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

squeezed into so little volume changes the fabric of space around it in odd ways.Most readers think (10b) flows better than (10a), partly because the subject of the secondsentence, A black hole, is shorter and more concrete than the longer subject of (10a): Thecollapse of a dead star into a point perhaps no larger than a marble. But (10b) also flowsbetter because the order of its ideas is different.In (10a), the first words of the second sentence express new information:10a . . . black holes in space. The collapse of a dead star into a point perhaps no larger than a marble creates . . .Those words about collapsing stars seem to come out of nowhere. But in (10b), the first wordsecho the end of the previous sentence:10b . . . black holes in space. A black hole is created when . . .Moreover, once we make that change, the end of that second sentence introduces the thirdmore cohesively:10b . . . the collapse of a dead star into a point no larger than a marble. So much matter compressed into so littlevolume changes . . .Contrast (10a); the end of its second sentence doesn't flow into the beginning of the third assmoothly:10a. 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.That is why readers think that passage (10a) feels choppier than (10b): the end of onesentence does not flow smoothly into the beginning of the next.The corollary of the old-information-first principle is to put new information last, especiallynew technical terms. So when you introduce one, put it at the end of its sentence. Comparethese:11a. Calcium blockers can control muscle spasms. Sarcomeres are the small units of muscle fibers in which thesedrugs work. Two filaments, one thick and one thin, are in each sarcomere. The proteins actin and myosin arecontained in the thin filament. When actin and myosin interact, your heart contracts.11b. Muscle spasms can be controlled with drugs known as calcium blockers. They work in small units ofmuscle fibers called sarcomeres. Each sarcomere has two filaments, one thick and one thin. The thin filamentcontains two proteins, actin and myosin. When actin and myosin interact, your heart contracts.In (11a), the new technical terms are calcium blockers, sarcomeres, filaments, the proteinsactin and myosin, but they first appear early in their sentences. In contrast, in (11b), those newterms first appear toward the ends of their sentences. After that, they're old information and socan appear at the beginning of the next sentences.No principle of writing is more important than this: old before new, familiar informationintroduces unfamiliar information.www.itpub.net