Academic Writing in English for Students of Physics (Gr2)WORKSHOP 2 – 15 MARCH 2017

Questions

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The Most Common Errors

• Subject-Verb Agreement Errors• Comma use• Run-on sentences / comma splice• Articles• Sentence Fragments• Collocations and Word Choice• Informal language• Prepositions• Sources and citations

• I run• You run• He/She/It runs • We run• You run• They run

She run

GrammarSubject-verb agreement

They runs

Subject-Verb Agreement Errors

• Methods where parameters are selected, without any reformulation of said parameters, are called feature selection and involves selecting the subset of parameters that has the biggest impact on the success of returning the expected output.

• FeRam is thus one of the growing and interesting technologies which offer the same functionality as flash memory

• Among these successes are the prediction of particles such as the top quark and the Higgs boson.

Subject-Verb Agreement Errors

• The physical size of ferroelectric capacitors are small compared to the dielectric capacitors of similar capacitance.

• The identified relations leads to bosonization being able to be used to rewrite one theory as the other.

• Hooke, Fresnel and Huygens mathematically showed that Newton’s arguments was also explainable through wave optics

CommasUse commas after introductory a) clauses, b) phrases, or c) words that come before the main clause.• Naturally there is a constant need for improving diagnosis

and treatment methods of cancer.• From a scientific point of view there are several

motivations to work in this field.• As suggested above the copper oxide, Cu2O, play an

important role in the catalytic reaction of…• As for the quarks there are six leptons that also are

divided into three generations…

Commas

• On the one hand this can be used to study the surface topography of the sample by…

• By simulating the planetary system with its default parameters but changing the eccentricities within that two-sigma error an eccentricity of the outer versus the inner planet can be made.

• With so much scientific progress that has been made in recent years one might be encouraged to believe that advances

• In classical mechanics energy is a continuous variable, meaning that it can vary by arbitrarily small amounts…

Commas

• Due to its high collimation and the resulting high energy density it can be used to make precise incisionn…

• When Charles Darwin in 1859 published his On the Origin of Species he set the tone for a new perspective on how species arise

• To do so silicon beads with approximately 0.1 μm radius are trapped…

• As our instruments of observation got better and better we found that the universe is…”

CommasUse a pair of commas in the middle of a sentence to set off clauses, phrases, and words that are not essential to the meaning of the sentence.• This is however problematic since whenever a particle and

antiparticle meet they annihilate into light. • Despite these successes there are many problems with this

model, and it is in fact well known that the standard model cannot

• If on the other hand the system of interest is a cylindrically shaped box, then you...

• Another advantage of a laser pulse is that since the pulse is so short in time it is quite broad in frequency.

• It is of little surprise therefore that catalysts have been a topic of keen investigation for decades…

Sentence Structure

• Typically, a main clause consists of a subject, a verb and an object

– “A topic sentence identifies the main idea of the paragraph.”

• Two main clauses can be connected by “and”, “or”, “but” or a semicolon

– “This compendium consists of commented examples; all of them are taken from your essays.”

SUBJ VERB OBJECT

Sentence Structure

• A dependent clause can begin with a conjunction (except for “and”, “or” and “but”):

“Although not all the results are verified,...”“If that is the case,...”“..., which is a big problem.”

• Or a non-finite verb form:“..., considering the impact of the results.”“..., considered as a whole.”“..., to be considered at a later stage.”

Comma splices• For example, a person could have trouble calculating the

intersections between two moving bodies, they wouldlikely have next to no difficulty with not running intopeople on the street

• The survey is a collaboration between the ground-basedtelescopes that ESO runs and the space observatoryGaia, together they will complement each other.

• … which means one has to perform this in one of theworld's largest telescopes, for example the 6.5-mMagellan Telescopes located in Chile, this will ensureclear spectra…

Comma splices: fixed• For example, a person could have trouble calculating the

intersections between two moving bodies; they wouldlikely have next to no difficulty with not running intopeople on the street

• The survey is a collaboration between the ground-basedtelescopes that ESO runs and the space observatoryGaia, and together they will complement each other.

• … which means one has to perform this in one of theworld's largest telescopes, for example the 6.5-mMagellan Telescopes located in Chile. This will ensureclear spectra…

Comma splices• When the microscope was invented in the 17th Century it

was an enormous leap forward in science, it enabledsmall objects invisible to the naked eye to be observed

• Quantum mechanics differs from classical physics in thatenergy, momentum and other quantities are oftenrestricted to discrete values, objects have characteristicsof both particles and waves, and there are limits to theprecision with which quantities can be known

• The name “Quantum Mechanics” is a daunting term,almost everyone has heard it before, along with otherphysical terms such as solid state physics.

Comma splices: fixed• When the microscope was invented in the 17th Century it

was an enormous leap forward in science; it enabledsmall objects invisible to the naked eye to be observed

• Quantum mechanics differs from classical physics in thatenergy, momentum and other quantities are oftenrestricted to discrete values, objects have characteristicsof both particles and waves, and there are limits to theprecision with which quantities can be known (Correct!)

• The name “Quantum Mechanics” is a daunting term, andalmost everyone has heard it before, along with otherphysical terms such as solid state physics.

Run-on sentences• Since the difference in energy is small the velocity does

not change instead the mass changes so the trajectorieswill differ due to the Lorentz force.

• The cost of the high resolution is that this imagingtechnique is slow therefore it is not possible to follow fastbiological processes.

• During radionuclide therapy, a certain radiation dose willeffectively kill normoxic cells however, hypoxic cells couldsurvive.

Sentence Fragments• As this allows to find the abundance of each chemical

element in the body, which will eventually reveal its properties.

