The style tag has no wiki summary.
4
votes
2answers
64 views
Citing in a paper: one citation for two paragraphs?
I'm writing a short paper on macroeconomics; the professor gave us two tries, I submitted the first try, and now got my feedback.
The feedback is: "The first paragraph could also deserve a ...
0
votes
0answers
10 views
Grammar - Omission of Agent [migrated]
I love writing but grammar is seriously not my cup of tea so please forgive my ignorance.
The case in point is: "Henry’s eyes were carved out by George".
Is it possible to write this in an active ...
2
votes
3answers
73 views
When to start a new paragraph and when to start a new “scene”
This is an extract of a short story I'm writing. Sometimes I get confused about when to start a new paragraph and when to start a new "scene." So I would like to know if I'm doing it properly here ...
1
vote
0answers
29 views
How can a practical learner get up to speed on APA quickly?
I'd like to learn the APA style guide, so that, in addition to the fiction and general non-fiction I work on currently, I can start accepting academic editing jobs. However, I know very little about ...
4
votes
3answers
52 views
Referencing figure in text - capitalize the word “Figure” or not? Why?
I see it quite a lot. It looks a bit like this:
It can be seen in Figure 3 that...
My gut feeling is that there is no reason to scream in the middle of a perfectly calm sentence. I would like to ...
0
votes
0answers
33 views
Image Alignment - What Really is the Good way? [closed]
I have a started a blog about Apple products. Its all fine. The problem that I am facing is that I am unable to decide about the alignment of the images with the text. I have seen all types of ...
7
votes
3answers
135 views
What's the difference between academic and journalistic writing?
I'm not talking about "boring" academic papers that are 99% science and 0% interesting. But in comments on a draft of my senior thesis, my teacher made the comment that my writing style was quite ...
-1
votes
0answers
42 views
Use Big Fonts Really Matter? [closed]
One of my teachers told me that today people like everything to be big. I observed the same thing in the writing styles of big blogs like TechCrunch, Engadget etc. If you have a look, the headings are ...
12
votes
5answers
213 views
How do you find your unique style?
Let me preface this by saying I am quite young as writers go, only 20.
Oftentimes as I am writing, I find myself simulating the style of whatever I most recently read-- sometimes the clipped and ...
3
votes
6answers
174 views
Are there any proof-reading techniques I can use to improve my writing?
I have a problem where I often proof my own writing and I don't catch all the errors while I am reading through it. I often miss entire words out of sentences or find myself repeating words. I can ...
0
votes
4answers
146 views
How to use “I think, therefore I am” in a more fluent manner?
I want to allude an experience that feels almost like Descartes' idea of "I think, therefore I am". Because the phrase is a proposition, I find it very difficult to fit in the statement in because I ...
3
votes
1answer
86 views
How Important are essay writing conventions in the university level and above?
I go to a CEGEP, which is basically pre-university in Montreal. In my Introduction to English class, I had a teacher who allowed us to go around the typical essay writing conventions. Conventions like ...
0
votes
1answer
149 views
What are the names of the different levels of English?
In a recent discussion regarding software manuals, we came across the issue of different styles of writing / speaking in English. I am having a hard time finding a list of the different styles, such ...
2
votes
4answers
91 views
Is it overkill to follow style-guides for technical writing?
I currently work for an engineering company as an electrical engineer. A good chunk of my time is spent writing testing reports or instruction documents. Currently my company doesn't have any sort of ...
-1
votes
1answer
76 views
Water Sprinkles Usage [closed]
In the following paragraph, is the word 'sprinkles' used correctly or should I go with a better suggestion?
We were standing there close to the kitchen sink and apparently this lady came and ...
3
votes
3answers
82 views
Floating vs Float
I was writing a short story piece where one person drops something in the water. I got puzzled by the following two choices. Google books seem to be using both of them.
Jena and Mike went outside ...
