Tag: Editing tips

Attributive nouns are nouns serving as an adjective to describe another noun. They create flexibility with writing in English, but they can cause confusion and should be used purposefully.

This editing tip demonstrates common instances of and ways to avoid incorrect noun pluralization.

The tendency to ascribe our own feelings and behaviors to anything we are discussing can make its way into our manuscripts. Here's how to manage these accidents.

This free guide provides an overview of the most common spelling differences in research papers when choosing American English or British English.

• "Main" and "mainly" are commonly confused words in English, although they should be used differently
• "Main" describes something that is principal, while "mainly" equates more to "for the most part"
• Several synonyms for each term can be used to add variety to a manuscript

• Apostrophes can be used to create contractions (shortened forms of words or phrases).
• Apostrophes also indicate possession.
• Overall, the apostrophe is not common in scientific writing.

Researchers write more than just manuscripts. Here are some resources to help you with the many types of writing you do, including abstracts, grants, and theses.

The terms e.g. and i.e. mean different things, and it is important to use the correct abbreviation to ensure that the meaning of a sentence is retained.

Instead of our typical English editing tip, here is a full-length article describing a useful strategy for reading through a colleague's manuscript to offer suggestions. We hope that this post helps you the next time a friend asks you to look over a document!