Basics
Effective writing is difficult for most people. Below are some of the commonly encountered mistakes made by geology students and geologists. Probably the best handbook for writing is: The Elements of Style by W. Strunk Jr., and E.B. White. This book is a must for anyone who wants other people to take their writing seriously. The technology of writing has progressed remarkably in the past few centuries, from hand script to set typt to typewriters to computer word processors. Word processors have made the mechanics of writing vastly easier than in the bad old days, but writing content and style is still entirely up to your own skills and perseverance. Here are some tips that will help:
- It is generally easiest if you have all of your figures and tables in reasonably finished form before you start writing. It is usually easier to write about something that is in front of you.
- Most word processors have a spell checker; do not fail to take full advantage of it.
- Spell checkers won't help if you use a correctly spelled but otherwise wrong word. You MUST proof read your work thoroughly, for grammatical sense, content, and logical sense.
- While silent reading works well for some people, probably the best way to catch mistakes is to read your text aloud to yourself.
- If you do not understand what you are writing about, you will not be able to convince anyone else that you know. Understand your subject before you start writing.
- Follow any formatting guidelines, if there are any.
Grammar
COARSE, COURSE Coarse sand grains are found along the rivers. Knowing this fact may allow you to pass the sedimentology course.
COMPOSE, COMPRISE The delta is comprised of three types of sedimentary deposits. The mud facies, the sand facies, and the coal facies compose the delta. The whole is comprised of the parts; the parts compose the whole.
DATA These data were plotted on a stereonet. The word data is plural, the singular is datum.
EFFECT, AFFECT The effects of the earthquake were obvious; few people would not be affected by this event. Effect is commonly a noun and affect is a verb. Effect means to influence and affect means to achieve or to bring about.
SINCE, DUE, BECAUSE Since the Cretaceous, mammals have flourished because dinosaurs went extinct. Because I handed in my homework late, I am due a lower grade. "Since" denotes a period of time, with most incorrect usages since should be replaced with because. Because usually implies a cause and effect, whereas "due" frequently means something is owed to someone or something. Use of "because" in questionable circumstances avoids confusion.
FIGURE, TABLE, APPENDIX The study area is located in the eastern Mohawk River Valley (Figure 1). Always capitalize even if abbreviated (Fig. 2). Always use the same form of citation throughout a work. Don't abbreviate some places but not others.
FORMATION NAMES The Schenectady Formation grades downward into the Utica Shale; above both units, rest rocks of the Helderberg Group. Formation names, and Group names are capitalized because these are formal units; members, which are not formal, are not capitalized. Note that if a unit name includes the dominant rock type (e.g. the Utica Shale) the rock type, which is part of the name, is capitalized as well.
FURTHER, FARTHER The fault extends farther to the northeast part of the state, but there it is poorly exposed. Further research will determine the nature of fault movement. Farther implies a distance. Further implies additional or a greater extent; more of something.
GEOLOGIC PERIODS The Lower Devonian Beacraft Limestone contains abundant crinoid fossils. Although crinoids were relatively abundant in the Early Devonian, they are most abundant in Early Mississippian strata. All geologic periods and their divisions are capitalized (informal divisions are not). Lower, Middle and Upper (capitalized) are used for rocks, strata, formations (something you could hit with a hammer). Early, Middle and Late (capitalized) are used for time.
HYPHENS
1) The Tasman fold belt is surrounded by flat-lying Mesozoic rocks. With the hyphen flat modifies lying; together they modify Mesozoic rocks. Without the hyphen both flat and lying modify Mesozoic rocks.
(2) These exposures contain shallow-dipping beds of the Utica Formation. Shallow modifies dip, not beds.
3) The red-, yellow- and brown-weathering sandstone contains trace fossils. All three colors modify weathering and therefore each needs a hyphen.
4) The long winding river flows northward into the Hudson Bay. A hyphen is not used for long and winding because both modify river; long does not modify winding.
PAST/PRESENT TENSE The outcrops in this area were cut by vertical joints. This example is incorrect. Although your visit to a particular outcrop may be over, the vertical joints are still there and the sentence above should not be written in the past tense (...area are cut...). Never change tenses in the middle of a sentence. The past tense of the verb to lead is led (pronounced like the metal).