-1
votes
1answer
36 views
College Application Essay Opening and Help [closed]
I currently have to write an application for college that I wish to go to over the summer. I have no idea where to turn and what to write. The prompt is to explain my interest in technology. Two ...
2
votes
3answers
88 views
What's the appropriate way to write numbers in educational contexts like papers?
I want to know if numbers should be written alphabetically in educational contexts, for instance:
10 plasma samples out of 1016 cannot be ignored.
Or
Ten plasma samples out of one thousand ...
-1
votes
1answer
65 views
Writing for all ages? [closed]
What writing style should be used if you are attempting to write a book for the general public between the ages 9 through 25?
3
votes
2answers
112 views
How do I express opinion informed by my beliefs without being hamfisted? [closed]
As authors, our influences can come from many places. Religion is definitely one of many influences on people's work. I believe a work should be a reflection of its author, yet religion can be really ...
5
votes
3answers
60 views
Deaf speechmarks? [closed]
Possible Duplicate:
How does one present spoken dialogue as a secondary language to signed speech?
I want to write a novel and I was thinking of including a deaf character. I want to know ...
4
votes
1answer
67 views
Is there a style / terminology guide for Android OS application documentation?
This relates to my earlier question: My first professional writing job: any advice?
I will be involved with writing documentation for an Android OS business application. Is there an Android style ...
4
votes
1answer
87 views
What tense to use in an academic paper when speaking about correspondence?
What is the correct tense to use in an academic paper when speaking about correspondence? Say one of my source materials is a letter written by someone named William, in which he says he went to the ...
3
votes
3answers
50 views
“The company from Redmond” vs “The Redmond company.”
I'm writing an article about Microsoft for my tech' analysis website and I got into a stylistic roadblock.
Which of the following sentences should I use?
As I said before, the company from ...
0
votes
1answer
69 views
Describing a machine's world in a metaphorical manner
The actual meaning that I want to convey is sort of like a good design covers up the nitty gritty technical aspects of a machine and provides a smooth experience when using it.
I want to describe ...
5
votes
2answers
157 views
Should I prefer long or short sentences in scientific writing?
Currently, I am writing papers with rather short sentences: About half of them contain around 20 words, about 10% to 20% even less. I am doing this for three reasons:
I find short sentences easier ...
1
vote
1answer
82 views
How to improve/fix this short introductory paragraph and dialog?
These are the things that I want for this introductory paragraph:
Grab the reader's attention
Create a melancholic and dark atmosphere
Inside was dark with just enough light to see shapes, and ...
2
votes
3answers
49 views
My “Bio”. Is the language OK? [closed]
I have a personal website and I have an "about me" text. I though I'd post it here for professionals to tell me if it's OK (English is not my primary language).
My name is Primož Kralj, I am 22 ...
0
votes
0answers
56 views
Invisible patterns in writing; system-izing style [closed]
I'll make this brief; example:
"Should you ever try to do this again," he whispered, "you'll lose those pretty ears of yours."
"Of course, master. As you say, master," I said it, and I ...
3
votes
3answers
101 views
A friendlier way to write charges or fees to clients?
What is a better way to write in an email to tell my client that I will charge him a fee of say $100? Often, I feel very reluctant to write these ways:
I will quote the hosting and development ...
3
votes
1answer
54 views
Are there good writing exercises for compressing expression?
I recently sat down and wrote a poem after a long hiatus. It was a narrative poem with a formal rhyme scheme. I'm pretty dissatisfied with my initial draft, as it was far too wordy.
Besides editing ...
1
vote
1answer
65 views
ESL Writing How to quote article sentence?
I am studying English as my second language. I was thinking about following situation.
In a writing class, I wanted to say "the author's argument" but the author name showed up the first time. so I ...
1
vote
3answers
84 views
Where should index and glossary appear in a report?
I am writing my thesis and now wonder whether I should typeset index and glossary as an appendix or after them.
There's no department-level accepted writing style, so my adviser's opinion might be ...
13
votes
7answers
625 views
Is it frustrating not to know the narrator's gender?
