| | | | | | usually responsible. Sometimes, faulty syntax is simply funny and comprehension is not lost, as in these two items, culled from want ads: "For sale, fine German Shepherd dog, obedient, well trained, will eat anything, very fond of children." "For sale, fine grand piano, by a lady, with three legs." | | | | | | | | | But look at this sentence, which is similar to thousands that have appeared in the scientific literature: "Thymic humoral factor (THF) is a single heat-stable polypeptide isolated from calf thymus composed of 31 amino acids with molecular weight of 3,200." The double prepositional phrase "with molecular weight of 3,200" would logically modify the preceding noun "acids," meaning that the amino acids had a molecular weight of 3,200. Less logically, perhaps the calf thymus had a molecular weight of 3,200. Least logical of all (because of their distance apart in the sentence) would be for the THF to have a molecular weight of 3,200 but, indeed, that was what the author was trying to tell us. | | | | | | | | | If you have any interest whatsoever in learning to use English more effectively, you should read Strunk and White's (1979) The Elements of Style. The "elements" are given briefly (in 85 pages!) and clearly. Anyone writing anything should read and use this famous little book. After you have mastered Strunk and White, proceed immediately to Fowler (1965). Do not pass go; do not collect $200. Of course, if you really do want to get a Monopoly on good scientific English, buy three copies (one for the office, one for the lab, one for home) of that superbly quintessential book, Scientific English (Day, 1995). | | | | |
