82. Persons VS People
UGLY: The system is now being used by 145 persons.
GOOD: The installed base comprises 37 people.
84. Feel VS Think
* Feel: only when the creature under discussion is experiencing an emotion
GOOD: Jade feels slightly soapy when you rub it.
* Think, believe, argue, and so on to denote intelligent activity.
GOOD: Helen thinks that computers can be extremely uncooperative.
87. Last
* You can run into problems when you use last, because the word is ambiguous.
UGLY: The argument given in the last paragraph has been used for centuries.
GOOD: We shall now prove the theorem that we gave in the previous chapter.
SPLENDID: We shall now present the detail of the algorithm that we introduced in Section 11.2
88. Focus On
You should avoid overusing focus on. : 뭐 써도 되는데, 약간 위험할 수 있음
When you do use focus, be certain not to compound your sins by coupling it with upon
UGLY: Our discussion focuses on decision making under extreme time pressure.
GOOD: We shall concentrate on the positive aspects of marriage in this dissertation.
90. Around
* circa: 연대, 경
BAD: The program uses around 4 MB of RAM
GOOD: The disk has approximately 4 MB available.
GOOD: Punch cards where in use years ago, circa the era of the flower children.
93. Semicolon
The semicolon connects two sentences that are closely related to each other.
GOOD: This machine is difficult to use; for example, it crashes whenever you change windows.
94. Code: Use Other Font or something
UGLY: Use Procedure LoadSymptoms when you desperately need an illness.
GOOD: Use procedure LoadSymptoms when you desperately need an illness.
95. Comparatives
BAD: Unix was weaker in interprocess communication because its only facility for that activity was the pipe.
GOOD: Now, 4.3 BSD provides a richer set of facilities than that available previously.
106. Nonwords
* Do not use hyphen at all in most nonwords.
BAD: Use non-numerical analysis when you cannot obtain the exact values.
GOOD: Several nonnuclear sources of power are available.
107. Missing That
* Many people leave out that from sentences in which it belongs. The result is sloppy prose.
UGLY: Devon believes Max is sleeping late every morning.
GOOD: Max believes that Brian is a superb programmer.
108. All of
* longer term all of is silly when all alone will surface.
UGLY: Marina could not afford to spend all of her time driving back and forth over the hill
GOOD: Pat could not afford to spend all his money on the new mile-wide television set.
111. Issue
Far too many writer use issue as a catchall term. I recommend that you use more specific and more meaningful terms instead.
UGLY: Health-care issues are at issue in this year's discourse.
GOOD: Problems in health-care delivery and the lack of universal health-care insurance have caught the nation's attention this year.
113. So Called
* Wise writers avoid using it
UGLY: The so-called gold standard in this case is determined by common practice.
GOOD: The gold standard in this case is determined by a set of measurements locked in a secure vault.
114. Note That VS Notice That
* Note That: Strong Emphasis
* Notice that: for weaker emphasis, act or noticing
GOOD: Note that, when Max is relaxed and happy, BB climbs on his lap, rolls on her back, and wriggles invitingly.
GOOD: In the middle of a rainy morning, Holly noticed that the goats had been gnawing on the corners of the picnic table.
121. Not VS Rather Than
BAD: The logic example demonstrates modus ponens, not modus tolens.
GOOD: You should use proof by refutation, rather than resolution theorem proving.
131. Truncated Words
lab -> laboratory
memo -> memorandum
math -> mathematics, mathematical
ad -> advertisement
net -> network
phone -> telephone
135. Further VS Farther
* Farther: refers to distance
* Further: extents or degree
GOOD: "Well", reasoned Jan, "Don't write any further material into you get your brain plugged back in."
GOOD: "You're right," Lyn nodded. "I'll just sit a little farther away so that I can stop driving you batty"
