world?
I know that all variants of English (American English, British English, etc.) can be generally understood by everybody who knows any of the English variants. However, there are some regionalisms that ...
0
votes
4answers
358 views
Why is this considered a “romantic” poem? [closed]
In Willam Blake's poem, what makes it a romantic poem?
I wandered through each chartered street,
Near where the chartered Thames does flow,
A mark in every face I meet,
Marks of weakness, ...
6
votes
5answers
304 views
How do I write consecutive numbers?
Today I wrote the sentence:
The supplied definition defines 24 16-bit words per subframe, and ...
I know the recipient will understand the terminology. I'm concerned about writing the phrase ...
4
votes
4answers
6k views
0
votes
0answers
79 views
can “love” be used in place of “like” [closed]
I am not a native speaker, and I am not sure whether this sentence is stylistically correct: "He loves to see his orchard bloom" meaning that he enjoys seeing his orchard bloom. Please help.
1
vote
1answer
318 views
Using the correct tense in writing
Should I use past tense to describe something of a permanent nature/situation?
"The Taipei 101 stands at ... (height) is the most famous financial centre in Taiwan and it has 101 floor of ...
-1
votes
1answer
115 views
Correct headline in scientific pro/contra table
Which words are appropriate for the headline in a table with pros and cons in a scientific paper (physics)?
PROS CONS
ice cheap cold
fish expensive warm
4
votes
8answers
2k views
Are contractions like “didn't” forbidden in written English? [duplicate]
Possible duplicate of:
Using contracted forms (“don't”, “let's”) in a formal text
Usage of contractions like “it's” and “that's” in textbooks
Should ...
4
votes
3answers
930 views
Usage of italics in writing
In which cases is a word, or a group of words written in italics?
Is italics used in specific contexts, or it is quite normal to write words in italics?
6
votes
2answers
217 views
Why is a story not called a “-logue”, though it has a prologue and an epilogue?
The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines -logue as:
indicating speech or discourse of a particular kind.
I understand that -logue is a combining form noun, but it has always struck me as odd that ...
0
votes
2answers
236 views
Mixed tenses in a sentence [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
‘Had’ or ‘has’ to describe a past condition which is still present?
Tense change: previous actions on something that's currently true
The employee was injured while ...
0
votes
0answers
128 views
Where do I place the closing character when I end a sentence with parenthesis? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Where does the period go when using parentheses?
Which of the following should I use? Are there any exceptions to the rule?
I enjoy breakfast (sometimes).
I ...
7
votes
1answer
504 views
Is it okay to start a sentence with a Greek letter (variable)?
Is it okay to start a sentence with a variable? Do I need to rewrite a sentence just because the subject is typeset as a Greek letter?
For example:
Φ is treated in a special way.
vs.
...
2
votes
2answers
607 views
Mixing adjectives and nouns in scientific writing
I've noticed that biological scientists tend to use nouns as adjectives when detailing experiments both in writing and in speech.
Examples:
The experiment was performed "in monkey cortex" instead ...
4
votes
2answers
460 views
Capitalization of “Dictator”
I'm wondering whether the word dictator should be capitalized.
Is it just an adjective and not an (official) title?
0
votes
5answers
3k views
“By the way” in formal writing
Can I say "By the way" in an official document or professional meeting and other important/formal times?
I never saw any film which would include these words.
5
votes
2answers
2k views
Usage of “and” and comma when writing numbers UK style
I am trying to understand the rules for writing numbers in words under the UK rules (with "and"). I understand how to write small numbers (up to a few thousands), but I am not sure when to use "and" ...
0
votes
0answers
84 views
Sentence with capitalised words [closed]
Some time in a web advertising page I see whole sentence with capitalised words.
I am wondering if it is correct or not..
Here is an example:
Easy, and Powerful Sales Contest Builder to ...
2
votes
3answers
604 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
2answers
696 views
Should “vice versa” be treated as an independent clause?
