Tutorial
Avoiding Errors of Grammar, Punctuation, and Usage
Commonly Made in Engineering and Science
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In professional documents, mistakes in grammar, punctuation, and usage not only can distract and confuse your readers, but also can undercut your credibility. This tutorial is intended to help you avoid the most common and egregious of these errors in engineering and science.
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Instructors in Engineering and Science: You are more than welcome to assign this tutorial to your students. Also, if you would like instructions to obtain a Canvas quiz to verify that your students have done the tutorial, please visit the Canvas quiz page.
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Acknowledgments
This self-study guide was made possible by funds provided by the Leonhard Center for the Enhancement of Engineering Education in the College of Engineering at Pennsylvania State University. Providing technical assistance on the films is the Office of Digital Learning, which is also in the College of Engineering at Penn State.
This self-study guide was made possible by funds provided by the Leonhard Center for the Enhancement of Engineering Education in the College of Engineering at Pennsylvania State University. Providing technical assistance on the films is the Office of Digital Learning, which is also in the College of Engineering at Penn State.
Role |
Name |
Department |
Institution |
Faculty Editor |
Professor Michael Alley |
College of Engineering |
Penn State |
Film Editor |
Casey Fenton |
Office of Digital Learning |
Penn State |
Film Editor |
Elaine Whitmer |
Office of Digital Learning |
Penn State |
Student Editor, 2022 |
Olivia Brencovich |
Mechanical Engineering |
Penn State |
Website Editor, 2022 |
Marissa Beighley |
Computer Science |
Penn State |
References
- Peg Tyre, "The Writing Revolution," The Atlantic Monthly (October 2012), pp. 99-100.
- Catherine Walker, "Time to Stop Avoiding Grammar Rules," The Guardian (September 2012).
- Tessa Schlesinger, "Why Grammar Matters," Owlcation (7 September 2017).
- Michael Alley, The Craft of Scientific Writing, 4th ed. (New York: Springer, 2018), Appendices A, B, and C.
- Cheryl Glenn and Loretta Gray, The Writer's Harbrace Handbook, 5th ed. (Boston: Cengage Learning, 2012).
- William A. Sabin, The Gregg Reference Manual: A Manual of Style, Grammar, Usage, and Formatting, 11th ed. (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010).
- Theodore Bernstein, The Careful Writer, 2nd ed. (New York: Free Press, 1995).
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