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.

• Recommended: The book that I borrowed from the library is due tomorrow.
  (If we remove the clause, the sentence The book is due tomorrow will let reader perplex)

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.)

Prepositions

Table of verbs and prepositions

Verb + preposition	Example sentence	Notes
Benefit from	The project benefits from exploring new databases.	Less recommended: Benefit of

Examples with "such as" or "like"

A lot of authors use "like" in both cases. As such, this section could be more prescriptive than descriptive

‌.

The choice of "such as" over "like" is based on the distinction between using these terms when introducing examples.

In a nutshell

Specific example -> such as

Comparison, something similar but not identical -> like

Such as

The prepositional phrase "such as" is used when you are giving specific examples that are part of a defined set or category. It introduces concrete, identifiable examples that clarify or specify the meaning.

Example: "Queries that return a single scalar value, such as SELECT count(*)..."

Like

The preposition "like" is used for general comparisons, often when something is similar but not necessarily identical. It is less precise and typically refers to things that resemble the subject but are not exactly the same.

Example: "saved things like old newspapers and pieces of string"

Less recommended: "Queries that return a single scalar value, like SELECT count(*)..." (too specific example, not a comparison)

Tricky case - like for a frame of reference

When the examples are not specific but provide a frame of reference, "like" is used.

Example: "I like authors like Iain M. Banks or Ann Leckie"