Common Grammar and Style Errors CS411W – Fall 2012

Wordiness Word Choice (WC): Repetitive Words – "This...this...this...this..." – "...completed...completed...completed..." – "The interfaces will be the user interface...and the interface..." – "The Notification Manager... notification... notification... notification..."

Vague Adjectives Be specific! Avoid imprecise phrases like the following: – “a lot” – “some software” – “many factors” – “various algorithms” – “lots of time”

Describe (Don’t Sell) Simplicity is a goal, not a feature. – "simple example" – "intuitive interface" – "This results in happier riders...“ – "...easy to use interface...“ – "intuitive design“ Technical documents should not be marketing material.

Avoid Colloquialisms and Slang Terms Keep the audience in mind at all times. Not all phrases translate across regions. Examples of BAD phrases: – “peace of mind” – “newbies” – “fire and forget” – “dummy database”

Cite Sources Inline citations. Not footnotes. Follow APA standards. The citation belongs inside the sentence. Example: – “There are over 2,322 American universities with majors that have complex requirements that a student must complete to be in their major of choice (US NDCES, 2011).”

Define Terms GSM GUI WAN LAN RDBMS SMART TCP PaaS Pay close attention to the terms that you are using. Define your terms early and you can use the acronym afterwards.

Comma Usage Introductory phrases should end with a comma before continuing. Example: – “In these cases, SOAR will give the student access to the external organization’s contact information.” – “By doing this, the university and the students benefit.”

Capitalization “University” should not be capitalized unless it is part of the title of an institution. Keep the capitalization of components consistent across the document. Avoid capitalizing terms unless part of a system or a known algorithm.