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Common bugs in writing (2021)

cs.columbia.edu

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Re: Common bugs in writing (2021)

#11

Post by mo_42 »

When I was doing my PhD, I was really in love with such guides. There is also the book Bugs in Writing by Lyn Dupré.

Looking back I'm not so sure about the utility in scientific writing. Every research community has its own jargon. If don't stick to it, you're going to have a hard time.

Today, I very much enjoy these again because most writing happens in a blog.

I would add to that list (not original from me):

- Dangling comparison: if you use the comparative, you need to name both things. Counter example: "On Saturdays, it's better to stay in bed longer". Better than what? Longer than what?

- Adjectives: don't use them in technical writing unless they have a specific meaning (e.g., very likely was defined as a certain probability threshold before).

Re: Common bugs in writing (2021)

#12

Post by mo_42 »

Errancer wrote: post #10
JoshTriplett wrote: post #8

> If you find yourself saying "In other words," it means you didn't say it clearly enough the first time. Go back and rewrite the first attempt. Sometimes, particularly in didactic material, it helps to explain things in more than one way, as different people may find different explanations helpful.

I agree, often I write first sentence in technical language to introduce the reader to the existing discussion and then say "In other words" to paraphrase the technical language into more familiar but less precise vocabulary.

I'd rather do the opposite. I'd start with the intuitive high-level idea and then introduce technical terms and formality to the prepared mind.

As they say every rule has its exceptions and I think all three variants can be suitable.

Re: Common bugs in writing (2021)

#14

Post by taopai »

3pt14159 wrote: post #5

I'm a little perplexed as to why professors and other academic staff have routinely hard to read websites. Yes I'm aware I can bump up the font size, but especially on mobile that gets annoying. It's one thing if they don't have a stylesheet what so ever, it's a fully another thing to intentionally make things hard to read: font-family: arial,verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small; From an article that expressly advoca…

> Avoid excessive parenthesized remarks as they make the text hard to read

chuckles nervously in Lisp

Re: Common bugs in writing (2021)

#16

Post by [deleted] »

3pt14159 wrote: post #5

I'm a little perplexed as to why professors and other academic staff have routinely hard to read websites. Yes I'm aware I can bump up the font size, but especially on mobile that gets annoying. It's one thing if they don't have a stylesheet what so ever, it's a fully another thing to intentionally make things hard to read: font-family: arial,verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small; From an article that expressly advoca…

[deleted]

Re: Common bugs in writing (2021)

#17

Post by NoboruWataya »

There are loads of these lists out there and they are all largely making the same points.

They are useful and I definitely think that people who are serious about writing prose should read them. But there are few (if any) stylistic rules that I would consider absolute. To me, these rules are useful to know so that, when you are about to break one, you can ask yourself "do I have a good reason for breaking this rule?". If not, redraft.

Re: Common bugs in writing (2021)

#18

Post by bogtog »

On a somewhat different note, does anybody have suggestions on books/videos to help learn thoroughly grammar? My PhD advisor sometimes uses words like "past participle", and I just nod along as though I understand what he is referring to. I have an eBook of Strunk & White sitting around, but I figured it was more about general good writing than grammar specifically.

Re: Common bugs in writing (2021)

#19

Post by coliveira »

bogtog wrote: post #18

On a somewhat different note, does anybody have suggestions on books/videos to help learn thoroughly grammar? My PhD advisor sometimes uses words like "past participle", and I just nod along as though I understand what he is referring to. I have an eBook of Strunk & White sitting around, but I figured it was more about general good writing than grammar specifically.

Take a class on English grammar. This is a solved problem.

Re: Common bugs in writing (2021)

#20

Post by coliveira »

3pt14159 wrote: post #5

I'm a little perplexed as to why professors and other academic staff have routinely hard to read websites. Yes I'm aware I can bump up the font size, but especially on mobile that gets annoying. It's one thing if they don't have a stylesheet what so ever, it's a fully another thing to intentionally make things hard to read: font-family: arial,verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small; From an article that expressly advoca…

Because they have better things to do than tinkering with the latest HTML technology.
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