Physics 596

Dr. Herbst

GRAMMAR II

A. Selected Pitfalls

a) Comparative vs superlative

i. Among the three students, John is the best.

ii. Between the two of them, Samantha is the better.

b) Phrases to Avoid

i. Due to the fact that. Use because

ii. Being that. Use since

iii. Is because. Use Because……

iv. Due to. Use Because of unless a specific noun

Incorrect Examples: I am lecturing here due to the fact that the faculty
voted to have a third writing course.

Being that you are serious, I will be lenient.

The crop failed due to the drought. But

The crop failure was due to the drought is fine.

The reason that I overslept is because my alarm failed. (Use:

Because my alarm failed, I overslept.)

c) Redundant Expressions

Alice, our most perfect

student, received the exact same grade as did

Susan. Use, instead: Alice, our perfect student, received the same grade as Susan received.

d) Gerunds

Treated as nouns, they take possessives in most cases.

Examples: He likes my doing this chore.

He sees you, sitting there.

e) Double Negatives

AVOID: Frank won’t never do it. Irregardless of the fact,

USE: Frank won’t ever do it. Regardless of the fact,

f) Words to Avoid

i. Like as in “I was, like, hello.”

ii. Process as in “The learning process takes time away from the sleeping

process.”

iii. Hopefully as in “Hopefully, you will all receives A’s.” (Use “I hope that

you will all receive A’s.)

iv. Closure as in “When the quarter ends, your grade will be brought to

closure.”

v. Fun as in “a fun place.” The word “fun” is a noun not an adjective.

Use “enjoyable” or “amusing”, both proper adjectives.

g) Tenses

Normally we try to maintain the tense – past, present, future, etc. But
sometimes, in writing about science, this convention does not work.

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Consider: I concluded that the Schroedinger equation is correct.

h) Verb Agreement

1) The datum displays……… The data display…..

2) Sometimes it is difficult to tell subject from predicate, especially when an

inactive “linking” verb is used. Contrast:

The discoveries of new high-temperature superconductors are/is the reason for
current media interest in physics.

The discoveries of new high-temperature superconductors have focused media

attention on physics.

3) The verb always follows the simple subject.

Examples:

My son and I are very tall.

I, as well as my son, am very tall.

4) With collective nouns, be guided by the sense of the word.

Examples:

A ton of coal was delivered.
The class of students consists of seniors and juniors.

A large number of apples are rotten.

5) Negative subjects: singular preferred
Examples:

None of them is here.

Neither Bill nor Anne is here.

Neither John nor I am here. (choose closer subject when in doubt)

i) Ending with a Preposition and Splitting an Infinitive

Try, if possible, to avoid the following usage:

That is something I won’t put up with.
I would prefer to delightfully sleep in class.

B. Capitalization
In German, all nouns are capitalized, a nice and simple rule. In English, there are

rarely nice and simple rules. In addition, the use of capital letter is declining rapidly. Here

are some guidelines:

1. Capitalize the names of people Eric Herbst President Lincoln

2. Capitalize the names of places Columbus, Ohio

3. Capitalize some groups. Democrats Republicans students

4. Capitalize unique items. Magna Carta, Department of Physics

5. Capitalize all important words in titles

6. Capitalize only names in scientific laws Newton’s law of gravitation

Einstein’s theory of general relativity

But alternate conventions used: Third Law of Thermodynamics

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C. Punctuation

a) Commas

i. Use to set off introductory phrases: In the past, I taught quantum mechanics.

ii. Use to set of parts of truly compound sentences: Kinetic energy was not

conserved, yet the linear momentum remained constant.

iii. Use to set off strings of nouns or phrases: I have taught at the College of

William and Mary, at Duke University, and at Ohio State.

iv. Use to set off non-restrictive word or phrases.

non-restrictive: adds meaning only

restrictive: restricts validity

Examples:
The lawnmower that is broken is in the garage. (R)

The lawmower, which is broken, is in the garage. (NR)

The first example is restrictive, and implies that there are other lawnmowers. Use

“that”.
The second example is non-restrictive, and just adds meaning. Use “which.”

Smith, our well-known dean, snoozes on the job. (NR, apposition)

She received the coveted prize, or $100, for her paper. (NR)

She received the coveted prize or $100 for her paper. (R)

b) Apostrophes

i. Use for possession, normally by people: Adam’s apple, boys’ team

The expression “comet’s tail” is OK but “cometary tail” is preferable
unless the statement is colloquial such as “a hard day’s night.”

ii. In difficult situations, go with the sound. For example, write Gauss’s law

but write Brahms’ lullaby Do NOT write Brahm’s lullaby, a phrase I saw in

the Dispatch.

iii. Use in contractions: he’s (he is) it’s (it is)

iv. Use for plural of symbols: 7’s