---+ Subtle Grammatical Usage Notes aka Common mistakes when writing scientific papers and grants. ---++ Usage * *Alternate / Alternative* <br> *Alternate* means "every other one" in a series. *Alternative* means "another option". (REL) * *Bacteriophage / Bacteriophages* <br> Even though it sounds strange, the plural of *bacteriophage* is really *bacteriophages*. * *Because / Since* <br> *Since* implies that time has passed. If you are using it correctly, you should be able to substitute "after" in its place and preserve the meaning of a sentence. Otherwise, you should be using *because* to join your two clauses. * *By Contrast / In Contrast* <br> Use *By contrast* when the next word is a noun. Use *In contrast* when followed by a preposition such as "with" or "to". (REL) * *Complimentary / Complementary* <br> *Complimentary* means praising or free of charge. Two things are *complementary* when they combine in a way that enhances each other's qualities or if they are nucleic acid bases that pair with each other. Thus, "complementary base", "complementary skills", "complimentary comments". * *This Data / These Data* <br> Use *this data* when you can replace "data" with "information". Use *these data* when you can replace "data" with "facts". ([[http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/is-data-singular-or-plural.aspx][source]]) * *Gram-negative/Gram-positive bacteria* <br> The *Gram* in [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gram_staining][Gram staining]] is a proper noun. It's generally agreed that *Gram stain* is capitalized, but many sources say that *Gram* is not capitalized when describing *gram-positive/gram-negative* bacteria. I prefer to capitalize *Gram-negative/Gram-positive*. * *Principle / Principal* <br> *Principle* means the fundamental basis of a fact. A *Principal* is the main player or the person of most importance in a project. Thus, "proof of principle", "principal investigator", "in principle", "the principle reason", "school principal". * *Regardless / Irregardless* <br> *Regardless* is correct. *Irregardless* is a commonly heard but incorrect term, probably originating due to similar word pairs like respective / irrespective. * *Where / Wherein* <br> Use *wherein* when you can replace with "in which" or "in what". ---++ Punctuation * Generally the best way to use Greek letters, etc., is to use the "Insert symbol" command in a program (like Word or Illustrator), rather than symbol font. This generally causes fewer problems across programs or platforms. * [[http://www.punctuationmatters.com/the-hyphen-dash-n-dash-and-m-dash/][Hyphen, en dash, em dash]] * Do not use a hyphen (-78) in mathematical expressions where a minus sign (–78) should be used. * Prime symbol versus single quote or apostrophe: 5′ not 5' end of a DNA sequence. ---++ Avoid * *Claims of Novelty and Priority.* One should avoid claims that your study was the first to do something new. Even if true, these statements are generally subjective and hard to prove. They also tend to draw the ire of reviewers. You might say things like "our method enables X which Y and Z cannot do" instead of "our novel method allows X for the first time". From the [[http://www.pnas.org/site/misc/iforc.shtml][<i>PNAS</i> Information for Authors]]: *"Statements of novelty and priority are not permitted in the text."* Related words and phrases: *"unprecedented", ....* * *"Well-known", "famous", "celebrated"...* While it may be this to you since you are an expert in the field, it might not be to the reviewer or average reader of your paper. Would it really be "well-known" in 50 years when someone is reading your paper?
This topic: Lab
>
WebHome
>
ReferenceList
>
SubtleGrammar
Topic revision: r11 - 2013-01-30 - JeffreyBarrick
Copyright ©2025 Barrick Lab contributing authors. Ideas, requests, problems?
Send feedback
