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Tip #50: Always recover from, never out of

12/23/2014

Along the same lines of the to tie idiom, the to recover idiom has a similar usage. Note the example sentence in the graphic at left.

The verb to recover already denotes the sense of taking something out of something else, so to construct an idiom using to recover and out of is at least somewhat redundant. And while redundancies in selected engineering systems may be desirable, very often in the best writing they are not.

From makes a better choice when constructing an idiom using to recover. From complements the denotation of to recover rather than repeats it. Thus, the writer should rewrite the example sentence as follows:

Although we were allowed to recover additional materials from the incident site, these materials did not provide any additional information regarding the incident.

Always recover from, never out of.

2014 has been a great year for words by kurt. More tips will appear in 2015. Until then, words by kurt is on vacation, celebrating the achievements of this year and preparing for even more achievements in the next. Happy holidays to all, and see you in 2015!

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Tip #49: Always tie to, never with

12/18/2014

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Often in professional reports a writer will want to forge connections between two items or ideas. In so doing, the smart writer will avoid simply transcribing speech and understand the distinction between spoken English and written English.

Observe the example shown in the graphic at left. Here the writer connects two ideas (the failure and poor operator training) by using an idiom containing the verb to tie and a preposition; the two elements acting in concert communicate connection between the two ideas. But for the meaning intended to be conveyed, with is not the appropriate preposition. To is.

Why is with not the appropriate preposition but to is? Think about the idiom construction in terms of using rope to create a connection between two nearby trees. The rope is the item you use to make the actual connection, not the tree. You would never say “Connect the rope with the tree” because the tree is not making the connection; the rope is. Rather you would say “Connect the rope to the tree” or “Connect the trees with the rope.”

In like manner, the to tie idiom is the rope you as a writer use to connect two items or ideas. That’s why to tie to is appropriate and to tie with is not. Thus, the writer should revise the example sentence as follows:

Although the committee tied the failure to poor operator training, our own investigation has lead us to different conclusions.

Always tie to, never with. Better writing conveys better contexts while also conveying effectively the essential intended message.

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Tip #48: You should have avoided using of

12/11/2014

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I seem to be on a roll harping on the distinction between spoken English and written English. It’s a good roll since it gets at the heart of many of the difficulties that writers, and especially technical writers, have with producing good copy.

While we are on that roll, let’s look at another example highlighted in the graphic at left. Often writers, and especially inexperienced writers, will simply transcribe speech when writing. Such practices lead to ineffective structures such as the one in the example graphic.

Why is this structure ineffective? The writer has produced as sentence with an incomplete verb.

The complete verb in question here is might have been avoided, which is actually a combination of three verbs: the simple past tense of might (which has an infinitive form without a preceding to), the present perfect tense of to be, and the simple past tense of to avoid. Replacing have with of creates obvious structural problems, as the verb phrase requires all three parts to communicate the intended meaning.

Thus, a more properly written sentence would look like this:

Complete system failure might have been avoided had a redundant hydraulic subsystem been installed.

Could, should, and would function similarly to might. Thus, the same guidelines apply when using verb phrases with these words as well.

The error is understandable. Have and of sound very similar when spoken quickly enough — hence the problem in simply transcribing speech when writing.

However, I recommend that in your writing you rise above that common misconception and understand the distinctions between spoken English and written English. Your readers will view your writing as well as you and the brands connected with your writing in a much better light.

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Tip #47: Go between two items but among three or more items

12/9/2014

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Idioms can present special challenges to the uninitiated. Even seasoned writers who are worth their seasoning commit mistakes. The difference between them and the uninitiated is that they make those mistakes much less often.

Take, for example, the idiom construction in the example sentence shown in the graphic.

The use of between here is inappropriate because by definition between links two separate items. A more appropriate word is among, as its definition includes connections between more than two items. The writer should rewrite the example sentence to appear thus:

Among corrosion, fretting, and fatigue as possible root cause failure mechanisms, corrosion appears to match best the evidence and circumstances surrounding the failure event.

Note the addition of the words root cause since these three failure modes typically work in tandem and this sentence likely appears in a report written to communicate the root cause of a failure event.

