第四章：科技论文常犯的错误 --《英语科技写作（文法与修辞原则）》by 方克涛
1 注意主语的前后一致性
bad eg: To design an effective system, information about users' needs should be collected first.
good eg: To design an effective system, the programmers must first collected information about users' needs.
分析：是programmer 要design a system，因此programmer要作为句子后半部分的主语。
当句子不存在这样的主语时，可以换一种描述方式
bad eg：To solve this bottleneck, a small, fast memory buffer was placed between the central processor and main memory.
good eg: This bottleneck is solved by replacing a small, fast memory buffer between the central processor and main memory.
分析：要解决这个瓶颈，是人想要解决，但是后面的句子不包括人的成分，因此我们换了一种写作方式，使得句子更舒服。
2 程度副词的位置
程度副词(像是only, nearly, almost, even以及其他类似的词)应该直接放在它们所修饰的词的前面。
bad eg: The system only needs three iterations to find the solution.
good eg: The system needs only three iterations to find the solution.
分析：only 修饰的是three而不是need，只需要三个。
bad eg：The computation took two seconds approximately.
good eg: The computation took approximately two seconds.
分析：将近2秒钟，approximately 是用来衡量2秒钟的。
下面的例子说明了当副词的位置不同，句子的意思不一致：
eg1：The calculations are nearly all completed.
eg2: The calculations are all nearly completed.
分析：eg1说明所有的计算大部分都已经完成，但是有几项还没有完成。eg2的意思是，所有的计算都还没完成，但是每一项计算都已经完成了大部分。
其他的副词
当副词修饰动词时，常常紧跟在动词后面，或者直接放在动词之前。然而，有时候将其放在句末，句子反而共同顺。
eg：The new algorithm quickly and accurately finds the solution.
good eg: The new algorithm finds the solution quickly and accurately.
分析：后面这句更通顺。
good eg：The solution can easily be found by using the following method.
3 避免不合适的修饰词
bad eg: Then a new design is proposed for the system in the second section.
good eg: Then, in the second section, a new design is proposed for the system.
分析：这样写可以很清晰的理解，在第二个部分，一个好的设计被提出。
4 关系子句
关系子句一般紧跟着它所修饰的词。
bad eg: A laser disk drive is used in the CD-ROM device that is the same size as a traditional 5.25-inch drive.
good eg: A laser disk drive that is the same size as a traditional 5.25-inch drive is used in the CD-ROM device.
分析：bad eg里头后面的关系子句（that……drive）修饰的是device，而正确的应该是修饰drive。
5 副词子句
当句子中含有多个名词时，将子句提前，句子的意思更清晰。
bad eg: The samples were used in the experiments after they were doped with boron.
good eg: After they were doped with boron the samples were used in the experiments.
分析：bad eg中子句（after……boron）是在修饰experiment，但实际上他的意思是在修饰sample，样本被灌入了铅。而good eg将子句提前，就是在修饰sample。而good eg也可以写成After samples were doped with boron the samples were used in the experiments.在中文中，感觉这句更好，但是在英文里，这句和good eg实际上差不多。因为英语是就近修饰。
6 单复数
如果一个单位前恰好有一个数字，除非这个数字为1，否则单位就应该为负数（小于1也要用负数）。
7 指代不清
在英文文章中，应避免在同一个句子中使用多个代名词来表示不同的意思。
bad eg: If a diode fails the quality test, it is necessary to replace it.
good eg: If a diode fails the quality test, it must be replaced.
8 复合名词
eg: a research paper, mathematics textbooks, the electronics laboratory
注意中文说的时候通常会想在其中添加一个“的”，所以翻译的时候，常常会将复合名词改写成所有格（。。。的）的形式，这样是错误的。
good eg：a laser printer controller, a home entertainment center
bad eg: a laser printer's controller, a home's entertainment center
分析：复合名词是可以放一起的，不用一定要用的连接。
9 不够清楚的比较
bad eg: The flexibility of joint 1 is greater than joint 2.
good eg1: The flexibility of joint 1 is greater than that of joint 2.
good eg2: Joint 1 is more flexible than joint 2.
10 主题与评论的句型
bad eg：As to the second method, the most important advantage is that the cost of this method is lower.
good eg：The most important advantage of the second method is that the cost of this method is lower.
分析：bad eg没有语法错误，我们可以省略掉引导词，直接讲重点，而得到改善。
总结：突出重点，指代清晰。
