Lesson

    The longer a document is, the more important it is for you to sustain the energy in the writing. Sustaining energy calls on you to select strong verbs and to rid sentences of needless words. These three films address both issues. (26 minutes) 

1. Choosing Strong Verbs (Placement in Sentence): This film discusses the importance of selecting strong verbs to sustain the energy of scientific writing. This film focuses on the strategy of where to position verbs in sentences.


2. Choosing Strong Verbs (Allowing Inanimate Objects to Act): This film discusses the controversial strategy of allowing inanimate objects to act in scientific writing. Doing so allows for active voice verbs.


3. Choosing Strong Verbs (Using the First Person): This film discusses the controversial practice of using the first person ("I" or "we"). In doing so, this film advocates judicious use of the first person for internal company documents and for research documents.


4. Choosing Strong Verbs (Summary): To provide a summary of this lesson's strategies for using strong verbs, this film works through an example.


5. Cutting Needless Words (Part 1) This film discusses sustaining the energy of scientific writing by cutting needless words.


6. Cutting Needless Words (Part 2) This film discusses sustaining the energy of scientific writing by cutting needless words.

Instructor's Lesson Plan


​     Forthcoming will be a plan for instructors to incorporate this summary lesson into a class period of their course. Included with this plan will be discussion questions, student activities, and a comprehension quiz. ​​​

References

  1. Alley, Michael, The Craft of Scientific Writing, 4th ed. (New York: Springer Verlag, 2018), Lesson 4.
  2. Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (New York: Scribner, 2000), p. 125.
  3. William Strunk, Jr., and E. B. White, The Elements of Style, 3rd ed. (New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1979), p. 23.
  4. Mark Twain, letter to D. W. Bowser (20 Mar 1880).
For the academic year 2019-2020, we are collecting comments, questions, criticisms, and suggestions for the films, text, and quizzes of each lesson on scientific writing. To help us understand your input, would please let us know what your discipline is and whether you are a student, professional, or faculty member?