I know "vice versa" more or less means "conversely," but when it is used by itself, should it be punctuated as if it were an independent clause?
Dogs don't like cats, and vice versa.
or
Dogs ...
5
votes
5answers
872 views
Is the phrase, “Use commas sparingly” a valid piece of advice?
I am currently in the process of collaboratively editing a research paper, and participated in a meeting about it today. During the discussion, the head of the group made a blanket statement about ...
2
votes
2answers
1k views
What are the rules on when to use commas, colons, semicolons and dashes?
What are the rules on when to use commas, colons, semicolons and dashes?
1
vote
2answers
3k views
“Experienced in” or “experienced of”
What is the correct use of experienced, with in or of? For example,
I have experienced in system development.
I have experienced of system development.
70
votes
6answers
3k views
What the #$@&%*! is that called?
Is there a name for the use of symbols in place of curse words, for example #$@&%*!?
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
votes
1answer
92 views
What's a punchline? [closed]
What's a punchline in a paragraph? Is it the same as topic sentence, or is it a conclusion sentence?
Can you provide a concrete example of punchline?
1
vote
1answer
1k views
In the sentence “You, too.”, is the comma acceptable?
I tend to think it is, as "too" serves the role of a referential phrase, repeating the verb-phrase of a preceding sentence, and "you" acts simply as a subject pronoun. But, I've heard an argument to ...
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
2answers
3k views
What (grammatical) tense to use when doing reference in a paper?
For example, A published a paper with title B in 2000.
Then, in my paper:
A says / said that [C works / worked out perfectly].
and
B illustrates / illustrated that [C works / worked out ...
-1
votes
1answer
536 views
Overuse of “that” [closed]
I too often use the word "that" in sentences. Examples: "Pinker asserts that little evidence exists for group selection theories" or "How would you respond to a client who tells you that one of her ...
7
votes
1answer
3k views
To hyphenate or not?
As a non-native speaker of English and an engineer by training, I always get confused about hyphenation and almost always end up referring to Google every time I need to make that decision.
Does ...
0
votes
1answer
76 views
Reword “increasingly too late”
How should I fix a sentence which says "As X disappears, it is increasingly too late to do Y with X"? The sentence seems awkward to me, but "too late" is an adjective, so is the sentence ...
2
votes
1answer
349 views
Periods after directional abreviation in address
I am creating a business card, and I need to put the address of the company on it. What is the proper way to write this address?
555 14th St NW, Atlanta, GA 55555
555 14th St NW., Atlanta, ...
105
votes
14answers
10k views
Do most languages need more space than English?
I saw the following statement on User Experience:
Supporting multiple languages can break the user interface, because most languages need more space than english
This seems to be a gross ...
-1
votes
5answers
421 views
“Concatenate” vs. “merge” vs. “join” in scientific text
I wonder what the difference is between concatenate, merge and join from the lexical point of view.
These words are often used in scientific or programming text. It seems to me that different authors ...
10
votes
6answers
3k views
Why are numbers sometimes spelled out and then numerals specified as well? [closed]
I'm referring to the peculiar habit I sometimes see in formal documents, where a number is given numerically after it's spelled out. It seems quite redundant:
I need five (5) kumquats, stat!
...
2
votes
3answers
732 views
Can “his/her” be replaced by “his”?
Yesterday, I asked this question on Web Apps:
If a Facebook user dies, what happens
to the account?
Actually, I wanted to ask it this way:
If a Facebook user dies, what happens
to ...
4
votes
5answers
1k views
Coordinating conjunction immediately followed by parenthetical — Is a comma needed or not?
William Strunk's Rules of Usage states:
If a dependent clause, or an introductory phrase requiring to be set off by a comma, precedes the second independent clause, no comma is needed after the ...
16
votes
4answers
5k views
“you” versus “You” as polite form of writing
Is it correct to write "You" with a capital Y as a form of politeness?
If yes, should I use that form throughout the entire letter/document, or only at specific places?