PRINCIPAL, PRINCIPLE The principal rock type in the area is a well-layered ash-flow tuff that is underlain by a volcanoclastic sandstone unit. According to Steno's principles, the ash-flow tuff was the younger of the two. Principal is not just your 'pal' from elementary school; it is both an adjective and a noun, pertaining most often one who is a leader or is in charge but, importantly, as an adjective it refers to something that is first, highest, foremost in importance. Principle is only a noun, pertaining to basic truths, rules of human conduct, and fundamental laws.
THAT, WHICH
1) We were able to see cross bedding on the outcrop that sticks out farthest from the shoreline.
2) The stromatolites, which are well exposed at low tide, low like cabbage heads that have been cut in half.
Simply put, if the clause is independent then use which, if it is dependent, and the sentence cannot stand alone without the clause, then use that. Note that in #1 above, "that" is mandatory to distinguish this particular outcrop from all others along the shoreline. In #2 above, the clause following "which" is additional information.
TERRANE, TERRAIN The volcanic terrane (rock assemblage) is in an area characterized by mountainous terrain (topography).
THIS, IT, ETC. (Antecedent problem) Although the beginnings of the fault system may have occurred in the Oligocene, the major movement of the fault began in the Miocene. Geologists have proven this in a variety of ways. The context of this in the example above is unclear and therefore incorrect. Clearly this refers to something in the previous sentence but the exact reference is unclear. Geologists have proven the early fault movement or the major fault movement? To correct, rewrite to read, "Geologists have proven the timing of the earliest fault movement...".
UNIQUE This area is very unique... You cannot qualify how unique something is; either it is unique or it is not.
USING LISTS The main objectives of this project are to:
1) determine the depositional environment of this sequence;
2) describe the lithology of the Potsdam Formation; and
3) interpret the tectonic significance of this sequence of rocks.
The introductory phase is followed by a colon (:) and each element of the list is separated by a semicolon (;). Each element of the list must be grammatically correct with respect to the introductory phase.
THINGS TO BE CAREFUL OF
1) "The thickness of the Ordovician sedimentary section is approximately 1483.25 meters." Should read "...approximately 1500 meters" or "...~1500 meters". Giving significant figures beyond the precision of measurement is of no value.
2) "...sediment types include large amounts of limestone." Should read "...a great thickness of limestone.", or something like that.
Large amounts could mean large exposure, great thickness, or obscuring loose rubble. Make it clear.
Basic GeoLatin
et al. (et alii) Abbreviated to et al.; literally "and others"; used for references. "Harlend et al. (1980) note that there is considerable error in this part of the time scale." Some journals use "and others" instead.
circa (Circa) Abbreviated to C. c. ca.; literally 'about'; used for approximate dates, numbers etc. "The timing of deformation is ca. 90-100 Ma."
etc. (et cetera) Abbreviated etc.; literally and so forth or an other unspecified things of the same class; used to shorten a list.
i.e. (id est) Abbreviated i.e.; literally it is.
e.g (exempli gratia) Abbreviated to e.g.; literally free example; used to give a parenthetical example of something described in the text. "The unconfomable relationship can be seen in many places (e.g. Horseshoe Lake, Eldorado Mountain, and Jones Creek)."
op. cit. (opere citato) Abbreviated op. cit.; Literally in the work cited.
ka (kilo annum) Abbreviated ka, without periods; literally thousand years before present. The lower case 'k' conforms to SI nomenclature for the prefix 'kilo', meaning thousand. The abbreviation can also be read 'kilo annum', or 'thousand years' if you forget what you are reading.
Ma (millium annum) Abbreviated Ma, without periods; literally million years before present. The capital "M" conforms with SI nomenclature for the prefix Mega-, meaning million. This abbreviation can also be read "Mega annum", mixing the SI prefix with Latin.
Ga (giga annum) Abbreviated Ga; literally billion years before present. The capital "G" conforms with SI nomenclature for the prefix Giga-, meaning billion. Use Ga instead of B.Y., G.Y., or B.Y.B.P. Note that an interval of time requires the abbreviation of the English equivalent: "The deformation occurred at ca. 105 to 95 Ma and therefore lasted 10 M.Y." In this example Ma denotes a time with respect to the present and M.Y. (million years) represents a duration. "Myr" is also used for M.Y.
*Apologies to the original author of this (modified) document, who is unknown to us.
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