11 RULES OF WRITING - RULE 11

RULE 11 -- Omit unnecessary words.

RULE 11 -- EXAMPLES

Incorrect -- Correct

I would like to assert that the author should be considered to be a buffoon.
The author is a buffoon.

It would be safe to say that Gregor Samsa is not the only character in Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis to undergo drastic changes.
Gregor Samsa is not the only character in Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis to undergo drastic change.

Before going to the supermarket, we made a list of the groceries we needed in order to make the food that we intended to eat for dinner.
Before going to the supermarket, we made a list of groceries that we needed to prepare dinner.

RULE 11 -- REFERENCES
More information about this rule is available from the following sources.

Online Resources:
The Elements of Style: rule 13

Printed References: (see References section)
Strunk and White: 2-17

11 RULES OF WRITING - RULE 10

RULE 10 -- Use the active voice unless you specifically need to use the passive voice

RULE 10 -- EXAMPLES

Incorrect -- Correct

A refund was given to him by the hair regeneration company.
The hair regeneration company gave him a refund.

A good score was achieved by the team.
The team achieved a good score.

A box of chocolates and a dozen roses were presented to the girl by her boyfriend.
The boyfriend presented a box of chocolates and a dozen roses to the girl.

RULE 10 -- REFERENCES
More information about this rule is available from the following sources.

Online Resources:
The Elements of Style: rule 11

Printed References: (see References section)
Hacker: G2-h

11 RULES OF WRITING - RULE 9

RULE 9 -- Use parallel construction to make a strong point and create a smooth flow

RULE 9 -- EXAMPLES

Incorrect -- Correct

I was glad to be departing for Australia but I was nervous when I left my apartment.
I was glad to be departing for Australia but nervous to be leaving my apartment.

The system excels at tasks such as communicating with other computers, processing records, and mathematical calculations.
The system excels at tasks such as communicating with other computers, processing records, and calculating mathematical equations.

RULE 9 -- REFERENCES
More information about this rule is available from the following sources.

Online Resources:
The Elements of Style: rule 15

Printed References: (see References section)
Strunk and White: 2-19
Hacker: E1-a,b

11 RULES OF WRITING - 11 RULES OF WRITING

RULE 8 -- Be sure that a pronoun, a participial phrase, or an appositive refers clearly to the proper subject.

RULE 8 -- EXAMPLES
Incorrect -- Correct

Its hump decorated in strings of flowers, the programmer rode the camel through the food court. The programmer rode the camel, its hump decorated in strings of flowers, through the food court.

Filled with bad gas, he drove his car to Tucson despite the knocking.
Although it was filled with bad gas, he drove his car to Tucson despite the knocking.

RULE 8 -- REFERENCES
More information about this rule is available from the following sources.

Online Resources:
The Elements of Style: rule 7

Printed References: (see References section)
Strunk and White: 1-11
Hacker: G3-b and E3-b

11 RULES OF WRITING - 11 RULES OF WRITING

RULE 7 -- Make the subject and verb agree with each other, not with a word that comes between them.
RULE 7 -- EXAMPLES

Incorrect -- Correct

The Thanksgiving dinner, right down to the beautiful centerpiece, were devoured by the escaped grizzly.
The Thanksgiving dinner, right down to the beautiful centerpiece, was devoured by the escaped grizzly.

The cart, as well as its contents, were gone.
The cart, as well as its contents, was gone.

The girl, along with her classmates, like the new teacher.
The girl, along with her classmates, likes the new teacher.

RULE 7 -- REFERENCES
More information about this rule is available from the following sources.
Printed References: (see References section)
Strunk and White: 1-9
Hacker: G1, especially a

11 RULES OF WRITING - RULE 6

RULE 6 -- Use proper punctuation to integrate a quotation into a sentence. If the introductory material is an independent clause, add the quotation after a colon. If the introductory material ends in "thinks," "saying," or some other verb indicating expression, use a comma

RULE 6 -- EXAMPLES

Incorrect -- Correct

Tumbling down the hill, Jack yelled: "Gosh, I'm sick of this."
Tumbling down the hill, Jack yelled, "Gosh, I'm sick of this."

Her letter spoke to him in harsh tones, "You never fail to repulse me."
Her letter spoke to him in harsh tones: "You never fail to repulse me."

He views the problem as a slight delay or a sickness that will eventually disappear, "I will go back to sleep for a few minutes and forget all this nonsense."
He views the problem as a slight delay or a sickness that will eventually disappear: "I will go back to sleep for a few minutes and forget all this nonsense."

