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Common Grammar and Style Errors

Learn to eliminate wordiness, choose precise words, avoid vague adjectives, maintain language simplicity, cite sources correctly, define terms, use commas effectively, and capitalize appropriately.

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Common Grammar and Style Errors

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  1. Common Grammar and Style Errors CS411W – Fall 2012

  2. Wordiness • Word Choice (WC): Repetitive Words • "This...this...this...this..." • "...completed...completed...completed..." • "The interfaces will be the user interface...and the interface..." • "The Notification Manager... notification... notification... notification..."

  3. Vague Adjectives • Be specific! • Avoid imprecise phrases like the following: • “a lot” • “some software” • “many factors” • “various algorithms” • “lots of time”

  4. Describe (Don’t Sell) • Simplicity is a goal, not a feature. • "simple example" • "intuitive interface" • "This results in happier riders...“ • "...easy to use interface...“ • "intuitive design“ • Technical documents should not be marketing material.

  5. Avoid Colloquialisms and Slang Terms • Keep the audience in mind at all times. • Not all phrases translate across regions. • Examples of BAD phrases: • “peace of mind” • “newbies” • “fire and forget” • “dummy database”

  6. Cite Sources • Inline citations. Not footnotes. • Follow APA standards. • The citation belongs inside the sentence. • Example: • “There are over 2,322 American universities with majors that have complex requirements that a student must complete to be in their major of choice (US NDCES, 2011).”

  7. Define Terms • GSM • GUI • WAN • LAN • RDBMS • SMART • TCP • PaaS • Pay close attention to the terms that you are using. • Define your terms early and you can use the acronym afterwards.

  8. Comma Usage • Introductory phrases should end with a comma before continuing. • Example: • “In these cases, SOAR will give the student access to the external organization’s contact information.” • “By doing this, the university and the students benefit.”

  9. Capitalization • “University” should not be capitalized unless it is part of the title of an institution. • Keep the capitalization of components consistent across the document. • Avoid capitalizing terms unless part of a system or a known algorithm.

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