【英語論文の書き方】 第41回 increase, rise, surgeなど動詞の選び方

2017年5月12日 14時55分

前回第40回 
(1) ”(計器や技術)で~”というときの、byとusingの使い分けとは?
(2) term とtime を混同していませんか?
(3) よく見かける「環境にやさしい」、「環境に配慮した」というフレーズ。
を取り上げました。

第41回の今回は

(1) Increases or rises? Expressions referring to quantitative changes
量的変化を表すときの、動詞の選び方です。
“increase”それとも“rise”…?どちらにするか迷ったことはありませんか?


(2) Watch out for the difference between used in and used for
”used in”と”used for"を混同してしまう間違いがよく見られます。
意味をハッキリと区別しましょう。

(3) Some hints on citing the names of authors
他の著者名を本文で挙げるときについて。
通常本文中では名前(given-name)のイニシャルは記載しません。
ですが、同じ姓の著者が2人いるときは?
また、著者が3人以上いるときはどう書けばよいでしょう。


QUARTERLY REVIEW (Issue No. 19)

In this edition of Quarterly Review, we start by exploring the subtle nuances of some common expressions to describe the concepts of increase and decrease. We then examine the respective usages of the expressions used in and used for, which are sometimes a source of confusion, and conclude with a few pointers about how to write the names of authors of studies that you wish to cite in the text of your papers.

(1) Increases or rises? Expressions referring to quantitative changes

A large number of expressions are used in scientific writing to indicate quantitative changes, particularly increases or decreases, that take place either in the laboratory or in the external world. These include changes in chemical or physical properties (e.g., the level of concentration of a solution or the coercivity of a magnet), changes in indicators of the state of materials (e.g., temperature or pressure), changes in natural phenomena (e.g., sea level or wind speed), changes in the values of variables or parameters (e.g., x or y), and so on. In scientific research, a great deal of attention is placed on the ways in which things increase or decrease.
 
The question is: What is the best word in each of these cases to indicate the concept of increase and/or decrease?

♢ Increase/decrease: The words increase and decrease are the expressions most commonly used to describe quantitative changes. In some cases, however, it may be better to use another expression (see below).

Rise/fall: For changes in a level occurring in a vertical direction, the best expressions are usually rise and fall. Examples of actual levels that change vertically include sea level, the level of water in a dam, and so on. Therefore, we usually say “sea level rise” or “rise in sea level,” not “increase in sea level.” Note, however, that the concept of “level” also includes phenomena that can be displayed on an instrument or a graph, such as temperature (which can be displayed on a thermometer), pressure (which can be displayed on a pressure gauge), the value of the yen (which can be displayed on a graph showing foreign exchange rates), and so on. We can use either increase/decrease or rise/fall in these cases; for example, “increase in pressure” and “rise in pressure” are both fine.

Surge/drop: These are alternative expressions for rise and fall that are also used with expressions involving some type of level, but have a more sudden, sharp, or steep nuance. In other words, the expression “a drop in temperature” is equivalent to expressions such as “a sudden fall/decrease in temperature,” “a sharp fall/decrease in temperature,” or “a steep fall/decrease in temperature.” For maximum emphasis, it is also possible to use the words sudden, sharp, and steep with surge and drop; for example, “a sharp surge in pressure.”  

There are various other expressions that can be used to indicate quantitative changes, such as expand/contract, grow/subside, and so on, but those described above are the main ones. Note that increase, decrease, rise, fall, surge, and drop can all be used either as nouns (“a drop in the value occurred”) or as verbs (“the value dropped”). 

(2) Watch out for the difference between used in and used for.

The expressions “X is used in Y” and “X is used for Y” are sometimes confused with each other, but the difference between them is, in fact, quite clear. Let’s look at the usage of these two expressions.

♢ Used in: We generally use the preposition in when we are referring to the application or field in which the item will be used. Here are some examples: —used in various applications
—used in certain fields
—used in specialized areas
—used in the dental industry.

♢ Used for: When the preposition is for, the accompanying expression normally indicates the purpose or reason. Here are some examples:
—used for various purposes
—used for certain objectives
—used for specialized aims
—used for the enhancement of safety in the dental industry.

(3) Some hints on citing the names of authors

When citing authors’ names in the text of a paper, we usually do not include the authors’ given-name initials (e.g., the R. in “R. Smith”). So, for example, we might write “. . . as shown in a study by Smith et al. [2],” but not “. . . as shown in a study by R. Smith et al. [2].”
 
However, in the rare case that there are two different references by authors with the same family name, we would include their given-name initials (“. . . as shown in studies by R. Smith et al. [2] and L.B. Smith [3]”). In the References section, of course, we usually include all of the given-name initials of all of the authors.
 
When a paper being cited has two authors, we usually write both authors’ names (e.g., “. . . as shown in a study by Smith and Brown [4]”). When there are three or more authors, on the other hand, we usually write only the first author’s name plus “et al.” Some journals might not necessarily follow this rule, so please check the style normally used in the journal to which your paper will be submitted, if possible.
 
Until next time, please stay safe, and keep up the good work!
 
Sincerely yours,
 
Bob Gavey
For World Translation Services, Inc.

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