Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
Persuade
Present logical arguments in the most convincing manner
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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
Continual/continuous
Repeated/without interruption
Affect/effect
to influence/result
Principal/principle
main, most important/law, rule
Many others
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Being Clear
Avoid needless complexity
Words Phrases Sentences
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Avoid Ambiguity
Use of a word, phrase, or sentence that can be interpreted in more than one way The solar collector worked well under passing clouds. Walking down the street a house came into view.
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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 to what the pronoun refers
Because the receiver presented the radiometer with a high flux environment, it (?) was mounted in a silver plated stainless steel container. A:...environment, the radiometer was
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Ambiguity in Punctuation
Tell the reader when to slow down and when to stop The comma (,) is most important In our study we examined neat methanol, neat ethanol, methanol and 10 percent water and ethanol and 10 percent water. A: In our study we examined neat methanol, neat ethanol, methanol and 10 percent water, and ethanol and 10 percent water.
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Being Forthright
Sincere and straightforward Control tone
Avoid pretentious words
facilitate (cause, bring about) implement (put into effect, carry out)
Being forthright 2
Use strong nouns
Provide helpful image (concrete)
computers, ash, Mt. St.Helens
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Being forthright 3
Use strong verbs
made the arrangement for (arranged) made the decision (decided) is beginning (begins) is used to detect (detects)
Being Familiar
Use language your readers will understand Avoid jargon (initials, nicknames) unless they are clear to readers Define unfamiliar terms Incorporate examples and analogies
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Being Concise
Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should have no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences. StrunkOn Writing Well
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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.
Being Fluid
Scientific writing does not have to be dull Vary sentence rhythms
Vary sentence openers Vary sentence lengths Vary sentence structure
Eliminate discontinuities:
use of transitional words/phrases
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Compound sentence
Precursor activity to the eruption began on March 20, 1980, and many times during the next two months the mountain shook for minutes.
Complex sentence
Although the amount of devastation caused by the blast was a surprise, the eruption itself had been expected for weeks.
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