This document discusses common errors in scientific writing. It provides examples of grammatical errors to avoid, such as inconsistent use of singular and plural forms. Maintaining the correct tense is also important when describing experiments and results. Reading work aloud can help identify issues with clarity or flow. Using concise language and avoiding unnecessary words improves writing quality.

1. Common Errors in Scientific
Writings

2. "In science, the credit goes to the man
who convinces the world, not to the man
to whom the idea first occurs."
--Sir William Osler

3. Common errors
• Keep track of singular and plural forms
• Remember data is the plural of datum!
• Hence, “these data suggest…”
• Keep track of tense
• Most experiments and procedures will be described in the past tense
There are a lot of common grammatical errors, which won’t be mentioned in
much detail here, but in the reference section of the library are a number of
publications which are quite specific in their approach to scientific writing,
telling you how to write a paper, how to use English grammar and basically
give exhaustive lists of the type of common errors made. It is useful to keep
note of singular and plural forms, and also of the use of tense in a sentence.

4. Form the possessive singular of nouns with 's
Charles's friend
Burns's poems
the witch's malice
This is the usage of the United States Government Printing
Office and of the Oxford University Press.
To indicate plural form
Example:
Students’ collectively decided on election responsibility
All the best for the nurses’ service.

5. More on tense
• A good way to separate what you have shown from what others have
reported is to mix tenses in your writing
• This is common in a discussion section
• For example:
The protein was non-functional after modification of the terminal residue.
This result is consistent with those from other groups (references) and
indicates….
A good way of separating what you have done from what others
have reported is to use mixed tenses in your writing, as shown in
the example above, using the past tense to describe what you
have done, then present tense to discuss what others are
discussing or showing.

6. A useful tips
• You will annoy your friends, but please try to read your own work out loud.
• If you find it hard to speak then
then something is wrong with the text
• When correcting text try little and often rather than long boring sessions
• Get a friend to read your work
A useful tip is to read aloud what you have written – if it doesn’t
flow easily , there is something wrong with the text. When
correcting your document, try reading short pieces, rather than
long sessions of proof-reading, as you are more likely to skim over
your text and miss errors. Using people around you to read
through your document often helps.

7. Place a comma before and or but introducing an independent clause.
Example
The early records of the city have disappeared, and the story of its first years can no longer be reconstructed.
The situation is perilous, but there is still one chance of escape.
Sentences of this type, isolated from their context, may seem to be in need of rewriting. As they make complete sense
when the comma is reached, the second clause has the appearance of an after-thought. Further, and, is the least
specific of connectives. Used between independent clauses, it indicates only that a relation exists between them
without defining that relation. In the example above, the relation is that of cause and result. The two sentences might
be rewritten:
Example:
As the early records of the city have disappeared, the story of its first years can no longer be reconstructed.
Although the situation is perilous, there is still one chance of escape.
Or the subordinate clauses might be replaced by phrases:
Example:
Owing to the disappearance of the early records of the city, the story of its first years can no longer be reconstructed.
In this perilous situation, there is still one chance of escape.

8. The Elements of Style, William Strunk Jr.
(available online at: http://www.bartleby.com/141/):
“Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no
unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for
the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines
and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the
writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and
treat his subjects only in outline, but that every word tell.”
“The secret of good writing is to strip every sentence to its cleanest
components. Every word that serves no function, every long word that
could be a short word, every adverb that carries the same meaning
that’s already in the verb, every passive construction that leaves the
reader unsure of who is doing what—these are the thousand and one
adulterants that weaken the strength of a sentence. And they usually
occur in proportion to the education and rank.”

9. Many expressions in common use violate this principle:
the question as to whether whether (the question whether)
there is no doubt but that no doubt (doubtless)
used for fuel purposes used for fuel
he is a man who he
in a hasty manner hastily
this is a subject which this subject
His story is a strange one. His story is strange.

