Difference between revisions of "User:Dank"
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| − | This is my version of [[w:WP:FAU]]; I'm guessing people will edit the Wikipedia page over time, but the original is here. |
+ | This is my version of [[w:WP:FAU]] (mine for the moment; anyone can edit it); I'm guessing people will edit the Wikipedia page over time, but the original is here. |
*An '''appositive''' follows and is the same [[#part of speech|part of speech]] as another element: "my cousin Edna", "later, that same day" |
*An '''appositive''' follows and is the same [[#part of speech|part of speech]] as another element: "my cousin Edna", "later, that same day" |
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{{anchor|clarity}} |
{{anchor|clarity}} |
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| − | *'''clarity''': If you can't avoid using terms in your article that many of your readers won't know, at least link the terms to a Wikipedia page or section (or rarely, to Wiktionary). |
+ | *'''clarity''': If you can't avoid using terms in your article that many of your readers won't know, at least link the terms to a Wikipedia page or section (or rarely, to Wiktionary). If the sentence won't make sense to readers who don't click on the link, give at least a hint to the meaning in the text in addition to the link. |
{{anchor|consistency}} |
{{anchor|consistency}} |
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{{anchor|conciseness}} |
{{anchor|conciseness}} |
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| − | *'''conciseness''': Look for ways to trim long sentences and phrases, and |
+ | *'''conciseness''': Look for ways to trim long sentences and phrases, and try not to say the same thing twice, using the same or different words, but don't worry too much about how to say something in the fewest possible words. |
| − | but don't worry too much about how to say something in the fewest possible words. |
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| − | If there's a way to replace any whole sentence or long phrase with a few words without losing any information, do it. Check to see if clauses starting with ''that'' or ''which'' can be replaced by shorter phrases. But don't take conciseness too far: mashing six different ideas into one sentence to save a few words will read poorly. |
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{{anchor|dangling}} |
{{anchor|dangling}} |
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*An '''element''' is a word or string of words that functions as a grammatical unit; so, an '''adverbial element''' is a word or string of words that acts as an adverb: "in the dark of night". |
*An '''element''' is a word or string of words that functions as a grammatical unit; so, an '''adverbial element''' is a word or string of words that acts as an adverb: "in the dark of night". |
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| − | *'''emphasis''': Politicians, advertisers and con artists |
+ | *'''emphasis''': Politicians, advertisers and con artists make their points emphatically and use fancier words than they need. If you don't want to sound like them, don't do the same. |
*'''endash''': See [[WP:ENDASH]]. |
*'''endash''': See [[WP:ENDASH]]. |
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*'''hyphen''': See [[WP:HYPHEN]]. |
*'''hyphen''': See [[WP:HYPHEN]]. |
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| − | {{anchor|intention}}{{anchor|intent}} |
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| − | *'''intent''': Don't use state-of-mind words like ''intended'', ''decided'', ''wanted'' and ''focused on'' in a narrative (storyline), unless the sources indicate that what people were thinking was an important part of the story. Instead of {{!xt|They decided to build torpedo boats}}, just say {{xt|They built torpedo boats}} or (occasionally) {{xt|They started building torpedo boats}} or {{xt|They submitted an order for torpedo boats}}. |
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{{anchor|part of speech}} |
{{anchor|part of speech}} |
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{{anchor|because}}{{anchor|since}} |
{{anchor|because}}{{anchor|since}} |
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*'''since''': Give some thought to whether ''since, because, caused by, as a result, due to, thus, therefore'', and other cause-and-effect words are the words you want in a narrative (storyline). Use ''after'' instead of ''because'' in: {{!xt|they retreated because the enemy broke through their lines}}, since the readers can figure out that one led to the other. Avoid ''therefore'' in: {{xt|The ship stayed in port two days loading low-grade coal, and}} {{!xt|therefore}} {{xt|never caught up to the fleeing destroyer.}} (Therefore ... because the ship stayed in port two days, because it loaded coal, or because the coal was low-grade? It's better not to raise the question if the answer isn't clear.) Even when there's some degree of causation ({{!xt|Unrest caused by government repression}}), it's often better to find a less emphatic word ({{xt|Unrest spurred by government repression, government repression led to unrest}}); motivations are usually complex, and misrepresenting complex questions as simple may be considered [[WP:NPOV|non-neutral]]. And of course, don't say or imply that one thing caused another if your sources don't back that up. |
*'''since''': Give some thought to whether ''since, because, caused by, as a result, due to, thus, therefore'', and other cause-and-effect words are the words you want in a narrative (storyline). Use ''after'' instead of ''because'' in: {{!xt|they retreated because the enemy broke through their lines}}, since the readers can figure out that one led to the other. Avoid ''therefore'' in: {{xt|The ship stayed in port two days loading low-grade coal, and}} {{!xt|therefore}} {{xt|never caught up to the fleeing destroyer.}} (Therefore ... because the ship stayed in port two days, because it loaded coal, or because the coal was low-grade? It's better not to raise the question if the answer isn't clear.) Even when there's some degree of causation ({{!xt|Unrest caused by government repression}}), it's often better to find a less emphatic word ({{xt|Unrest spurred by government repression, government repression led to unrest}}); motivations are usually complex, and misrepresenting complex questions as simple may be considered [[WP:NPOV|non-neutral]]. And of course, don't say or imply that one thing caused another if your sources don't back that up. |
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| + | {{anchor|thought}}{{anchor|thoughts}}{{anchor|thinking}} |
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| + | *'''thoughts''': Don't speculate about what people were thinking unless the sources say it was important. |
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Revision as of 15:34, 19 January 2012
Please see my userpage on Wikipedia. Please see my userpage on Wikipedia.
