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# In a series of three or more terms with a single conjunction, use a comma after each term except the last. | # In a series of three or more terms with a single conjunction, use a comma after each term except the last. | ||
Revision as of 17:48, 15 November 2018
The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr
- Form the possessive singular of nouns by adding's
- In a series of three or more terms with a single conjunction, use a comma after each term except the last.
- Enclose parenthetic expressions between commas.
- Place a comma before a conjunction introducing a co-ordinate clause.
- Do no join independent clauses by a comma.
- Do no break sentences in two.
- A participial phrase at the beginning of a sentence must refer to the grammatical subject.
- Make the paragraph the unit of composition: one paragraph to each topic.
- As a rule, begin each paragraph with a topic sentence, end it in conformity with the beginning.
- Use the active voice.
- Put statement in positive form.
- Use definite, specific, concrete language.
- Omit needless words.
- Avoid a succession of loose sentences.
- Express co-ordinate ideas in similar form.
- Keep related words together.
- In summaries, keep to one tense.
- Place the emphatic words of a sentence at the end.
The Sense of Style
The Only Grammar Book You'll Ever Need
Ten simple rules for structuring papers
http://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005619
Writing in the Sciences
Reference:
- Essentials of writing biomedical research papers, Mimi Zeiger, McGraw Hill
Use past tense for completed actions:
We found that ... Weomen were more likely to ... Men smoked more cigarettes than ... The avergae reaction time was ...
Use the present tense for assertions that continue to be true, such as what the tables show, what you believe, and what the data suggest:
Figure 1 shows ... The findings confirm ... The data suggest ... We believe that this shows ...
Review papers
Readings
- Angelika Hofmann. Scientific writing and communication. Oxford University Press. 2010.
- Ten simple rules for developing good reading habits during graduate school and beyond
Grammar
Punctuation
a, an
http://www.wikihow.com/Use-%22A%22-and-%22An%22-Correctly
See some instances below
- What is an STL sequence? // NOT What is 'a' STL sequence?
- Assuming that you have an SSH server running ...
- It also adds an S3 print method for the returned object.
- Saving scan results in an XML format. Scan results can be written into an XML file.
- Senate Republicans and the White House should drop their inexplicable opposition to an FBI investigation.
Apostrophes
http://www.writing-kit.com/apostrophes/
upper-left
- It's on the upper right side.
- It's in the bottom left corner.
- "at the top" or "at the bottom"
- "on the left side" or "on the right side"
See http://www.phrasemix.com/phrases/the-top-bottom-right-left-corner
Semicolon
(From the paper "ASSESSMENT AND COMPARISON OF PROGNOSTIC CLASSIFICATION SCHEMES FOR SURVIVAL DATA") Table I. Prognostic study in node negative breast cancer: results from full Cox model and backward elimination. [math]\displaystyle{ \hat{\beta} }[/math], estimated log-relative risk; RR, relative risk; P, P-value (full Cox model); [math]\displaystyle{ \hat{\beta}_{BE} }[/math], estimated log-relative risk of selected factors after backward elimination
Apps
Two Useful Apps To Turn Your Writing From Good To Great
Cover letter
- Always Keep it Crisp
- Do Your Homework
- Draft it Up
- Go for Broke
- Lean on A Friend
Writing Words of Condolence
With deep regret we say good-bye to our esteemed colleague XXX. Our sympathies go out to his family.
Web Tools
- Take 5 Minutes To Read And Improve Your Writing Skills Forever - several recommended books for writing
- https://labs.foxtype.com/politeness Help write more polite messages
- 20 Not-So-Popular Websites Students Should Visit to Make Studying Easier
- Come Up With the Perfect Name for Anything
Acronyms
15 Email Acronyms You Should Use for Catchy Subject Lines
Misc
- Android can be a hindrance as much as it can be an advantage, however. Android apps aren't designed for E Ink screens so they often present problems with excessive screen flashing, sometimes menus are unreadable, and a lot of apps are just flat not compatible.