10. Express co-ordinate ideas in similar form
Correlative expressions (both, and; not, but; not only, but also; either, or; first, second,
third; and the like) should be followed by the same grammatical construction.
It was both a long ceremony and very
tedious.
The ceremony was both long and tedious.
A time not for words, but action A time not for words, but for action
Either you must grant his request or incur
his ill will.
You must either grant his request or incur
his ill will.
My objections are, first, the injustice of
the measure; second, that it is
unconstitutional.
My objections are, first, that the measure
is unjust; second, that it is
unconstitutional.

11. Example for sentence construction
• Poor construction of sentence
• “These findings imply that the rates of ascorbate radical production
and its recycling via dehydro ascorbate reductatse to replenish the
ascorbate pool are equivalent at the lower irradiance, but not
equivalent at higher irradiance with the rate of ascorbate radical
production exceeding its recycling back to ascorbate.”
• Good sentence:
• “These findings imply that, at low irradiation, ascorbate radicals are
produced and recycled at the same rate, but at high irradiation,
ascorbate radicals are produced faster than they can be recycled back
to ascorbate”

12. Rules for clarity
• Everyone will acquire his or her own style
• However, there are some general rules:
• Use short sentences which express single concepts
• I worry if my sentences exceed three lines
• Use short paragraphs
• Avoid clever clauses and parentheses
• Use good grammar and punctuation
• If in doubt, keep it simple
Everyone ultimately develops their own style and the way they
use the English language, but there are some general rules.
Short, simple sentences expressing a single concept, should be
used, as should shorter paragraphs. Use simple language, good
grammar and punctuation.

13. Today’s introduction to writing well:
Words:
•1. Reduce dead weight words and phrases
•2. Cut, cut, cut; learn to part with your words
•3. Be specific
Sentences:
•4. Follow: subject + verb + object (SVO)
•5. Use strong verbs and avoid turning verbs into nouns
•6. Eliminate negatives; use positive constructions instead

14. Think and edit the sentence below
• “The expected prevalence of mental retardation, based
on the assumption of a normal distribution of
intelligence in the population, is stated to be
theoretically about 2.5%.”

15. Correction
“The expected prevalence of mental retardation, based on the
assumption of a normal distribution of intelligence in the
population, is stated to be theoretically about 2.5%.

“The expected prevalence of mental retardation, if intelligence
is normally distributed, is 2.5%.”

16. Avoid writing:
Very, really, quite, basically, generally
Phrases indicating Vagueness:
• in the event that
• in the nature of
• it has been estimated that
• it seems that
• the point I am trying to make
• what I mean to say is
• it may be argued that
for the most part
for the purpose of
in a manner of speaking
in a very real sense
in my opinion
in the case of
in the final analysis

17. • All three of the the three
• Fewer in number fewer
• Give rise to cause
• In all cases always
• In a position to can
• In close proximity to near
• In order to to
Clunky phrase Equivalent

18. Scientific Writing
• Investigate study
• Optimum best
• Indicate show
• Initiate start
• Currently now
• Facilitate help
• Endeavor try
• Ascertain find out
Beware of Use instead

19. Wordy To the point
3 am in the morning 3 am
absolutely spectacular spectacular
a person who is honest an honest person
a total of 14 birds 14 birds
biography of her life biography
circle around circle
close proximity proximity
completely unanimous unanimous
consensus of opinion consensus
cooperate together cooperate
each and every each
end result result
he is a man who he

20. Wordy Pointed
in spite of the fact that although
in the event that if
new innovations innovations
one and the same the same
period of four days four days
personally, I think/feel I think/feel
personal opinion opinion
refer back refer
repeat again repeat
revert back revert
shorter/longer in length shorter/longer
had been previously found had been found

21. Wordy Pointed
small/large in size small/large
square/round/rectangular in shape
square/round/rectangular
surrounded on all sides surrounded
surrounding circumstances circumstances
the future to come the future
there is no doubt but that no doubt
usual/habitual custom custom
unexpected surprise surprise

22. • Attempt try
• Referred to as called
•With the possible exception of except
• Due to the fact that because
• He totally lacked the ability to he couldn’t
• Until such time as until
• For the purpose of for
Beware of Use instead

23. Scientific Writing
• Assistance help
• Utilize use
• Numerous many
• Facilitate ease
• Individual man or woman
• Remainder rest
• Initial first
• Implement do
• Sufficient enough
Beware of clunky words that sneak in:
Beware of Use instead

24. Be ready to Cut,Cut and Cut
Example:
“Brain injury incidence shows two peak periods in
almost all reports: rates are the highest in young
people and the elderly.”
More punch
“Brain injury incidence peaks in the young and the
elderly.”

