a grammar tangent (was Re: HTML, etc,)

[Thomas Schlemmermeyer]

Thank you very much for this delightful message!

Are there any discussion lists in the internet for non-native speakers
to improve their scientific english?

       Thomas


On (    Thu, 25 Mar 1999 10:59:24 +0100), Michael Schmitt <m.schmitt at UNI-BONN.DE>
wrote:


>Dear Taxacomers,
>
>Doug Yanega's recent psoting on >THE most common new English grammatical
>error< makes me hope that somebody can enlighten me as to the origin of a
>(very helpful) 'guide to contributors' that made its way to me through a
>colleague who vaguely recalls to have it from an issue of PENTHOUSE (which
>is hard to accept to me). This 'guide' reads as follows:
>
>             GUIDE FOR CONTRIBUTORS               3
>   3                                                   3
>   3  - Subject and verb always has to agree.          3
>   3  - When dangling, watch your participles.         3
>   3  - Do not use a foreign term when there is an     3
>   3     adequate English quid pro quo.                3
>   3  - If you must use a foreign term, it is de rigor 3
>   3     to spell it correctly.                        3
>   3  - It behooves a modern writer to avoid archaic   3
>   3     terms.                                        3
>   3  - Do not hyperbole; not one writer in a million  3
>   3     can use it effectively.                       3
>   3  - Avoid clich s like the plague.                 3
>   3  - Mixed metaphors are a pain in the ass and      3
>   3     should be thrown out of the window.           3
>   3  - Placing a comma between subject and predicate, 3
>   3     is not correct.                               3
>   3  - Parenthetical words however should be enclosed 3
>   3     in commas.                                    3
>   3  - Consult the dictionary frequently to avoid     3
>   3     mispeling.                                    3
>   3  - Don't use tautological, repetitive, or         3
>   3     redundant words or statements.                3
>   3  - Don't use tautological, repetitive, or         3
>   3     redundant words or statements.                3
>   3  - Remember to never split an infinitive.         3
>   3  - Puns are for children - not for readers who    3
>   3     are groan.                                    3
>   3  - The passive voice should not be used.          3
>   3  - Use the apostrophe in it's proper place and    3
>   3     omit it when its not needed.                  3
>   3  - Don't use no double negatives.                 3
>   3  - Proofread carefully to see if you have any     3
>   3     words out.                                    3
>   3  - Hopefully you will use words correctly,        3
>   3     irregardless of how others use them.          3
>   3  - Never use a long word where a diminutive one   3
>   3     will do.                                      3
>   3  - Avoid colloquial stuff.                        3
>   3  - No sentence fragments.                         3
>   3  - Remember to finish what you
>
>
>I find this 'guide' not only amusing but also useful, especially to
>non-native English speakers (and writers) who want to avoid >common new
>English grammatical errors<.
>
>Since I would like to cite this 'guide' in a paper, I would be grateful for
>indicating me the source of it. Any hint will be welcome.
>
>                          Greetings
>                           Michael
>
>
>
>
>****************************************************************
>* Dr. Michael Schmitt (Zoologischer Anzeiger, Managing Editor) *
>* Zoologisches Forschungsinstitut und Museum Alexander Koenig  *
>* Adenauerallee 160, D-53113 Bonn, Germany                     *
>* Phone/Fax +49 228-9122 286, e-mail: m.schmitt at uni-bonn.de    *
>* http://www.uni-bonn.de/museumkoenig/ENGLISH/ESCHMITT.HTML    *
>****************************************************************
>

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thomas Schlemmermeyer
Museu de Zoologia, Universidade de Sco Paulo
Caixa Postal 42694
CEP 04299-970
Sco Paulo, SP, Brasil

Residjncia:
Thomas Schlemmermeyer
Caixa Postal 00276
CEP 14001-970
Ribeirco Preto, SP, Brasil

Fone, Fax: 016 6371999
------------------------------------------------------------------------------