×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Several Questions about English Grammar in Report Writing
2

Several Questions about English Grammar in Report Writing

Several Questions about English Grammar in Report Writing

(OP)
1. ........For this reason, the number of piles could be reduced because the applied earth pressure was higher than (the estimated one)/(that estimated). ==>Which one is correct?

2. ....To avoid (the underestimation of)/(underestimating)the earth pressure.....==>Can "avoid" be followed by a not a gerund?

3. In this projects, I found.....=>My training advisor suggest I should use "In" not "On". Any reason???

3. .....However, (a lot of)/(many) structural members underwent significant alteration works; for instance,....
==>What is the difference between "a lot of" and "many"

Thanks!!!!!!

Steve

RE: Several Questions about English Grammar in Report Writing

1.  "that estimated" - because you're talking about a quantity, not a thing.  Use "Pressure higher than that estimated", and "new toy better than the old one".  Suggest the "For this reason...." at the start is both unnecessary and ugly.

2.  You could probably get away with either version.  I think the second is easier to read (though I couldn't honestly say which more closely obeys the rules).

3.  Are you talking about things you learnt while doing the project?  If so, neither "in" nor "on" really works - reason being that "found" is an untidy choice of verb.  "This project taught me..." or "While doing this project, I learnt..." are both less vague.

Other 3.  "A lot of" is less formal and can also be used more widely than "many" (which only works for things you can count).  I think either is acceptable here, although neither really gives me as much information as I would like:  "Roughly half", "the majority of" and "almost 1%" could all be valid interpretions of "many" or "a lot of".

A.

RE: Several Questions about English Grammar in Report Writing

2
All of the above could be corrected by writing normal English instead of report style third person passive stuff.

I'll leave the re-write to the reader.

Cheers

Greg Locock

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.

RE: Several Questions about English Grammar in Report Writing

The number of piles could be reduced because the applied earth pressure was higher than estimated.

2. ....To avoid underestimating the earth pressure

3. In this projects, I found.....
Singular "this project" or plural "these projects"?
Is "project" a verb, with a parenthetic "I found", as in "This projects, I found, a budget increase..."? This is also ugly, even if changed to "This projects, I find, ...."
"In this projects" and "On this projects" are both wrong.
Perhaps you mean "From this project I found/learned..."
Or perhaps you mean "This project revealed..."

3. .....Many structural members were altered. For instance,....
Omit useless words.
One idea per sentence.

Steven C. Potter I.S.P., IEng, MIED
http://www.spottek.ca

RE: Several Questions about English Grammar in Report Writing

Why not use:  "During these projects, I found . . . "

RE: Several Questions about English Grammar in Report Writing

1.The number of piles could be reduced because the applied earth pressure was higher than estimated.
2. depends what you are trying to say.
3.During this project, I discovered / learnt or learned (both acceptable as the past tense on learn) that .....
4. However, a number of structural members underwent ..

Naresuan University
Phitsanulok
Thailand

RE: Several Questions about English Grammar in Report Writing

Just my 2 cents worth, but aren't "For this reason" and "because" redundant?

RE: Several Questions about English Grammar in Report Writing

Or use a noun:

" the number of piles could be reduced because the applied earth pressure was higher than the estimate  "

But maybe the nuances of the English language don't matter - shouldn't the number of piles be increased? Engineer first, grammarian second .....

RE: Several Questions about English Grammar in Report Writing

That's a good spot John.  Bit worrying nobody saw it before.

A.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources