CS4524 Professional Topics

1
CS4524 Professional Topics

• Writing Reports
• Good Writing
• To err is human to really fowl
• things up, you need a computer

2
Overview

• Why good writing is important
• How to write better documents
• Various hints and tips

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Why Writing is Important

• Many reasons (like presentations)
• To sell something
• To describe a problem / solution
• To inform
• To persuade
• To make a good impression
• Goal to write clearly, effectively and
  professionally

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My Ritings Bad - So Whot?

• You Improving my writing wont make me a better
  programmer ?
• Employer If your writing is sloppy, I bet your
  programming is too!
• You Nobody writes like Shakespeare these days.
  Why be so picky?
• Employer Our customers want accurate, clear
  reports so do we!

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Relevance to You

• Most of us need to improve our writing skills.
• You have to write an essay for CS4524
• plus 2 essay-type questions in the exam.
• You have to write an Honours project report.
• These could affect the class of your degree.
• Writing competence could affect your promotion
  prospects in employment.

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Preparation

• For your project, keep a log or diary
• its hard to remember what you did 3 or 6 months
  ago!
• Write down ideas as you have them.
• Approach essays similarly.
• Youre probably working to a tighter timescale.
• Still, make rough notes before starting to write.
• Most people find getting started is difficult
• so leave writing until the last minute BAD
  IDEA!
• Plan the overall structure first.
• Start a first draft early on leave plenty of
  time.

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Writing is Like Programming

• Good essays, reports, and programs
• are well structured
• are grammatically correct
• are built from simple, understandable units
• do not contain redundancies or inconsistencies
• are easily digested (executed) by the reader
• etc (can you think of other parallels?).

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Mistakes in Writing

• Bad Grammar
• components missing, or not associated correctly
• Incorrect Syntax
• incorrect spelling or use of symbols
• Semantic errors
• false meaning, contradictions, ambiguities.
• Poor Style
• Poor layout, irrelevant headings,
  incomprehensible, etc.

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Syntax v. Semantics

• Syntax has to do with logical structure and
  permissable relationships between components.
• Semantics has to do with the meaning that is to
  be conveyed.
• Correct syntax does not necessarily imply clear,
  unambiguous meaning.
• Changing the syntax can radically change the
  meaning.
• Clear meaning can be conveyed quite
  ungrammatically.

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Example 1 Varying the Syntax

• Consider the change in meaning according to the
  position of only
• Only I tested the pipe for leaks yesterday.
• I only tested the pipe for leaks yesterday.
• I tested only the pipe for leaks yesterday.
• I tested the pipe only for leaks yesterday.
• I tested the pipe for leaks only yesterday.
• I tested the pipe for leaks yesterday, only ...

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Example 2 Understanding the Semantics

• Time flies like an arrow
• Fruit flies like a banana
• Blow flies like a bagpipe

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Building blocks for writing phrases and clauses

• Phrase
• Sequence of words
• mat, the mat, on the mat, sat on the mat
• Clause
• Phrase containing subject and verb, either of
  which may be implied
• the cat sat on the mat, get off!

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Building blocks for writing sentences and
paragraphs

• Sentence
• One or more associated clauses
• I am quite sure the cat sat on the mat.
• One main point
• Paragraph
• A sequence of one or more sentences
• One main idea conveyed by a number of related
  points

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Building blocks for writing - sections

• Section (or chapter)
• A sequence of (usually) at least three paragraphs
• One main theme conveyed by a number of related
  ideas
• Opening paragraph makes the transition from
  previous section and/or introduces this sections
  theme
• Closing paragraph makes the transition to the
  next section and/or concludes this sections
  theme
• Often has a section heading that appears on a
  contents page

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Punctuation The Full Stop (Period)

• The full stop is the most important piece of
  punctuation
• it tells the reader when a sentence is finished
• it separates one point from the next
• it allows the reader to pause for thought
• When speaking, a full stop is where you take a
  breath.
• Full stops are not always used correctly or
  wisely.

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Too Much in One Sentence

• For temperatures above 1000K, the four fuel
  cells examined had about the same ignition delay
  when the ignition delay was defined as the time
  to recover the pressure loss from fuel
  evaporation, in spite of the large variations in
  ignition delay among the four fuels at low
  temperature. Um, could you repeat that please?

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Same Information, Two Sentences

• Ignition delay is the time required to recover
  the pressure loss from fuel evaporation. OK so
  far Despite the large variations in ignition
  delay at lower temperatures, the four fuels had
  about the same ignition delay for temperatures
  above 1000K.
• Hmm interesting

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Where to Put Full Stops ?

• At the end of sentences usually!
• Exception certain abbreviations e.g., etc.
• With quoted sentences, inside final quote
• She said, This lecture is boring.
• For sentences ending with brackets, outside
• It was boring (maybe much worse).
• Where the whole sentence is bracketed, inside
• (In retrospect the situation was actually far
  worse.)
• Before a list of sentences
• These rules also hold for ! and ?
• She exclaimed, This lecture is boring!

