Thinking about E-Prime ( introduced here ) has given me a new perspective on the word “is”. I’m in the process of putting together a manuscript with a co-author, and the various catch-alls committed by the use of “is” are jumping out at me.
The fact is, writing in E-Prime would be extremely awkward as compared […]

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Yesterday at the climbing wall I overheard a discussion on grammar, and one of the people mentioned that he couldn’t remember the difference between “which” and “that”.
This is one of those things that I know how to write property, but I can’t explain why.
Or couldn’t — for now I can. While waiting for the hopkins […]

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I had forgotten how painful scientific writing is. It’s good to know, from quotes I’ve read, that many of the best writers in history have had difficulty producing written works. If they had difficulties, how can I expect it to be easy?

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E-Prime is a modification to the English language in which the verb “to be” is not allowed. I first learned of it via Catallaxy (disclaimer: I occasionally post on Catallaxy), where Cato links to this article.
I love the idea of E-Prime. A few attempts to speak or write in it convinced me that it makes […]

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Yet another PHD Comics episode that rings true. This is what happens when one tries to read a paper that’s more of a brain/data dump than a well-crafted exposition of research.

I’ve found that no amount of coffee helps, and beyond a certain number of cups, I don’t actually feel tired. Instead, my brain just […]

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