RULE 6 -- REFERENCES
More information about this rule is available from the following sources.

Printed References: (see References section)
Hacker: P6-f

11 RULES OF WRITING - RULE 5

RULE 5 -- To indicate possession, end a singular noun with an apostrophe followed by an "s". Otherwise, the noun's form seems plural.

RULE 5 -- EXAMPLES

Incorrect -- Correct

Though the lobsters claws were bound, the creature made a threatening gesture as they dropped it in the pot.
Though the lobster's claws were bound, the creature made a threatening gesture as they dropped it in the pot.

In a democracy, anyones vote counts as much as mine.
In a democracy, anyone's vote counts as much as mine.

There is a vast age difference between Victors mother and father.
There is a vast age difference between Victor's mother and father.

RULE 5 -- REFERENCES
More information about this rule is available from the following sources.

Online Resources:
The Elements of Style: rule 1

Printed References: (see References section)
Strunk and White: 1-1
Hacker: P5-a

11 RULES OF WRITING - RULE 4

RULE 4 -- When beginning a sentence with an introductory phrase or an introductory (dependent) clause, include a comma.

RULE 4 -- EXAMPLES
Incorrect -- Correct

After buying the five pound jar of marshmallow spread he set off in search of a bulk portion of peanut butter.
After buying the five pound jar of marshmallow spread, he set off in search of a bulk portion of peanut butter.

With this he bestows the responsibility of his own happiness on his mother and father.
With this, he bestows the responsibility of his own happiness on his mother and father.

As she begins to gain independence it is natural for Grete to regard the idea of dependency as repugnant.
As she begins to gain independence, it is natural for Grete to regard the idea of dependency as repugnant.

RULE 4 -- REFERENCES

More information about this rule is available from the following sources.
Printed References: (see References section)
Hacker: P1-b

11 RULES OF WRITING - RULE 3

RULE 3 -- Do not use commas to bracket phrases that are essential to a sentence's meaning

RULE 3 -- EXAMPLES

Incorrect -- Correct

The man, who has too many ties, has too few necks.
The man who has too many ties has too few necks.

The cats, with six toes, are a unique attraction of the tour of Hemingway's house.
The cats with six toes are a unique attraction of the tour of Hemingway's house.

RULE 3 -- REFERENCES

More information about this rule is available from the following sources.

Online Resources:
The Elements of Style: rule 3

Printed References: (see References section)
Strunk and White: 1-3
Hacker: P1-e

11 RULES OF WRITING - RULE 2

RULE 2 -- Use commas to enclose nonrestrictive clauses or phrases, which are not essential to the sentence's meaning.

My window as dirty as it is reveals the beauty of nature on a snowy morning.
My window, as dirty as it is, reveals the beauty of nature on a snowy morning.

King and Lucille, his customized black Gibson have electrified audiences all over the world.
King and Lucille, his customized black Gibson, have electrified audiences all over the world.

RULE 2 -- REFERENCES

More information about this rule is available from the following sources.

Online Resources:
The Elements of Style: rule 3

Printed References: (see References section)
Strunk and White: 1-3
Hacker: P1-e

11 RULES OF WRITING - RULE 1

RULE 1 -- To join two independent clauses, use a comma followed by a conjunction, a semicolon alone, or a semicolon followed by a sentence modifier.

RULE 1 -- EXAMPLES
Incorrect -- Correct

The delivery boy knew he carried strange cargo, but still ventured off unafraid.
The delivery boy knew he carried strange cargo, but he still ventured off unafraid.

My math teacher doesn't know how to lecture, she should have remained a student.
My math teacher doesn't know how to lecture; she should have remained a student.

Gregor has not changed physically; but has given himself an excuse to separate himself from the pain of previous experiences.
Gregor has not changed physically; however, he has given himself an excuse to hide from the pain of previous experiences.

RULE 1 -- REFERENCES
More information about this rule is available from the following sources.
Online Resources:
The Elements of Style: rule 4 and rule5

Printed References: (see References section)
Strunk and White: 1-4 and 1-5
Hacker: P1-a and P3-a,b

How to Give a Bad Talk

David A. Patterson
Computer Science DivisionUniversity of California-Berkeley
Circa 1983


Thou shalt not be neat
Why waste research time preparing slides? Ignore spelling, grammar and legibility. Who cares what 50 people think?

Thou shalt not waste space
Transparencies are expensive. If you can save five slides in each of four talks per year, you save $7.00/year!