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Other punctuation marks

• Colon, semi-colon, dash, comma
• Used to signify pauses of respectively decreasing
  lengths
• Test by reading the text out loud

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Using Capital Letters

• At the start of sentences
• For proper names people, places, companies
• Bill Gates, London, Sun Microsystems,
• I am a special case, but you are not and neither
  are they never use i
• Abbreviations
• International Business Machines (IBM never ibm)
• Java virtual machine (JVM not jvm or Jvm)
• Using all-capitals elsewhere is like SHOUTING

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The Apostrophe (')

• An Apostrophe is used to show
• Contraction The dogs barking
• instead of The dog is barking
• Possession (singular) The dogs dinner
• instead of The dinner of the dog
• Possession (plural) - The dogs dinner
• instead of The dinner of the dogs

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Apostrophes Dos and Don'ts

• Contraction (missing letters)
• isnt is not (ok)
• isnt (wrong - no missing letter between s and n)
• Allo, allo is ok, but not catch the bus
  (bus is a legitimate dictionary word)
• Possession
• James coat or Jamess coat (both ok)
• Eratosthanes sieve (but not Eratosthaness it
  sounds clumsy)
• its coat (but not its coat)
• Plurals
• he has two PCs (but not he has two PCs)
• He has two PCs power supplies (ok)

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More Common Problems

• Youre gt You are
• Your gt belonging to you
• Theyre gt They are
• Their gt belonging to them
• There gt not here!
• If in doubt, write in full it is, they are
• Watch out for over-enthusiastic auto-correction
  by word processors(e.g. your A Level gt
  youre a Level)

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Phonetic Mistakes Slang

• Dont let phonetic mistakes or slang words slip
  into a serious document
• It could of been done differently (!)
• It could have been done differently (?)
• and then the program bombed (!)
• and then the program crashed (?)
• and then the program failed/aborted (?)

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Common Latin Abbreviations

• Common dictionary abbreviations (often from
  Latin) are perfectly acceptable
• e.g. for example (exempli gratia)
• i.e. that is (id est)
• etc. and so on (et cetera)
• et al. and others (et alia Ritchie et al.)
• c. about (circa usually a date)

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Should I Use a Thesaurus?

• Careful use of synonyms and alternative phrases
  to avoid repetition can introduce variety and
  convey meaning more precisely.
• This approach proved to be successful, but there
  are valid alternative procedures.
• Blindly following synonyms can be disastrous
• Classified secret mysterious unidentified
  unclassified (!)
• Thesauri can help find related words

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Beware Some Nouns Verbs

• He affected an air of indifference but it had no
  effect on the outcome. (?)
• His speech affected us all. (?)
• We effected a new plan. (?)
• By signing the licence agreement, you become
  licensed for unlimited use. (?)
• The doctor practises medicine in his general
  practice. (?)
• In practice, I dont practise enough. (?)

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Foreign Words Phrases

• Some foreign words phrases are acceptable
• Prima facie (at first sight)
• Versus, or vice versa (against, or swapped)
• Joie de vivre (joy of life
  happiness)
• But dont get carried away, e.g.
• Ceteris paribus (other things being equal)
• Your reader might not understand
• You might get it wrong

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Keep It Simple!

• Avoid using longwinded phrases
• at this point in time -gt now
• it was incumbent upon us -gt we had to
• due to the fact that -gt because
• has the ability to -gt can
• in the vicinity of -gt near/about
• has the potential to -gt could

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Avoid Archaic Language

• Some writers feel a Shakespearian style adds
  weight or authority. Avoid it (unless that style
  is specifically required)
• hitherto until now
• hitherward this direction
• aforementioned previous
• aforesaid previous
• henceforth from now on
• whence from which

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Avoid Redundancies

• Redundancies are needless repetitions of words or
  phrases and generally should be avoided
• already existing -gt existing
• added together -gt added
• no effect whatsoever -gt no effect
• never before -gt never
• period of time -gt period
• totally unique -gt unique
• most certain -gt certain

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Redundant Phrases

• Some phrases have or add no meaning
• As a matter of fact four out of five
• It should be added that Java is preferable
• It is noteworthy to observe that people often
• Sometimes, a few such phrases can be used to
  emphasise particular points.

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In General Avoid Split Infinitives

• In English, the infinitive of a verb is usually
  written using two words
• To go (infinitive of verb go)
• To boldly go (split infinitive,
  incorrect)
• To go boldly (correct)
• Boldly to go (correct, but archaic)

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Summary

• By following a few fairly simple rules you will
  improve your writing.
• This will increase the readers understanding.
• It will also increase your credibility and
  authority.
• You will need to practise.
• Consult books/websites on good writing.
• Re-read carefully, and revise your documents.

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And Finally

• Check that you havent words out.
• The subject and verb has to agree.
• Eschew, avoid and shun repetition.
• Be careful to never split an infinitive.
• The passive voice should be avoided.
• Avoid cliches like the plague.
• A preposition is inappropriate to end a sentence
  with.
• And dont start with a conjunction.
• USE EXCLAMATION MARKS SPARINGLY!!!