Being Forthright

Short words are the best, and old words, when short, are best of all.

Winston Churchill

Concise

Familiar

Clear

Fluid

Precise

Forthright

NYP 45063

To make your language forthright, you should control tone and use strong nouns and verbs

Use strong nouns and strong verbs

Nouns

Verbs

Control tone

tone

arrogantcasual

obfuscated silly

forthright

Tone is the attitude that the writershows about the subject

much; many

For formal situations, do not use informal language

a lot of

But...

And...

&

btw

vs.

However,...

In addition,...

and

by the way

versus

Many scientists and engineers conveyarrogance in their writing

As is well known, the use of gaseous insulation is becoming increasingly more widespread, with gases such as air and sulfur hexafluoride featuring prominently. There has been some discussion of using gas mixtures like nitrogen and sulfur hexafluoride, and of course nitrogen is the major constituent of air.

Obviously,...

Tone often goes out of controlin correspondence

For the facilitation of this end, Division 8463 willinterface with Division 8265.

As per your request...I beg to differ with...Enclosed please find...

The liquid propellant fuel experienced an unscheduled partial disassembly.

Clichés are expressions that are too familiar

When you come up to speed, I'll touch basewith you and we'll knock heads together!

I am in search of a meaningful growth position, and your company is a gateway to the highest professional levels and beyond…

sly as a foxbusy as a beefaster than a speeding bullet

To make your language forthright, you should control tone and use strong nouns and verbs

Use strong nouns and strong verbs

Nouns

Verbs

Control tone

tone

Experimental design is a method of efficiently performing a comparative analysis. Specifically, a 23 design compares the main effects and the interactive effects of three variables on a final measured characteristic. The use of experimental design results in correct problem structuring, efficient experimentation, and data analysis leading to correct conclusions.

Relying on abstract nouns weakens the writing

Experimental design is a method of efficiently performing a comparative analysis. Specifically, a 23 design compares the main effects and the interactive effects of three variables on a final measured characteristic. The use of experimental design results in correct problem structuring, efficient experimentation, and data analysis leading to correct conclusions.

Relying on abstract nouns weakens the writing

Weak verbs hide the energy of your work

A new process for eliminating nitrogen oxides from diesel exhaust engines is presented. Flow tube experiments to test this process are discussed. The percentage decrease in nitrogen oxide emissions is revealed.

can

Also, the tighter the verb form,the stronger the verb

is capable of

is composed of

is used to detect

makes a decision

makes a measurement of

performs the development of

consists of

detects

decides

measures

develops

Needlessly passive verbs slow your writing

Misconception: Scientific writing must be written in the passive voice.

Needless Passive Active

1. Allow inanimate objects to act

2. Use the first person judiciously

Problems can arise using the activevoice with inanimate objects

Safe

Dangerous

The oscilloscope displayedthe voltage.

The oscilloscope measuredthe voltage.

V

+

-

The oscilloscope calculatedthe voltage. V=

Misconception: In scientific writing,you cannot use the first person.

Misconception: In scientific writing,you cannot use the first person.

Users of the First Person

Einstein

Feynman

Darwin

Crick

Maxwell Faraday

Freud Curie

Non-Users of the First Person

It was decided that...

It was assumed that...

It was realized then that...

Using the first person is fine as long as the emphasis remains on the work

Avoiding the first person often convolutes sentences

In that an effort to identify a specific control circuit responsible for the failure of the gear box was unsuccessful, it was determined appropriate to resurvey the collector field for torque tube damage.

Because we could not locate the control circuitresponsible for the gear box failure, we resurveyedthe collector field for torque tube damage.

Weak verbs hide the energy of your work

A new process for eliminating nitrogen oxides from diesel exhaust engines is presented. Flow tube experiments to test this process are discussed. The percentage decrease in nitrogen oxide emissions is revealed.

This paper presents a new process for eliminating nitrogen oxides from the exhaust of diesel engines. To test this process, we performed experiments in flow tubes. These experiments revealed a 99 percent decrease in nitrogen oxide emissions.

Being Forthright

Short words are the best, and old words, when short, are best of all.

Winston Churchill

Concise

Familiar

Clear

Fluid

Precise

Forthright

NYP 45063