Ch. 10 - Writing Correct and Effective Sentences
Recognize misplaced and dangling modifiers
Avoid misplaced and dangling modifiers. Misplaced Modifiers - Those that appear to modify the wrong antecedent. The best solution is to place the modifier as close as possible to its intended antecedent. Dangling Modifiers - Has no antecedent in the sentence and can therefore be unclear.
Define the concept of Simplified English
Simplified English: A controlled version of English to simplify the meaning. Allows nonnative speakers to understand easier. Each version of simplified english consists of a basic set of grammar rules and vocabulary.
Explain how to prepare text for translation
- Use short sentences: Try to average no more than 20 words per sentence - Use the active voice: Active voice ("You should do this procedure after the engine has run for 100 hours.") is easier to translate than passive voice ("This procedure should be done after the engine has run for 100 hours.") - Use simple words: Translators will find do easier to translate than perform - Include a glossary: If you need to use technical terms, define them in a glossary - Use words that have only one meaning: For example, right may mean "opposite of left", but could also mean "correct". - Use pronouns carefully: Be specific to who or what is being referred to - Avoid jokes, puns, and culture-bound references: Humor doesn't translate well
Follow the nine principles for creating grammatically correct sentences
1. Avoid sentence fragments - Incomplete sentences, happens when missing either a verb or an independent clause 2. Avoid comma splices - When two independent clauses are joined, or spliced together, by a comma. Can only be linked correctly by using a comma and a coordinating conjunction (and, or, nor, but, for, so, yet) 3. Avoid run-on sentences - Two independent clauses appear together with no punctuation between them. 4. Avoid ambiguous pronoun references - Pronouns must refer clearly to their antecedents - the words or phrases they replace. 5. Compare items clearly - Make sure the relationship between the items being compared is communicated clearly. 6. Use adjectives clearly - (1) Use commas to separate coordinate adjectives (i.e. portable, programmable device). (2) Use hyphens to link compound adjectives, adjectives made up of 2 or more words (i.e. a variable-angle accessory) 7. Maintain subject-verb agreement - The subject and verb of a sentence must agree in number, even when a prepositional phrase comes between them. (i.e. INCORRECT: The result of the tests are promising --> CORRECT: The result of the tests is promising) 8. Maintain pronoun-antecedent agreement - The pronoun and its antecedent (the word or phrase being replaced by the pronoun) must agree in number. (i.e. INCORRECT: The inspection team have prepared their reports. --> CORRECT: The members of the inspection team have prepared their reports.) 9. Use tenses correctly - (1) Present Tense: used to describe scientific principles and recurring events. (2) Past Perfect Tense: used to describe the earlier of two events that occurred in the past. (Past Perfect indicates that some action was finished or "perfected" at some point in the past)
Six principles for structuring effective sentences
1. Emphasize new and important information - Sentences are often easier to understand and more emphatic if new information appears at the end. Structure your sentence based on what your audience knows. Put references to time and space at the beginning of the sentence, where they can provide context for the main idea that the sentence expresses. 2. Choose an appropriate sentence length - In general, an average of 15-20 words per sentence is effective for most technical communication. Avoid overly long, as well as overly short sentences. 3. Focus on the "real" subject - The conceptual, or "real", subject should also be the grammatical subject. Don't bury the real subject in a prepositional phrase following a weak grammatical subject. (i.e. WEAK: The use of this method would eliminate the problem of motor damage. --> STRONG: This method would eliminate the problem of motor damage.) Also avoid expletives (words that serve a grammatical function in a sentence but have no meaning. The most common expletives are it (generally followed by is) and there (generally followed by is or are)). 4. Focus on the "real" verb - A common problem in technical communication is the inappropriate use of a nominalized verb - a verb that has been changed into a noun, then coupled with a weaker verb (i.e. to analyze becomes to conduct an analysis). Nominalizing the verbs makes the sentences both awkward and unnecessarily long. 5. Use parallel structure - A sentence is parallel if its coordinate elements follow the same grammatical form: for example, all the clauses are either passive or active, all the verbs are either infinitives or participles, and so on. Parallel structure creates a recognizable pattern, making a sentence easier for the reader to follow. (i.e. NONPARALLEL: Our present system is costing us profits and reduces our productivity. --> PARALLEL: Our present system is costing us profits and reducing our productivity.) 6. Use modifiers effectively. - Modifiers are words, phrases, and clauses that describe other elements in the sentence. - Restrictive Modifier: Restricts the meaning of its antecedent; it provides information that the reader needs to identify the antecedent and is, therefore, crucial to understanding the sentence. EXAMPLE: "Please disregard the notice you recently received from us". The modifying phrase "you recently received from us" identifies which notice. - Nonrestrictive Modifier: Does not restrict the meaning of its antecedent: the reader does not need the information to identify what the modifier is describing or referring to. EXAMPLE: "The Hubble telescope, intended to answer fundamental questions, was last repaired in 2002." The sentence without the modifier doesn't change the meaning of the the basic sentence: "The Hubble telescope was last repaired in 2002."
Select an appropriate level of formality given a document's audience and purpose
Most experts agree on three levels of formality: 1. Informal 2. Moderately Formal 3. Highly Formal To achieve the appropriate level and tone, think about: - Audience: Who are you writing to? - Subject: What are you writing about? - Purpose: What are you trying to achieve?