The big writing mistake here is likely the one I have discussed the most — a failure to distinguish between spoken English and written English. When writing, go between two items but among three or more items. Your writing will improve along with the professional image you project through your writing.

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Tip #46: Bite the bullet in essays and the main body of reports

12/6/2014

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Technical fields often require professionals to communicate complex information quickly. Readability tools such as bullets are great devices for this type of job. They summarize information into packets which readers can quickly process.

However, like all writing devices, bullets have their place. Appropriate places to use bullets include presentation slides, resumes, flyers, and executive summaries in reports. They do not belong in essays or the main body of reports.

It doesn’t take a lot of thought to understand why this is so. Bullets are a readability device intended to communicate complex information quickly by dividing it into smaller packets and then organizing them in a list. That works great for, say, an executive summary because the intention of the executive summary is to provide the essential crux of the information contained in the report.

But the main body of the report is intended to communicate detailed information in a space where time is not as much of a factor. Using a time saving device in this environment is therefore inconsistent and not appropriate.
The graphic above summarizes the main points of this post and demonstrates an effective use of using bullets. Note that only the essential conclusions are bulleted items. The actual reasons for those conclusions, which is more detailed information, appears in the post itself.

Bite the bullet in essays and the main body of reports. More consistent writing is more professional writing, and the attendant image will improve the estimation of the writer and the brands associated with that writing.

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Tip #45: Just go from one to another

12/4/2014

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I’ve harped on the difference between written English and spoken English so often for good reason. A failure to understand the difference or even to make the distinction keeps many professionals from become great writers.

The example sentence in the graphic above contains a good example. Including the preposition up may be common and accepted in spoken English, but that usage labels the writer as an amateur in written English.

Adding up makes the sentence structurally inconsistent. The idiom in question is from-to, a pairing of two prepositions, each with each own object. Interjecting to provides one prepositional phrase with one preposition and one object (from) and a second prepositional phrase with two prepositions sharing the same object (up to).

The best structure when using idioms is a parallel one. That’s why in this instance using up in written English is not appropriate. Thus, the example sentence should be rewritten.

Since installing the new equipment, nonconformances have increased from an average of 2% per run to an average of 23% per run.

Note that in less than a month was removed, as the audience for this sentence very likely knows that the new equipment was installed less than a month ago.

Never go from one up to another. Just go from one to another. Your writing will be that much more consistent with proper usage, and that will bolster the professional image you want your professional writing to convey.

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Tip #44: They're using their words correctly there

12/2/2014

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I’ve harped before about the common failure among many writers to distinguish between written English and spoken English. When completely different words sound the same, simply writing the words you speak may not always present you and the subject of your writing in the best light.

That’s why it’s important to understand that written English and spoken English are really two different animals.

One of the most common errors in this vein involves the words there, their, and they’re. Take the example in the graphic above.

They’re placing their defective units in the bin over there.

This sentence uses the words in question correctly.

There is an adverb indicating relative location or position. Here the writer uses there to describe the location of the bin where defective units are collected. On a related note, there is is a phrase often used in informal communication to convey that something is or exists.
Their is an adjective used to convey possession of an object or objects to multiple third parties. In this case, those multiple third parties are the workers placing defective units into the bin. Their conveys the relationship between the workers and the defective units.
They’re is a contraction for the words they are. You can always tell when a contraction is appropriate by replacing the contraction with the extended word form. For this example,

They are placing their defective units in the bin over there.

That change makes sense, and so the contraction is grammatically correct. However, contractions also convey an informal tone, and as such writers should avoid using them when their writing calls for a more formal tone.

The easy way to remember the difference between these three words which sound alike but function very differently is with a mnemonic device based on the example sentence in the graphic. Just remember that they’re using their words correctly there, and you should be okay.

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Tip #50: Always recover from, never out of

Tip #49: Always tie to, never with

Tip #48: You should have avoided using of

Tip #47: Go between two items but among three or more items

Tip #46: Bite the bullet in essays and the main body of reports

Tip #45: Just go from one to another

Tip #44: They're using their words correctly there

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