Thou shalt not covet brevity
Do you want to continue the stereotype that engineers can't write? Always use complete sentences, never just key words. If possible, use whole paragraphs and read every word.

Thou shalt cover thy naked slides
You need the suspense! Overlays are too flashy.

Thou shalt not write large
Be humble -- use a small font. Important people sit in front. Who cares about the riff-raff?

Thou shalt not use color
Flagrant use of color indicates uncareful research. It's also unfair to emphasize some words over others.

Thou shalt not illustrate
Confucius says ``A picture = 10K words,'' but Dijkstra says ``Pictures are for weak minds.'' Who are you going to believe? Wisdom from the ages or the person who first counted goto's?

Thou shalt not make eye contact
You should avert eyes to show respect. Blocking screen can also add mystery.

Thou shalt not skip slides in a long talk
You prepared the slides; people came for your whole talk; so just talk faster. Skip your summary and conclusions if necessary.

Thou shalt not practice
Why waste research time practicing a talk? It could take several hours out of your two years of research. How can you appear spontaneous if you practice? If you do practice, argue with any suggestions you get and make sure your talk is longer than the time you have to present it.


Commandment X is most important. Even if you break the other nine, this one can save you.

A Generic Conference Talk Outline

This conference talk outline is a starting point, not a rigid template. Most good speakers average two minutes per slide (not counting title and outline slides), and thus use about a dozen slides for a twenty minute presentation.

Title/author/affiliation (1 slide)

Forecast (1 slide)
Give gist of problem attacked and insight found (What is the one idea you want people to leave with? This is the "abstract" of an oral presentation.)

Outline (1 slide)
Give talk structure. Some speakers prefer to put this at the bottom of their title slide.
(Audiences like predictability.)

Background

◦ Motivation and Problem Statement (1-2 slides)
(Why should anyone care? Most researchers overestimate how much the audience knows about the problem they are attacking.)
◦ Related Work (0-1 slides)
Cover superficially or omit; refer people to your paper.
◦ Methods (1 slide)
Cover quickly in short talks; refer people to your paper.

Results (4-6 slides)
Present key results and key insights. This is main body of the talk. Its internal structure varies greatly as a function of the researcher's contribution. (Do not superficially cover all results; cover key result well. Do not just present numbers; interpret them to give insights. Do not put up large tables of numbers.)

Summary (1 slide)

Future Work (0-1 slides)
Optionally give problems this research opens up.

Backup Slides (0-3 slides)
Optionally have a few slides ready (not counted in your talk total) to answer expected questions. (Likely question areas: ideas glossed over, shortcomings of methods or results, and future work.)

Oral Presentation Advice - Mark D. Hill

Mark D. Hill
Computer Sciences Department
University of Wisconsin-Madison
April 1992; Revised January 1997


◦ Things to Think About
◦ A Generic Conference Talk Outline
◦ Academic Interview Talks
◦ Other Talks
◦ How to Give a Bad Talk by David Patterson

Things to Think About

Oral Communication is different from written communication

Listeners have one chance to hear your talk and can't "re-read" when they get confused. In many situations, they have or will hear several talks on the same day. Being clear is particularly important if the audience can't ask questions during the talk. There are two well-know ways to communicate your points effectively. The first is to K.I.S.S. (keep it simple stupid). Focus on getting one to three key points across. Think about how much you remember from a talk last week. Second, repeat key insights: tell them what you're going to tell them (Forecast), tell them, and tell them what you told them (Summary).

Think about your audience

Most audiences should be addressed in layers: some are experts in your sub-area, some are experts in the general area, and others know little or nothing. Who is most important to you? Can you still leave others with something? For example, pitch the body to experts, but make the forecast and summary accessible to all.

Think about your rhetorical goals

For conference talks, for example, I recommend two rhetorical goals: leave your audience with a clear picture of the gist of your contribution, and make them want to read your paper. Your presentation should not replace your paper, but rather whet the audience appetite for it. Thus, it is commonly useful to allude to information in the paper that can't be covered adequately in the presentation. Below I consider goals for academic interview talks and class presentations.

Practice in public

It is hard distilling work down to 20 or 30 minutes.

Prepare

See David Patterson's How to Give a Bad Talk

Change

It gives us a lot of confusion.
Finally, everythings might be settled down and we are accustomed to changed air gradually.
I don't like this kind of uneasiness.
It is heteronomous one not a volunteer one.
I wish it go much faster and faster.