A-manual-for-writers-of-research-papers-theses-and-dissertations

its subject with long phrases and clauses:7a. Some economists, because they write in a style that is impersonal and objective, do not communicate withlay people easily.In (7a), the because clause separates the subject some economists from the verb do not . . .communicate, forcing us to suspend our mental breath. To revise, move the interruptingclause to the beginning or end of its sentence, depending on whether it connects more closelyto the sentence before or after. When in doubt, put it at the end (for more on this see 11.1.5);7b. Because some economists write in a style that is impersonal and objective, they do not communicate with laypeople easily. This inability to communicate . . .7c. Some economists do not communicate with lay people easily because they write in a style that is impersonaland objective. They use passive verbs and . . .Readers manage short interruptions more easily:8. Few economists deliberately write in a style that is impersonal and objective.11.1.4 Put Key Actions in Verbs, Not in NounsReaders want to get to a verb quickly, but they also want that verb to express a key action. Soavoid using an empty verb such as have, do, make, or be to introduce an action buried in anabstract noun. Make the noun a verb.Compare these two sentences (nouns naming actions are boldfaced; verbs naming actionsare capitalized; verbs expressing little action are italicized):9a. During the early years of the Civil War, the South's attempt at enlisting Great Britain on its side was metwith failure.9b. During the early years of the Civil War, the South ATTEMPTED to ENLIST Great Britain on its side, butFAILED.In (9a), three important actions aren't verbs, but nouns: attempt, enlisting, failure. Sentence(9b) seems more direct because it expresses those actions in verbs: attempted, enlist, failed.11.1.5 Put Information Familiar to Readers at the Beginning of a Sentence, NewInformation at the EndReaders understand a sentence most readily when they grasp its subject easily, and the easiestsubject to grasp is not just short and concrete, but familiar. Compare how the second sentencein each of the following passages does or doesn't contribute to a sense of “flow”:10a. New questions about the nature of the universe have been raised by scientists studying black holes in space.The collapse of a dead star into a point perhaps no larger than a marble creates a black hole. So much mattersqueezed into so little volume changes the fabric of space around it in odd ways.10b. New questions about the nature of the universe have been raised by scientists studying black holes in space.A black hole is created by the collapse of a dead star into a point no larger than a marble. So much matter