25. Scientific Writing, HRP 214
•A majority of most
•A number of many
•Are of the same opinion agree
•At the present moment now
•By means of by
•Less frequently occurring rare
Clunky phrase Equivalent

26. Use specific nouns and specific verbs and specific
details….
Vague nouns:
Problem, situation, approach, method, reaction,
component, technique, solution, challenge, difficulty
Use the words above with specific details.
Ex: This method is used by science students
Correction: The qualitative method is used by science
students.

27. “Subject verb object”
or just…“Subject verb”
•In passive-voice sentences, the subject is acted
upon; the subject doesn’t act.
•Passive verb = a form of the verb “to be” + the
past participle of the main verb
•The main verb must be a transitive verb (that is,
take an object).

28. Importance of Verb
A sentence uses one main verb to convey its central action;
without that verb the sentence would collapse.
The verb is the engine that drives the sentence. Dull, lifeless
verbs slow the sentence down.
Action verbs reflect the action they were chosen to describe,
and help bring the reader into the story.

29. Example:
Pick the right verb!
The WHO reports that approximately two-thirds of the
world’s diabetics are found in developing countries, and
estimates that the number of diabetics in these countries
will double in the next 25 year.

The WHO estimates that two-thirds of the world’s diabetics
are found in developing countries, and projects that the
number of diabetics in these countries will double in the next
25 years.

30. Eliminate negatives; use positive constructions
instead
• He was not often on time
• He usually came late.
• She did not think that studying writing was a
sensible use of one’s time.
• She thought studying writing was a waste of time.

31. Recap:
•1. Reduce dead weight words and phrases
•2. Cut, cut, cut; learn to part with your words
Be specific
•3. Follow: subject + verb + object (active voice!)
•4. Use strong verbs and avoid turning verbs into nouns
•5. Eliminate negatives; use positive constructions instead

32. Principles of Effective Writing
“The fear expressed by some teachers that
students would not learn statistics well if they
were permitted to use canned computer
programs has not been realized in our
experience. A careful monitoring of
achievement levels before and after the
introduction of computers in the teaching of
our course revealed no appreciable change in
students’ performances.”
Really long
subject!
negatives
Passive
voice
wordy

33. Scientific Writing
Let’s dissect this sentence:
• “It should be emphasized that these proportions
generally are not the result of significant increases in
moderate and severe injuries, but in many instances
reflect mildly injured persons not being seen at a
hospital.”

34. • It should be emphasized that these proportions generally are not the
result of significant increases in moderate and severe injuries, but in
many instances reflect mildly injured persons not being seen at a
hospital.
Dead
weight!!
Can we use a more informative
adjective than a pronoun? What’s
important about “these” proportions?
More dead weight.
Ask yourself, what does
the sentence loose without
this qualifier?

35. • It should be emphasized that these proportions generally are not the
result of significant increases in moderate and severe injuries, but in
many instances reflect mildly injured persons not being seen at a
hospital.
“The result of”due to
“In many instances”often
Use
positives.
Watch out for awkward
uses of “to be”

36. On a scrap of paper,
Try dissecting:
Review of each center’s progress in recruitment is important to
ensure that the cost involved in maintaining each center’s
participation is worthwhile.
Watch vague descriptors
such as “important” and
“worthwhile”
“to be” is a
weak verb
SVO?
When’s the
verb
coming?
Clunky phrase

37. Do the grammar activity