Phrases -- NUS Sociology Honours

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Subject: Phrases

Author:
Chee Han

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Date Posted: 02:36:16 01/18/02 Fri
Author Host/IP: palo13.pacific.net.sg/192.169.41.45

There are a couple of phrases which students like to use in their theses, but which are not really advisable. They are as follows:
1) "in a sense". In what sense exactly does one mean? Do elaborate; leaving it like this exposes one's lack of clarity.
2) "So to speak". Speak what?
3) "is related to". Everything can be related to everything else; a butterfly's flapping its wings can be related to a Tsunami. Do elaborate exactly what sort of relationship that is: causality? Resemblance? Contiguity? Preference?
4) "...". The quote, un-quote usage. Do keep the usage in control. Many quote,un-quotes are used because the writer isn't sure what exactly does he/she wants to say, another evidence for the lack of clarity. For example, "deviant".
5) "necessarily/essentially". Use them only when it is indeed, a necessary relationship; for some could simply be conditional relationships, or sufficent relationships. For example, "The qualitative aspect of money is necessarily also its quantitative".

Keep the sentences short. Obscurantism is not a virtue.

Best Wishes,

Chee Han.

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Replies:

Subject	Author	Date
Re: Phrases	Tan Ern Ser	11:57:02 01/18/02 Fri
Representativeness -- jacey, 14:27:47 01/21/02 Mon