When describing the four choices you made in the Summary that starts your report, set them off in a bulleted list or at least number them as they appear in the text.
Number your figures so you can refer to them. Traditionally the caption itself begins with "Figure 1.", and so forth. In the text you can refer to figures with "Fig. 1", and so forth.
For this assignment, you need to put in subheadings with more content, e.g., "The LG Chocolate cell phone - a poor design". (Two students independently chose the Chocolate as an example of a poor design.) In your other assignments and your project reports, use good headings and subheadings.
Be on the lookout for these things when writing and when editing your writing:
You rarely need to use strong words such as "very" or phrases such as "extremely exciting".
The words "amount" and "number" apply to different things:
"Amount" is about things that have a continuous measure such as the weight or volume of sugar or salt or a liquid. "Number" is about things that can be counted, such as people, trees, cities, etc.
To say a "large amount of people" suggests that we're talking about adding up all their weights. An airplane pilot could legitimately talk about a large amount of luggage, because the concern is its total weight, not the number of pieces of luggage. Airlines talk about restricting you to a certain "number of items of luggage", a proper use of 'number'. No one would say "a small number of sugar", right?
The words "that" and "who" also apply to different things:
"Who is about people. "That" is about things.
"Who" and "woman" start with 'w'.
"That" and "thing" both start with 'th'.
Avoid saying "very unique" - Here's why, as explained on my Apple Dictionary app (based on the Oxford Dictionary, as far as I can tell):
Strictly speaking, unique means “being one of a kind,” not “unusual.” Hence the phrases very unique, quite unique, how unique, and the like are slovenly. The Oxford English Dictionary notes that this tendency to hyperbole—to use unique when all that is meant is “uncommon, unusual, remarkable”—began in the nineteenth century. However old it is, the tendency is worth resisting.
Unless the thing is the only one of its kind, rarity does not make it unique. For instance, if a thing is one in a million, logically there would be two things in two million. Rare indeed but not unique. Who can demand responsible use of the language from an ad writer who is reckless enough to say, in a national advertisement, that a certain luxury sedan is “so unique, it's capable of thought”? And what are we to make of the following examples?
“This year the consensus among the development executives seems to be that there are some fantastically funny, very exciting, very, very unique talents here.” ( Time; Aug. 16, 1993.)
“Residents of college basketball's most unique unincorporated village were in place yesterday afternoon, the day before their Blue Devils will face North Carolina.” ( New York Times; Feb. 2, 1995.)
Arguably, our modern culture lacks and does not want absolutes, in intellectual life or in language. But stick with the uncomparable unique, and you may stand out as almost unique. — BG
Make sure you've read the introduction on the main Assignments page that discusses your "audience" and the inclusion of figures in your reports.
Return to ISU570 Assignments page. or the ISU570 Spring 2009 homepage. or RPF's Teaching Gateway or homepage