This is my version of w:WP:FAU (mine for the moment; anyone can edit it); I'm guessing people will edit the Wikipedia page over time, but the original is here.
- An appositive follows and is the same part of speech as another element: "my cousin Edna", "later, that same day"
- chronology: Write your storyline or narrative in chronological order within one section or subsection.
- clarity: If you can't avoid using terms in your article that many of your readers won't know, at least link the terms to a Wikipedia page or section (or rarely, to Wiktionary). If the sentence won't make sense to readers who don't click on the link, give at least a hint to the meaning in the text in addition to the link.
- consistency: Usually, use the same word or phrase throughout an article for the same thing. Use consistent units, presentation and formats when possible.
- conciseness: Look for ways to trim long sentences and phrases, and try not to say the same thing twice, using the same or different words, but don't worry too much about how to say something in the fewest possible words.
- dangling words: An element (especially a pronoun) "dangles" if you can't tell which other element it's referring to. It's not clear whether the pronoun which refers to the order or the abrupt exit here: Template:!xt
- An element is a word or string of words that functions as a grammatical unit; so, an adverbial element is a word or string of words that acts as an adverb: "in the dark of night".
- emphasis: Politicians, advertisers and con artists make their points emphatically and use fancier words than they need. If you don't want to sound like them, don't do the same.
- endash: See WP:ENDASH.
- hyphen: See WP:HYPHEN.
- part of speech: a noun, pronoun, adjective, article, verb, adverb, conjunction, preposition or interjection, or sometimes, an element that acts as one of these.
- repetition: If possible,Avoid New here: Template:!xt Template:Xt.
- second comma: If a comma comes before a parenthetical word or phrase, then a comma is needed after that word or phrase unless there's already some punctuation there (according to most American style guides, at least). Try visualizing a parenthesis in place of the first comma, then try to figure out where the end parenthesis would go; that's where you need a second comma. This includes dates and places: Template:Xt. Especially for longer parenthetical phrases that begin with a comma, readers are expecting a second comma to tell them where the end of the phrase is. The comma after Korea is necessary here: Template:Xt
- series: The elements in a series ("X, Y and Z") should be parallel. Avoid her in: Template:Xt Template:!xt Template:Xt. ("Template:!xt" would be parallel, but "her" is redundant to "The ship's".) If one element is more complex than the others, that element should usually go last in the series.
- since: Give some thought to whether since, because, caused by, as a result, due to, thus, therefore, and other cause-and-effect words are the words you want in a narrative (storyline). Use after instead of because in: Template:!xt, since the readers can figure out that one led to the other. Avoid therefore in: Template:Xt Template:!xt Template:Xt (Therefore ... because the ship stayed in port two days, because it loaded coal, or because the coal was low-grade? It's better not to raise the question if the answer isn't clear.) Even when there's some degree of causation (Template:!xt), it's often better to find a less emphatic word (Template:Xt); motivations are usually complex, and misrepresenting complex questions as simple may be considered non-neutral. And of course, don't say or imply that one thing caused another if your sources don't back that up.
- thoughts: Don't speculate about what people were thinking unless the sources say it was important.