From acm@pharmdec.wustl.edu Tue Jun 4 15:36:58 1996 Date: Tue, 4 Jun 1996 15:23:16 -0600 From: AC Missias To: bdarrow@msdisk.wustl.edu, clee@shifter.wustl.edu, levinm@neuro.wustl.edu, press@lip.wustl.edu, mf16@cornell.edu, millert@pharmdec.wustl.edu, agarwal@ibc.wustl.edu, reece@dasher.wustl.edu, dbarry@pharmdec.wustl.edu, tansey@pharmdec.wustl.edu Subject: FumbleGrammar Rules (fwd) >>A Dozen Handy Tips for your Next Paper... >> >>1. It is recommended by the authors that the passive >>voice be avoided. >>2. Subjects and verbs even when separated by a word string >>has to agree. >>3. Writing science carefully, dangling participles must not >>appear. >>4. If you reread your writing you will find that a great many very >>repetitious statements can be identified by rereading and identifying them. >>5. Avoid using "quotation" marks "incorrectly" and where they serve no >>"useful" purpose. >>6. The naked truth is that editors will read the riot act to any Tom, Dick, >>or Harry that uses cliches; avoid them like the plague. >>7. In formal scientific writing, don't use contractions or >>exclamation points!! >>8. If we've told you once, we've told you a thousand times, a writer >>who uses hyperbole will come to grief. >>9. In scientific writing, and otherwise, avoid commas, that are, really, >>unnecessary. >>10. Subjects and their verbs whenever you notice and can do so should be >>placed close. >>11. Remember it is better not to, if you can avoid it, split an infinitive. >>12. Proofread your manuscript carefully to be sure you didn't any words out. >> >>These came from a wonderful book I just got called "Successful Scientific >>Writing" by Matthews, Bowen, and Matthews (1996) >>Cambridge U. Press.