Common

Syntax Errors
 Common Syntax Errors
syntax = [rules for] sentence building

 Word Choice
 Sentence Structure
 Paragraph Structure
Word Choice
A paper will be more readable if words are used
economically. Writing concisely may be contrary
to common practice in some countries where
authors are paid by the number of words
published! Remember, your goal is to facilitate
communication, which is accomplished through
concise and lucid writing in a well-organized
manner.
 Delete uninformative words and avoid
redundancy

 brief in duration (brief)

 The wound was of a serious nature.
(The wound was serious.)
 The rock is red in color.
(The rock is red.)
 We repeated the experiment again and again.
(We repeated the experiment.)
Exercise 1:
Try to eliminate unnecessary and redundant words
past history original source
globular in shape more preferable than
advance planning seem to appear
for a period of two days mix together

The work will be completed in the not-too-distant future.

The reaction rate was examined and found to vary

considerably.
 Use one word to replace a phrase

Many popular expressions can be expressed as a

single word, or are better omitted altogether.
 at this point of time - now
 the reason was because - because
 in the near future - soon
 in most cases – mostly
 is suggestive of - suggests
 as to whether - whether
 in the vicinity of - near
 it was evident that - evidently
 Avoid grandiloquence or grandiose
phrasing

The word grandiloquence is itself grandiose. It

implies a pompous style that impresses no one and
provokes ridicule. Conciseness and clarity should
apply to scientific writing. Compare the following
sentences:
 Computations were conducted on the data
 The data were calculated.

 It may seem reasonable to suggest that the necrotic effect may

possibly due to toxins
 Necrosis may be caused by toxins. Necrosis (in Greek Νεκρός =
Dead) is the name given to accidental death of cells and living
tissue.

 In studies pertaining to identification of phenolic derivatives, drying of

the paper gives less satisfactory visualization.
 Phenolic derivatives are easier to see if the paper is left wet. In
organic chemistry, phenols, sometimes called phenolics, are a
class of chemical compounds consisting of a hydroxyl group (-O H)
attached to an aromatic hydrocarbon group. The simplest of the
class is phenol (C6H5OH).
 Avoid clichés and euphemisms

 cliché - [fr] printing plate; negative; phototype; =

« banalité »; chenqiang landiao
 euphemism - eu (= well), phem (= to speak);
weiwan de shuofa
e.g., eulogy, euphony (pleasing sound),
euthanasia (an-le-si)
 Clichés and euphemisms are rarely helpful and
often cryptic (secret, with a hidden meaning or a
meaning not easily seen).
 Some common euphemisms are simply awkward
 The patient expired
 The patient passed away
 The patient succumbed
 The patient breathed his last
 The patient has gone to his rest.

 These can be replaced by « The patient died ».

 The following terms are usually better
omitted or rephrased:
a majority of
are of the same opinion
as seen from our study
based on the fact that
for the reason that
in a satisfactory manner
it has long been known that
the question as to whether
as a consequence of
as a matter of fact
it is evident that
first of all
has the capacity of
owing to the fact that
there is reason to believe
Use of synonyms
A synonym is a word that has the same or nearly the
same meaning as another word. The principal reason
to employ synonyms is to avoid monotony from
using the same term repeatedly. For examples:

 The subject demonstrated a marked sensitivity to the

allergen. After receiving the medication, she showed
marked improvement. This is a marked medical
achievement.

 The subject demonstrated a marked sensitivity to the

allergen. After receiving the medication, she showed
significant improvement. This is an extraordinary
medical achievement.
 Synonyms for common words can be found in
a thesaurus, a dictionary, and some word
processing programs. Understanding the
nuances of synonyms can be difficult for non-
native-anglophone people. The best way to
improve your grasp is to read English-language
authors and practice your own writing.
Sentence Structure
 Agreement of subject and verb
 Pronoun reference
 Active and passive voice
 Nouns from verbs
(The above has been taught in previous sessions)

 American and British styles

American and British styles
 British writing is different from American writing
in certain forms of punctuation and spelling.
Whatever style is used will not really affect the
reader’s understanding of the text, but you
should be consistent and employ the same style
throughout a work.
 Spelling (American – British)
connection - connexion inflection - inflexion
defense - defence center - centre
liter - litre behavior – behaviour
color – colour distill - distil
catalog - catalogue analyze – analyse
catalyze – catalyse judgment – judgement
aging – ageing
practice - practice (n.) practise (v.)
acknowledgment – acknowledgement
meter - metre (unit of measure) meter (instrument)
 The digraphs ae and oe in words of Latin or
Greek derivation are retained in British style:
anesthesia - anaesthesia
cesium - caesium
diarrhea – diarrhoea
hematite - haematite
leukemia – leukaemia
fetus – fœtus
 Punctuation:
American - comma after e.g. and i.e.;
none in British
Paragraph Structure
In its simplest form, a lucid paragraph contains a
topic sentence and clearly related supporting
sentences. The topic sentence comprises the main
point or idea of the paragraph, while supporting
sentences provide detail or ancillary (= supplementary)
information. The following are basic guidelines for
paragraph design.
1. Cover only one main point or idea in each
paragraph.
2. Each sentence should establish or support the
topic of the paragraph.
3. Include information that explains
why actions were taken.
 All of the patient data were kept in files. The absence of even one clerk
caused delays in the monthly reporting. Finally, management decided
to interview some system analysts.

(The connection between the three sentences is not clear. Although

the meaning can be inferred, it is better to state it outright). See below.

 All of the patient data were kept in paper files, which took much staff
time to maintain. The absence of even one clerk would delay the
monthly patient reports. Management wanted to computerize record-
keeping, which would take less time and be more reliable, and finally
decided to interview some systems analysts to develop the new system.
4. Keep a consistent point of view
That is, maintain the same grammatical voice (active
or passive) throughout the paragraph.

5. Use parallel construction to make the

paragraph easier to understand.
In an attempt to avoid monotony, some writers vary
the sentence construction and thereby hinder
comprehension. For example:
 A 10 mg dose produces no effect, a 20 mg dose
produces a small effect, but patients show a
noticeable effect from a 30 mg dose.