Writing in the Sciences 课程笔记 （导论、句子和段落）

最近学完了 stanford 大学 Kristin Sainani 教授的 Writing in the Sciences 课程，收货很大！对于要做英语论文写作的同学，个人强烈推荐。即使不写论文，感觉对英语写作，甚至中文写作，个人说话时逻辑表达，都有很大帮助。

课程可以在网上免费学习，网址： https://lagunita.stanford.edu/courses/Medicine/SciWrite-SP/SelfPaced/info。

一些课程笔记整理在此：

1.1 导论

什么是优秀的写作？

1 最重要的，优秀的写作要清晰且有效的传达观点。

2 优秀的写作是优雅且独具风格的。

要做到第一点，需要：确实有东西要表达，和清晰的思维。

做到第二点，需要时间，反复的修改和一个好的编辑！

怎样成为一个好的作者？

不是与生俱来的，可以通过后天学习达到！

1.3 高效写作的原则

1 去掉不必要的词和短语；学会舍弃你的词！

2 使用主动语态（主语+谓语+宾语）

3 用动词写作：使用强的动词，避免把动词变成名词，不要把主要的动词藏在很难找到的地方。

1.4 Cut the clutter

"The secret of good writing is to strip every sentence to its cleanest components.  Every word that serves no function, every long word that could be a short word, every adverb that carries the same meaning that's already in the verb, every passive construction that leaves the reader unsure of who is doing what—these are the thousand and one adulterants that weaken the strength of a sentence.  And they usually occur in proportion to the education and rank." -- William Zinsser in On Writing Well , 1976

常见的clutter:

1 沉重的词和短语

As it is well known

As it has been shown

It can be regarded that

It should be emphasized that

2 空的词和短语

basic tenets of

methodologic

important

3 可以缩短的长的词和短语

A majority of --- most

A number of --- many

Are of the same opinion --- agree

Less frequently occurring ---  rare

All three of the --- the three

Give rise to --- cause

Due to the fact that --- because

Have an effect on --- affect

Based on the assumption that --- if

4 没有必要的术语和缩写

5 重复的词和短语

studies/examples

illustrate/demonstrate

challenges/difficulties

successful solutions

6 副词

very, really, quite, basically, generally, etc.

7 去掉否定

Not honest --- dishonest

Not harmful --- safe

Not important --- unimportant

Does not have --- lacks

Did not remember --- forgot

Did not pay attention to --- ignored

Did not succeed --- failed

8 去掉不必要的“there are/there is”

There are many ways in which we can arrange the pulleys.

（We can arrange the pulleys in many ways.）

The data confirm that there is an association between vegetables and cancer.

（The data confirm an association between vegetables and cancer. ）

9 去掉不必要的介词

例如 'that' 和 'on' 通常是没用的

The meeting happened on Monday.

（The meeting happened Monday.）

They agreed that it was true.

（They agreed it was true.）

什么时候可以使用被动语态？

方法的章节，原因：

• What was done is more important than who did it!
• Readers tend to skim the methods section for key words rather than reading it as prose.
• May be more effort than it's worth to avoid using "we" and "I" in every sentence.

不要把动词变成名词

Provide a review of --- review

Offer confirmation of --- confirm

Make a decision --- decide

Shows a peak --- peaks

Provide a description of --- describe

不要把主动词藏起来

1 把主语和动词一起放在句子的开头。

2 读者在等待动词！

一些语法提醒：

1  "Data are" not "Data is"

data 是复数形式

2 Affect 是动词，effect 是名词

3 Compared to vs. compared with 

Compare to = to point out similarities  between different things

Compare with** (used more often in science) = to point out differences between similar things

4 That vs. which

That 是一个限定性的代词，Which 不是

The bike that is broken is in the garage.

(Identifies which bike of many.)

The bike, which is broken, is in the garage.

(Adds a fact about the only bike in question). 

5 为了避免性别选择，把主语转成复数

Each student worries about their grade.  ×

Each student worries about her grade.  √

Better: All students worry about their grades. √

3.3 排比

1 当一组观点由"and","or","but"连接的时候，应该写成排比的形式。例如：

The velocity decreased by 50% but the pressure decreased by only 10%.

We aimed to increase the resolution and to improve picture quality.

2 一组有数字排列的观点，应该用排比的形式。例如：

非排比：

This research follows four distinct phases: (1) establishing measurement instruments (2) pattern measurement (3) developing interventions and (4) the dissemination of successful interventions to other settings and institutions.

排比：

This research follows four distinct phases: (1) establishing measurement instruments (2) measuring patterns (3) developing interventions  and (4)  disseminating successful interventions to other settings and institutions.

3.4 段落

1 一段 = 一个观点

2 早点给出中心句。

3 Paragraph flow is helped by:

logical flow of ideas

parallel sentence structures

if necessary , transition words

4 读者对第一个句子和最后一个句子印象最深。让最后一个句子印象深刻。在最后做强调！

观点的逻辑流：

1 时间上的序列

2 从抽象到具体（先给出 take-home message）

3 逻辑论证（if a then b; a; therefore b）

3.6 关于重复

当你发现自己在查词典，去避免在同一个句子或同一个段落中使用同一个词的时候，问自己：

1 第二个词的出现是否有必要？

2 如果确实需要，使用一个同义词是否真的比直接重复用这个词更好呢？

（关键词和缩写词都可以重复使用）

使用重复是没关系的！

7.1 抄袭

当写别人的想法或者工作时：

• 你必须充分的理解材料，把它用你自己的语言描述。
• 从记忆中出发写作。
• 得出你自己的结论。
• 不要模仿原作者的句子结构或者只是重新组织原作者的用词。

记录课程证书：