Re: A try for Howard Hill
Verfasst: 10.01.2013, 15:46
@ POS & Moem
That is good for you but my experience is completely different. I must admit that my English meanwhile is completely US centric with some UK and Ireland influence through colleagues that I work very closely together.
I am neither a linguist nor scientist. I am a simple engineer and my lesson learned is:
Write for your audience. If you write a scientific essay for a small group of nuclear physicists use nested sentences, for all other audiences try to avoid this. The audience of a public archery forum are not scientists.
I am willing to defend my opinion.
I gave the article (not the full one but the fragment posted here) to one of my US colleagues and asked her for the opinion of a native English speaker. In short that is her feedback (in italics):
the writing style to be eclectic and unique – kind of artsy. (nothing bad with that)
There were one or two rather long sentences – we call them “run on” sentences, which I would’ve broken up into 2 sentences.
There are a couple of sentences that are incomplete; that is – missing a verb.
My English teacher in high school would’ve circled it in red.
So in a fragment with 6 paragraphs she found enough "run on"/nested or incomplete sentences to make it difficult to read. That's what I said and that's what I got confirmed.
Why did I start this discussion? Not to have a go at Peter. I give him all the credit and kudos for his attempt to write about Howard Hill. But this is a public archery forum where we seek and give advice about bow building. I neither can give advice about Howard Hill nor about bow building. I can give advice about the things that I understand well, knife making and the use of the English language.
Best Regards
Roland.
P.S. Sorry for high jacking the thread for a language discussion and not providing comments about Howard Hill. I will try to keep quiet now.
P.P.S I have many well educated southern colleagues/friends that once in a while call themselves "Hillbilly" aka "Appalachian Americans"
Edit: @ DD I fully agree with your opinion.
That is good for you but my experience is completely different. I must admit that my English meanwhile is completely US centric with some UK and Ireland influence through colleagues that I work very closely together.
I am neither a linguist nor scientist. I am a simple engineer and my lesson learned is:
Write for your audience. If you write a scientific essay for a small group of nuclear physicists use nested sentences, for all other audiences try to avoid this. The audience of a public archery forum are not scientists.
I am willing to defend my opinion.
I gave the article (not the full one but the fragment posted here) to one of my US colleagues and asked her for the opinion of a native English speaker. In short that is her feedback (in italics):
the writing style to be eclectic and unique – kind of artsy. (nothing bad with that)
There were one or two rather long sentences – we call them “run on” sentences, which I would’ve broken up into 2 sentences.
There are a couple of sentences that are incomplete; that is – missing a verb.
My English teacher in high school would’ve circled it in red.
So in a fragment with 6 paragraphs she found enough "run on"/nested or incomplete sentences to make it difficult to read. That's what I said and that's what I got confirmed.
Why did I start this discussion? Not to have a go at Peter. I give him all the credit and kudos for his attempt to write about Howard Hill. But this is a public archery forum where we seek and give advice about bow building. I neither can give advice about Howard Hill nor about bow building. I can give advice about the things that I understand well, knife making and the use of the English language.
Best Regards
Roland.
P.S. Sorry for high jacking the thread for a language discussion and not providing comments about Howard Hill. I will try to keep quiet now.
P.P.S I have many well educated southern colleagues/friends that once in a while call themselves "Hillbilly" aka "Appalachian Americans"
Edit: @ DD I fully agree with your opinion.