I have written a 1st person piece and reading it I realize it's very difficult to tell if the narrator is male or female. There are one or two clues, and they come pretty late in the piece.
Would ...
10
votes
3answers
146 views
Confusing writing in order to show how character is falling asleep - is it OK?
Generally, writing something confusing is not good.
On the other hand, a writer should show rather than tell. (Generally.)
What I'm trying to do is imitate the way one's thoughts get all muddled ...
1
vote
1answer
46 views
Numeral Citation Scripts
I am writing a report in Farsi and using ieeetr bibliography style for my references. This style uses numeral references like [1] [2] etc but regarding context (Farsi) I am using Arabic number scripts ...
1
vote
1answer
58 views
Using Glossary Instead of Footnotes (for translation/transliteration)
I am writing a technical report with keywords which are mainly English. I am using a Glossary at the end, which describes translated keywords. Is it a replacement for footnotes or I should just keep ...
4
votes
3answers
190 views
How to create varying, yet realistic, speech patterns
Different characters speak differently. If someone reads me a letter written by an immediate relative, I can tell right away who wrote it. I believe --and correct me if I'm wrong-- that giving each ...
6
votes
4answers
127 views
Using poetry in novels a good option?
I write fiction as well as poetry. And many a times I use poetry as a tool to bring out that acute feeling of pain or love (as required) in my explanations. What if I use poetry to introduce or end a ...
3
votes
1answer
55 views
Is it okay to attempt to write in the style of another person, and how is that done well?
I want to write like Neal Stephenson- I read Snow Crash and absolutely fell in love with the style. I'm trying to write a cyberpunk style book myself, and I have a good plot (I think), but I want to ...
2
votes
4answers
166 views
How to explain a war scene?
In my novel, I have a part where there is a war scene, and I need to explain it precisely from the king's point of view. How can I explain the war graphics vividly?
1
vote
2answers
47 views
Clarity: What supports it? What hinders it?
A friend recently challenged me on communicating an idea clearly, and we ended up discussing clear thinking. I explained that in the idea communication process, concepts sometimes get tangled amidst ...
5
votes
3answers
117 views
Is emphasizing a point by underlining still appropriate?
Instinctively I find underlining for emphasis distracting and much prefer bold or italic. From my research it seems underlining is a carryover from typewriters that were incapable of italicizing or ...
5
votes
2answers
286 views
How to write realistic female dialogue
I just can't make my dialogue sound like it's being said by a woman. As a friend of mine pointed out, "This woman talks just like you, Jack."
I tried imitating the speech patterns of various females ...
0
votes
1answer
95 views
Statement of Purpose writing style
I cannot decide which style is better in writing Statement of Purpose for graduate school application.
I am asked a few questions in writing the SOP, such as purpose in applying for graduate study, ...
3
votes
3answers
216 views
How to discover clichés
What is the best way to find out if a certain phrase is considered a cliché?
Is there an online resource, a specialized dictionary-like lookup?
EDIT
I found these so far:
Cliché Finder
Movie ...
1
vote
3answers
101 views
Are there alternatives to 'in such a way'? [closed]
Considering the sentence:
I'd like to do ... in such a way that ... is achieved.
Does this sound wordy? If so, is there a way to streamline it?
2
votes
5answers
164 views
How do I keep up with current written English language?
I am a speaker of English as a foreign language. I appreciate that English is a living language and that different regions in the world use English differently. I wanted to know how I can keep up with ...
2
votes
3answers
162 views
Does this beginning hook the reader?
Guide lines Q no. 4:
This is supposed to be the opening part, but certainly not the whole of the first chapter or page for that matter... I'm not exactly sure anyone would take 30 seconds to read ...
11
votes
2answers
177 views
Techniques to disguise authorship of text
As Wikipedia and at least one answer on this site suggest, the name stylometry encompasses certain techniques to determine authorship of text. Although stylometry itself appears to require a certain ...
