More Details

Summary:

"This book is a guide to technical writing, presented in a systematic framework that mirrors the logic associated with the scientific process itself. Other English books merely define concepts and provide rules; this one explains the reasoning behind the rules. Other writing books for scientists and engineers focus primarily on how to gather and organize materials; this one focuses primarily on how to compose a readable sentence. The approach should be satisfying not only to scientists and engineers, but also to anyone who once took a grammar course but can't remember the rules--because there was no exposure to underlying principles"-- [Provided by publisher]

Table of Contents:

• Machine generated contents note: 1. Introduction to the Approach
• 1.1. Objective Approach to Writing
• 1.2. Reasons and Principles for Good Writing
• 1.3. Upside-Down Approach
• 1.4. How This Book Can Be Used
• pt. I SENTENCES
• 2. Qualifiers Used in Sentences
• 2.1. Simple Sentence
• 2.2. Cores and Qualifiers
• 2.3. Minor Qualifiers
• Adjectives
• Prepositional Phrases
• 2.4. Three Factors to Consider When Adding a Qualifier to a Sentence
• Need for Punctuation
• Position of the Qualifier in a Sentence: Sentence Forms 1, 2, and 3
• Type of Qualifier
• 3. Subordinate Clauses Used as Qualifiers
• 3.1. That and which Clauses
• Positions of that and which Clauses With Respect to the Core of a Sentence
• Punctuation of that and which Clauses

