Scientific Writing

1. Fewer vs. less

• Fewer goes with a countable number• Less goes with a mass quantity

• I’m trying to eat fewer calories.• I’m trying to eat fewer grams of fat.BUT…• I’m trying to eat less fat.“Use less if there’s no ‘S’”

Scientific Writing

2. She and I OR She and me?

Use XX and I for the subject of the sentence (“nominative case”)You and I went to the park.

But use XX and me for the object of a verb or preposition (“objective case”)Just between you and me, I think that this professor is boring.

Trick: If you’d use “him” or “her” instead of “he” or “she” then use “me” instead of “I.”

Scientific Writing 3. Who vs. whom

Same idea who is the subject and whom is the object

Again, if you’d use him or her, use whom.

• Who is it?• She called to Beth, who (she believed) was nearby.• [To] whom did you mean to call?• The message was meant for whom?

Scientific Writing

3. Who vs. whom

“Then he’ll buy a plane ticket to Baghdad, to visit his mother and his sisters and his eighteen-year-old girlfriend, whom he has never seen, except in the picture that his mother sent when she selected the girl for him.”

‘he has never seen her.’‘ ‘he has never seen whom.’

Scientific Writing

4. It’s vs. its

It’s is the contraction of “it is.”It’s true.

Its is possessive.The car stopped working after its battery died.

If you can substitute “it is” or “tis”use it’s.‘Tis true.

Scientific Writing

5. As vs. like

Use “as” to introduce clauses (compare action)We spent the evening as (we did) in the old days.We wrote down every step, as good scientists should.

Use “like” (sparingly—more formal to use “similar to”) to compare nouns and pronounsOK: Her cat is like a dog.

More formal: Her cat is similar to a dog.BUT…

Her cat acts as a dog would. Note: “Her cat acts similar to a dog” does not work.

Therefore, don’t use ‘like’!

Scientific Writing

1. Farther v. further

Farther is used for distance. (think far)Further is used for time or quantity. (think

future)

I can throw a ball farther than you.I am pursuing that research further.

Scientific Writing

Other similar words:

FORWARD v. FORWARDS v. FOREWORD

TOWARD v. TOWARDS

Some sources prefer adverbs forward and toward to forwards and towards (a bit more formal without the s; s more common in UK); foreword = preface to a book

Scientific Writing

2. Die of v. die from

People and animals die of, not from, specific diseases.

She died of a heart attack.

Scientific Writing 3. compliment v. complement

Compliment is to praise or to present with a token of esteem.

Complement is to mutually complete each other.

She complimented his haircut.That dress complements your eyes.

In complement, think of “complete-ment” proteins completing antibodies (complement

cascade), angles combining to reach 90 degrees, or musical intervals completing an octave

Scientific Writing A comic interlude, for illustration:

A man walks into a bar and sits down. He orders a beer and begins to drink it, when he hears a mysterious voice: “You're looking very handsome this evening.” The man looks around, but there’s no one else nearby. “That suit is quite magnificent," continues the voice. “And what a delightful tie!”  

The man calls the bartender over and confides, somewhat sheepishly, “I keep hearing voices but I don't seem to be able to work out where they're coming from!“

The bartender replies, "It's the nuts, sir. They're complimentary."

Scientific Writing 4. Comprise v. compose

Comprise means to contain. “Comprise” implies a complete listing, whereas “include” may signal an incomplete listing.

Compose means to make up.

The parts compose (make up) the whole; the whole comprises (contains) the parts.

The USA comprises 50 states. (the whole contains the parts)Fifty states compose the USA. (the parts make up the whole)The USA is composed of 50 states. (the whole is made up of the

parts)Fifty states are comprised in the USA. (the parts are contained

in the whole)

Scientific Writing

5. locate v. localize

Locate is to determine the position of something; to find its location.

Localize is to confine or fix in a particular area or part.

The police located the suspect at the edge of town.

Iodine tends to localize in the thyroid.

Scientific Writing

1. Do not use “they” or “their” when the antecedent is singular (but can vary gender references)

Every one of us knows they are fallible.Every one of us knows she is fallible.

Each student pulled out their notebook.Each student pulled out his notebook.

Scientific Writing

2. Prevalence v. Incidence

Incidence is a RATE how many new cases develop per unit of population per unit of time?

Prevalence is a PROPORTION how widespread is a given disease?

Scientific Writing

3. principle v. principal

Principle is a fundamental truth or law Principal is a leader

The school’s principal declared it a holiday. (mnemonic: your “pal”)

Her principles were impeccable.

Scientific Writing

4. rational v. rationale

Rational is an adjective, meaning sane or logical.

Rationale is a noun, meaning justification.

She was a rational human being.Their rationale for the move was that it

would save a great deal of money.

Scientific Writing

5. To hyphenate or not to hyphenate, that is the question…units…

• Hyphenate multiple adjectives that modify a noun.

The ball was 21 feet in diameter. (noun)The ball had a 21-foot diameter. (adjective)

The machine carried a 44-pound scientific payload.The machine carried 44 pounds in science equipment.

Scientific Writing

1b. ASSURE v. ENSURE v. INSURE

assure: to promise, to state with confidence She assured the students that no one would

fail the course.

ensure: to make certain Well-planned interventions can ensure better

outcomes for children with diabetes.

insure: to protect against loss, in legal/financial realms

The post-docs could barely afford to insure their cars.

Scientific Writing

1c. ARRANT v. ERRANT

arrant: being notoriously without moderation; extreme

We are arrant knaves, all; believe none of us. (Shakespeare)

errant: given to travelling; straying outside the proper path or bounds; moving aimlessly or irregularly; deviating from a standard; fallible

The errant toddler found his way into all sorts of mischief.

Scientific Writing 2. AMONG v. BETWEEN

Among: collective and undefined relations (three or more)

• You’re among friends.• Agreement was reached among all four

neighbors.

Between: one-to-one relationships of pairs within a group or the sense “shared by.”

• Diplomatic relationships between the United States and France ceased.

• There is close friendship between the members of the club.

Scientific Writing

3. LAY v. LIE

Lay is a transitive verb (takes an object)forms: lay, laid, has laid, is laying

• The hen lays an egg. (laid, had laid, is laying)• “The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men / Gang aft a-

gley.” (“To a Mouse,” Robert Burns)

Lie is an intransitive verb (does not take an object)forms: lie, lay, has lain, is lying

• The llama lies down.

Q: What about “Now I lay me down to sleep”???

Scientific Writing

4. DISINTERESTED v. UNINTERESTED

Disinterested: impartial.Uninterested: not interested in.

• Let a disinterested person judge our dispute.

• This man is obviously uninterested in our dispute.

Scientific Writing A few more (pseudo) homonyms and

commonly confused words:

1a. ALLUDE v. ELUDE

allude: to reference indirectly She frequently alluded to her distrust of lawyers

without explicitly stating her opinion. He impressed the crowd with his allusions to Greek

mythology. (n.b.: versus “illusion”)

elude: to evade The stealthy cat-burglar eluded the police all

winter. The elusive protein, which our team has been

trying to characterize for months, has baffled labs across the country.

Scientific Writing 5. e.g. vs. i.e. (informal)

e.g. = “for example” • from Latin: exempli gratia = ‘for the

sake of an example’

Many animals (e.g., mountain lions, panthers, etc.) are quite good hunters.

i.e. = “in other words” • from Latin: id est = ‘that is’

That walking boot is synthetic (i.e., not leather or suede).