The Art of Scientific Writing (2)

By the end of this course you will be

able to:

 use English style to

write a scientific paper
 make intriguing titles
titles to
articles and papers;
 Lecture outlines:
7. Scientific language & Style
8.Word order in a sentence
9. SVOI word order
10. Word order in different sentences
11. Commas save lives
12. More tips to remember
7. Scientific language & Style
must be
 interesting and
simple enough for
understanding
 explanatory,
impersonal,formal,,
impersonal,formal
abstract and
qualified
 The (unwritten) norms of the scientific
writing
 Do not belittle others'
work without justification.
 Do not glorify your own
work without justification.
 Do not underestimate
your readers. (e.g.
oversimplification)
 Do not present other
people's findings as your
own. (Plagiarism)
 Refer to and quote other
people's studies. (Know
your field!)
Your work must have:
 legibility,
understandability and
memorability
 unambiguity
 fluency
 clarity
 freshness, durability
 sparking interest
 dialogue with the
reader
8. Word order: Why is important?
 He said, “I love you.” (Nice thought.)
 Only he said, “I love you.” (No one else
said it.)
 He only said, “I love you.” (He said
nothing else.)
 He said, “Only
“Only I love you.” (No one else
does.)
 He said, “I love only you.” (He doesn’t
love any one else.)
 He said, “I love you only
only.”
.” (His love is
exclusive.)
White and black
good in Hindi, Italian or
Spanish speaker

strange in English, Chinese,

Hungarian, Polish or Tamil

friends and I
 9. SVOI word order
the Subject comes
before the Verb,
which comes
before the
Object and
Indirect Object.
 Last week the
researchers sent their
manuscript to the journal
for the second time.

 The researchers last

week sent for the second
time to the journal their
manuscript.  The researchers
sent their
manuscript to the
journal.
Time Subject Verb Object Place Place/Manner
/Manner Time
Silicon cunducts electricity.
Silicon cunducts electricity in an unusual
way
Silicon cunducts electricity in an unusual way sometimes
Sometimes silicon cunducts electricity in an unusual way
way..
 10. Word order in different
sentences
SIMPLE SENTENCE

Einstein's general theory of relativity

has been subjected to many tests of
validity over the years.
 Compound sentences
In sphygmomanometers, too narrow a
cuff can result in erroneously high
readings, and too wide a cuff can
result in erroneously low readings

(and
and,, or
or,, nor
nor,, but
but,, yet
yet,, for, whereas)
whereas)
 Complex sentences
Although a majority of caffeine
drinkers think of it as a stimulant,
heavy users of caffeine say the
substance relaxes them.

although, since, because, when, while,

if, as if, etc.
11. Commas save lives

 "A woman without her

man is nothing"

 "A woman, without

her man, is nothing"

 "A woman: without

her, man is nothing"
 12. Rules to remember:
1. Choose the most relevant
subject and put it at the beginning
of the sentence

e.g. X was done by Y.

Y did X.
 12. Rules to remember:
2. Focus on the
areas of a
sentence that
come immediately
before and after a
full stop.
S8. Particularly interesting for researchers in
physics is the new feature, named X, for
calculating velocity.

S9. Physics now has a new feature, named

X, for calculating velocity.

S10. Velocity can now be calculated with a

new feature, named X, which is
particularly interesting for physicists.

S11. X is a new feature for calculating

velocity. It is particularly interesting for
physicists.
 12. Rules to remember:
3. Don't use a pronoun (it, they)
before you introduce the noun.
Don't make the impersonal it the
subject of the sentence
S12. It is probable that S12A. This may / might
this is due to poor / could be due to poor
performance. performance.

S13. It is possible do S13A. This can be done

this with the new with the new system.
system.

S14. It is mandatory to S14A. The new version

use the new version. must be used.
 12. Rules to remember:
4.Choose the subject that will give
the shortest sentence

 S15. The most significant values are

highlighted in Table 1.

 S16. Table 1 highlights the most

significant values.
 12. Rules to remember:
5. Put the subject before
the verb

 In the survey participated

350 subjects.
 We used several different
methods in the
experiments.
 With these values are
associated a series of
measurements.
Rules to remember:
6. Keep the
subject and verb
as close as
possible to each
other

7. Don't separate
the verb from its
direct object
 12. Rules to remember:
8. How to choose where to locate an adverb

most one
one--word adverbs, particularly adverbs of
frequency

 (a) Immediately before the main verb.

verb.

Dying neurons do not usually exhibit these

biochemical changes.

 (b) Immediately before the second auxiliary when

there are two auxiliaries.

Late complications may not always have been

notified..
notified
 12. Rules to remember:

 (c) After the present and past tenses of 'to

be''
be

The answer of the machine is always

correct.

 The adverbs only and also

also,, follow the
above rules (a-
(a-c).
at the beginning of a sentence
sometimes,, occasionally, often,
sometimes
normally, however, nevertheless, in
contrast, firstly, secondly, finally,
since, although, despite the fact, etc.

before the negation (not)

probably, certainly,
certainly, definitely

adverbs of time
These go in various positions
 12. Rules to remember:
9. Put adjectives before the noun they
describe,, or use a relative clause
describe

e.g.
This is an interesting paper.
This paper is particularly interesting for PhD
students.
This is a paper that is particularly interesting
for PhD students.
 12. Rules to remember:
10. Avoid creating
strings of nouns

e.g.
Not art state technology,
but state
state--of
of--the
the--art
technology;;
technology
Not mass destruction
weapons, but weapons
of mass destruction
Rules to remember:
11. Ensure there is no
ambiguity in the
order of the words

e.g.
 Professors like
annoying students.
 Professors like to
annoy their students.
 Professors like
students who are
annoying.
 Assignment 2
1. Please compose an attractive
scientific sentence of your Skripsi
Skripsi!!
2. Apply your knowledge from lecture
1-3 (the 12 principles)!