• Positions of that and which Clauses With Respect to Their Antecedents
• 3.2. Adverb Clauses (and Adjective Clauses)
• Subordinate conjunctions
• Position and Punctuation of Adverb (and Adjective) Clauses
• 3.3. General Rule for Punctuating Subordinate Clauses
• 4. Explanatory Phrases, Participle Phrases, and Major Prepositional Phrases
• 4.1. Explanatory Phrases
• Position and Punctuation of Explanatory Phrases
• Special Case: such as Phrases
• 4.2. Participle Phrases
• Position and Punctuation of Participle Phrases
• Participle Phrases Introduced by Adverbs
• Special Case: Participle Phrases Beginning With the Participle Including
• 4.3. Major Prepositional Phrases
• Common Prepositional Phrases and Major Prepositional Phrases
• Position and Punctuation of Major Prepositional Phrases
• 5. Infinitive Phrases, and the General Rule for Punctuating Qualifiers
• 5.1. Infinitive Phrases
• Introductory Infinitive Phrases
• Punctuation of Infinitive Phrases That Qualify Nouns
• Punctuation of Infinitive Phrases That Qualify Nearby Verbs
• Punctuation of Infinitive Phrases That Qualify Remote Verbs or the Entire Core
• Close Calls
• 5.2. General Rule for Punctuating Qualifiers
• 6. Sentences with Two Qualifiers
• 6.1. Two Separated Qualifiers
• Sentence Form 4 Qualifiers Before and After the Core
• Sentence Form 5 Qualifiers Before and Within the Core
• Sentence Form 6 Qualifiers Within and After the Core
• Sentence Form 7 Both Qualifiers Within the Core
• 6.2. Two Consecutive Qualifiers
• Sentence Form 8 Both Qualifiers Before the Core
• Sentence Form 9 Both Qualifiers After the Core
• Sentence Form 10 Both Qualifiers Within the Core
• 6.3. Nested Qualifiers
• Case 1 Restrictive Qualifier Nested Within a Restrictive Qualifier
• Case 2 Nonrestrictive Qualifier Nested Within a Restrictive Qualifier
• Case 3 Restrictive Qualifier Nested Within a Nonrestrictive Qualifier
• Case 4 Nonrestrictive Qualifier Nested Within Another Nonrestrictive Qualifier
• 7. Higher Orders of Punctuation
• 7.1. Hierarchy of Punctuation: Commas, Dashes, and Parentheses
• 7.2. Nonrestrictive Qualifiers Containing Commas
• 7.3. Dashes and Parentheses as First-Order Punctuation
• Dash(es) Preferred
• Parentheses Preferred
• Close Calls
• 8. Strategies to Improve Sentences with Qualifiers
• 8.1. General Rule for Multiple Qualifiers
• 8.2. Exceptions to the General Rule for Multiple Qualifiers
• Exception 1 (Relatively Short) Embedded Restrictive Qualifiers
• Exception 2 (Relatively Short) Introductory Qualifiers
• Exception 3 One or More Qualifiers Enclosed by Parentheses
• 8.3. General Rule Applied to Long Sentences with Multiple Qualifiers
• 8.4. Situations for Which Sentences Should Be Combined
• 8.5. Arrangement of Major and Minor Qualifiers for Enhanced Communication
• To Ensure That Qualifiers Are in Close Proximity to Their Antecedents
• To Achieve Closer Subject/Verb Proximity
• To Correct "Wayward" Prepositional Phrases
• pt. II LISTS
• 9. Two-Item Lists
• 9.1. Balanced Two-Item Lists
• Balanced Two-Item Lists Using and or or
• Balanced Two-Item Lists Using Pairs of Conjunctions
• 9.2. Unbalanced Two-Item Lists
• Unbalanced Two-Item Lists Where One Item Itself Contains Multiple Items
• Unbalanced Two-Item Lists That Contain a Verb Form
• Unbalanced Two-Item Lists Caused by a Nonrestrictive Item
• 9.3. Compound Sentences
• Examples of Simple Compound Sentences
• Qualifiers Used in Compound Sentences
• 10. Multiple-Item Lists
• 10.1. Simple Lists
• Punctuation of Simple Lists to Ensure Equivalence
• Position of the List Within the Sentence
• 10.2. Use of Semicolons to Distinguish Items in Complex Lists
• 10.3. Numbered Items in a List
• Numbers Used to Avoid Ambiguity
• Other Reasons to Use Numbers in Lists
• 11. Strategies for Writing Better Lists
• 11.1. Strategies for Restoring Equivalence in Lists
• Equivalence Restored by Correcting Individual Items
• Equivalence Restored by Using Unbalanced Two-Item Lists
• Equivalence Restored by Using Compound Sentences
• 11.2. Scattered Items Combined Into a Single List
• 11.3. Equivalence Among Corresponding Lists
• 11.4. Colons Used With Lists
• 11.5. Stacked-Item Lists
• pt. III WORD CHOICE AND PLACEMENT
• 12. Adjectives and Adverbs
• 12.1. Strings of Adjectives
• Adjectives in Distinct Sets
• Adjectives in the Same Set
• 12.2. Hyphenated Adjectives and Adverbs
• Common Examples of Hyphenated Adjectives
• Special Considerations
• 12.3. Awkward Adjective Phrases
• 12.4. Examples of Adjective/Adverb Strings
• 12.5. Adverb Placement
• Placement of Adverbs With Respect to Compound Verbs
• Interruption of Compound Verbs by Adverbs
• Placement of Adverbs With Respect to Infinitives
• 13. Precision in Word Usage
• 13.1. Articles
• Distinctions Between Definite and Indefinite Singular Nouns
• Most Plural Nouns Do Not Require an Article
• Inherently Indefinite Nouns Usually Do Not Require an Article
• 13.2. Reference Words and their Antecedents
• Strategies to Avoid Ambiguity When the Antecedent is a Noun or Noun Phrase
• Strategies to Avoid Ambiguity When the Antecedent is an Idea
• 13.3. Unnecessary Words
• Words That Do Not Add Anything to the Meaning of a Sentence
• There Is, There Are
• 13.4. Redundant Word Usage
• pt. IV BEYOND SENTENCES
• 14. Paragraphs
• 14.1. Flow within Paragraphs
• Transition Words
• Sample Paragraphs
• Topic Sentences
• 14.2. Criteria for Dividing Long Paragraphs
• Example 1 Example From This Book
• Example 2 Example From an Actual Proposal
• 14.3. Paragraphs as Items in a List
• 15. Arguments
• 15.1. Premises and Theses
• Sample Premises for Research Proposals, Journal Submissions, and Business Plans
• Subpremises
• 15.2. Examples for Arguing a Premise
• Premise in a Research Proposal: The Problem Being Addressed Is Significant
• Premise in a Journal Submission: The Experimental Methods Are Appropriate
• Premise in a Business Plan: A Significant Market for the Technology Exists
• 16. Justification of Arguments
• 16.1. Justification of Claims in an Argument
• 16.2. Use of References to Justify Claims
• Citation of Sources Within the Text
• Conventions for Writing References
• 16.3. Ethics in Writing
• 17. Organization and Presentation
• 17.1. Outlining (or Not)
• Basic Elements of an Outline
• Headings
• More Detailed Outlines
• 17.2. Presentation
• Need for Adequate White Space
• Tools for Enhancing the Presentation of an Argument.

View 145 more lines View less

Author/Creator:

Berger, Robert E.

Languages:

English

Language Notes:

Item content: English

Main Work:

A scientific approach to writing for engineers and scientists [by Berger, R.E.]

Other Related Resources:

Online version: Scientific approach to writing for engineers and scientists [by Berger, R.E.] (Hoboken, New Jersey : John Wiley & Sons Inc., 2014 — ISBN 9781118832561; LCCN 2014009206)

Related Series:

IEEE PCS professional engineering communication series

Subjects:

Technical writing

Communication in science

General Notes:

Description based on print version record.
Includes bibliographica references and index.
Electronic reproduction. Ipswich, MA Available via World Wide Web.

Physical Description:

1 online resource.

Digital Characteristics:

text file

Call Numbers:

T11 .B445 2014

ISBNs:

9781118899793 (electronic bk.)
1118899792 (electronic bk.)
9781118832523 (paperback) [Invalid]
1118832523 (paperback) [Invalid]

OCLC Numbers:

871820934

Other Control Numbers:

784126 (source: EbpS)
[Unknown Type]: ybp11828301