Dereckson pad/English

Grammar memento

Use of "Which" vs. "That"

Use "which" for non-essential clauses and "that" for essential clauses. In most cases, if you’re adding information that could be omitted without changing the core meaning, use "which."

Example

• Recommended: The class extends inetOrgPerson, which provides basic functionality.
• Less advised: The class extends inetOrgPerson that provides basic functionality.

Word order for emphasis

For smoother flow, adverbs like "directly" often sound better when placed after the verb. This avoids awkward pauses and improves sentence readability.

Example

• Less Natural: "Can directly be added"
• More Natural: "Can be added directly"

Avoid redundancy

Sometimes words or phrases can be redundant. For example, "here" and "the" can be unnecessary when the meaning is already clear from context.

Example

• Less necessary: "While here we reserve .1 for the LDAP..."
• More concise: "While we reserve .1 for LDAP..."

Don't abuse "the"

Do not use "the" before proper nouns unless they refer to a specific entity (e.g., the United States, the Eiffel Tower). When referring to concepts or general terms, articles (like "the") are often unnecessary.

Example

• Recommended: T1772 reserves .100.
• Less advised: T1772 reserves the .100.

"After I [finish], then I will [do]."

In the sentence After I [finish], then I will [do]:

1. Use "will" (future tense) for the second action.
2. Use the present tense for the first action, especially when it implies completion before the second.

Example

• Recommended: "My oven will be free for the ham after I finish with the pumpkin pie."
  (The pie will be done first, then the ham can go in, so we use the future tense for the ham.)
• Recommended: "I'll clean the kitchen after I finish cooking dinner."
  (Finish cooking is the first step; cleaning follows, so "will clean" is in future tense.)
• Less advised: "My oven is free for the ham after I finished with the pumpkin pie."
  (In this case, "finished" is past tense, but "is free" is present tense. The tenses don't align well for this sequence.)