• Although the idea of the brain as a neural network can still make for a very useful implementation.

• [Over the time, many ideas about the interpretation of quantum mechanics have been established.] Already very early, the Copenhagen interpretation established by Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg in the early twenties of the 19th century.

Sentence Fragments• Making them more desirable by increasing reusability and

reducing the amount of bi-products created, resulting in both reduced energy consumption and reducing environmental impacts.

• The fact that energy can only exist in defined quanta. • [The founding principles presented above are all derived

form the core mathematics.] Especially the uncertainty principle.

Articles

• Indefinite singular: a / an• Definite singular : the• Indefinite plural: -• Definite plural: the

ArticlesBasic rules

• Indefinite singular: a / an => countable noun– used to talk about something new, something that we have

not already mentioned or could expect the reader/listener to be familiar with

• Definite singular and plural: the– used to talk about something that we have mentioned, or

that we could expect the reader/listener to know about anyway

– also used before a noun which refers to a specific, unique object (e.g. the moon, the earth, the arctic)

• ‘Zero article’: -– no article is used when a noun phrase with an uncountable

or plural noun has general meaning

(Estling Vannenstål, Essential English Grammar: 50-55)

ArticlesBasic rules

• Countable singular nouns always need an article– The guest of honor arrived late.– *You are welcome as guest in our home.

• Uncountable nouns do not take the indefinite article– *I have an information that you may find very

helpful.– I have some information that you may find very

helpful.

Articles• This question is very important, as the understanding of

the possible differences between induced pluripotent stem cells and regular stem cells is crucial to issue of whether...

• With emergence of optical fields in the past few decades...

• The climate change is a more immediate problem that the humanity face.

• Optical molecular imaging is a growing research discipline, that has been widely applied in medical practice and research, and is aimed at developing thenovel tool at cellular level.

Articles• As a part of the retrieved equations so called “lambda

constant” was introduced.• So for full term baby, only among 1% of them will get

RDS...• The basic idea of quantum mechanics is: we describe the

system by ‘states’ at a given time by using complex wave function.

• Incomplete combustion produces the toxic gases and pollutants whereas complete combustion has water and carbon dioxide as their byproducts.

• The ice extent on Arctic has decreased, and the surface temperature has been warmer.

Collocations and word choice

• ...no prediction of the future of the system can be done.• It is likely that none of these applications were guessed at

when Bohr formulated his famous postulates...• Another great question to be answered in the field of

renewable energy is energy storage.• A problem arises because this event is often buried by

the background radiation from QCD.

Collocations and word choice

• Spray illumination aims to imagine the motion of the fuel inside an injection engine.

• This kind of research does not claim to do technical improvements...

• This will in turn advocate for the existence of supersymmetry...

• ...my thesis work could help researchers in the field of medicine to evade this problem...

Informal Language

• It has stood strong against virtually any experimental test thrown at it in the decades since it was first formulated

• The good news is that all the particles are arranged in such a way that the anomalies cancel

• The idea here is that you have a system and "do" something with it, for instance you can rotate it.

• Anyway, the devices performance is still able to be improved...• ...it turns out that the effect of migration allow hot Jupiters to

start forming well beyond the snow line...• The former one is a bit of a challenge. • ...another great thing is that the material is very light in weight

with respect to the strength of the material.

Informal Language

• As the blood cell subpopulations differ in softness they can be sorted out...

• In the first step of the procedure one needs to find out how...

• You may be thinking, this is all very well and good, but why should I care?

• So by analyzing the values of both the (b-y) index and the c1 index...

Formal Language: TipsLinking Words

• Accordingly• Thus• Consequently• As a result• As such • In addition• Moreover• Furthermore• Nonetheless• In contrast• First• Second• Next

Other Features• Words to avoid:

– got– thing– nice– interesting– lots/a lot– well, you see

• Phrasal verbs are less formal– blow upàexplode– find outàdetermine– get inàenter, join– get overàrecover

• It [constructions]…– is evident– stands to reason

Prepositions

• Usually, carbon-hydrogen bond as organic with metal consist into the MOVPE precursors

• But the rest part of the wave function could spread out with time

• A study in accelerated expansion can be applied on two related issues...

• The availability for carriers within each band is called density of states (DOS).

Prepositions

• According to statistics, in Europe and the United States around 6 to 15% of deliveries are preterm, and are frequently accompanied with a series of diseases

• Not much is known of how life came to be...• Naturally there is a constant need for improving diagnosis

and treatment methods of cancer.

Sources and citations

• Provide sources for the claims that you make in your essay!

• Clarify/Signal which claims are your own and which are taken from other people’s work

• What about “basic information” and “common knowledge”?

Sources and citations

• When and why do we need citations?

– Direct quotes– Paraphrase of some sort of explanation or any

sort of information that has been taken from a work

– Introducing theories, models or concepts – Examples of studies or works where certain

phenomena that you have mentioned are discussed

Other issues

• Contracted forms • New paragraphs and transition phrases

Contracted forms

• This method can’t prove => This method cannot prove..

• The study didn’t reveal… => The study did not reveal...

New paragraphs and transition phrases

• Keep one idea to one paragraph• Start a new paragraph:

– When you begin a new idea or point– To contrast information or ideas– When your readers need a pause– When you are ending your introduction or starting

your conclusion

New paragraphs and transition phrases

• Use transition phrases between your paragraphs to better clarify the logical link between them:

– To better understand…

– As stated earlier/above...

– Furthermore...

– Another important characteristic/feature...

– Another key point...

– With this in mind...

– To emphasize...

– In contrast to what was discussed...

– To conclude,

Do not forget to proofread your text!

Questions

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