Technical report

Question

My colleagues and I are writing a technical report. I wrote the following:
The experimental curves for A, B and C all fitted to a single exponential with a rate constant of 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0, respectively.

Is this correct English? The thing is, apparently, some of them don't like the idea of using a plural subject ("curves") and singular nouns associated with it ("exponential" and "constant"), though I have no problem with it. Since none of us is a native speaker of English, I would like to hear opinions from knowledgeable people on this NG. Also, do you have better suggestions?
Thanks in advance!
Becky

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]My colleagues and I are writing a technical report. I wrote the following: The experimental curves for A, B and ... of English, I would like to hear opinions from knowledgeable people on this NG. Also, do you have better suggestions?[/nq]
The sentence confuses me a bit. If it means what I think it does, I would have written something like "The experimental data for A,B, and C all fit to a single exponential equation format with different rate constants. The rate constants are 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 respectively."

Regards,
John

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]My colleagues and I are writing a technical report. I ... people on this NG. Also, do you have better suggestions?[/nq]
[nq:1]The sentence confuses me a bit. If it means what I think it does, I would have written something like ... fit to a single exponential equation format with different rate constants. The rate constants are 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 respectively."[/nq]
To give it the final touches, I would delete the "to" and then add a comma before "respectively."

Skitt (in Hayward, California)
www.geocities.com/opus731/

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]My colleagues and I are writing a technical report. I wrote the following: The experimental curves for A, B and ... of English, I would like to hear opinions from knowledgeable people on this NG. Also, do you have better suggestions?[/nq]
I am a statistician To me, it seems just slightly better for that simple exponential to remain singular since an 'exponential' is a type of curve, and this seems to fit the jargon. The plural might hint at curves more complicated. But I think I would specify plural 'constants' .
"The empirical curves for A, B, and C were each fitted by a simple exponential, with rate constants of 1.0,
2.0, and 3.0, respectively. "

And maybe 'with rate constants of' could be
'having rate constants of ...' or
'and rate constants were ..'

Rich Ulrich, (Email Removed)
http://www.pitt.edu/~wpilib/index.html
"Taxes are the price we pay for civilization."

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]The sentence confuses me a bit. If it means what ... constants. The rate constants are 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 respectively."[/nq]
[nq:1]To give it the final touches, I would delete the "to" and then add a comma before "respectively."[/nq]
Positively no comma before "respectively". Reluctantly retaining the serial commas:
"The experimental datasets for A, B, and C each fit a single exponential equation format, with rate constants of 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 respectively."

Matti
who once published an academic paper in German on exponential curve-fitting techniques.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]To give it the final touches, I would delete the "to" and then add a comma before "respectively."[/nq]
[nq:1]Positively no comma before "respectively".[/nq]
I think that's only where you are, but not on these shores (1). In this land or riches, we don't have a comma shortage.
[nq:1]Reluctantly retaining the serial commas: "The experimental datasets for A, B, and C each fit a single exponential equation format, with rate constants of 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 respectively." Matti who once published an academic paper in German on exponential curve-fitting techniques.[/nq]
(1) MWCD10:
Main Entry: re·spec·tive·ly
Function: adverb
Date: 1605

1 : in particular : SEPARATELY

Skitt (in Hayward, California)
www.geocities.com/opus731/

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]My colleagues and I are writing a technical report. I ... people on this NG. Also, do you have better suggestions?[/nq]
[nq:1]I am a statistician To me, it seems just slightly better for that simple exponential to remain singular since ... B, and C were each fitted by a simple exponential, with rate constants of 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0, respectively. "[/nq]
The thing that jumped out at me in the original and again in this response was the use of "fitted" whereas some of the other responses use "fit" - in a way that did not grind my ears.

Unencumbered by too much thought about it, my sense tells me that "fit" would be used here in the active, and "fitted" in the passive.
a) After that experience, I fit new tires on the car.

b) New tires were fitted after that experience.
In (a) above I want to use "fit"rather than "fitted" even though it is past tense. Is this just me, or a pondian thing perhaps?
Jitze

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]My colleagues and I are writing a technical report. I ... people on this NG. Also, do you have better suggestions?[/nq]
[nq:1]I am a statistician To me, it seems just slightly better for that simple exponential to remain singular since ... fit the jargon. The plural might hint at curves more complicated. But I think I would specify plural 'constants' .[/nq]
I agree with you so far, but I can't accept the word "single" in the original sentence. The data did not fit a single exponential curve. They fitted three separate exponential functions.

But wait: I see you use the word "simple" where the original poster used "single". Yes, that makes a big difference.

Peter Moylan (Email Removed) http://eepjm.newcastle.edu.au (OS/2 and eCS information and software)

Usenet · Answer

A couple of weeks ago, "Becky" asked about:
[nq:1]The experimental curves for A, B and C all fitted to a single exponential with a rate constant of 1.0, ... don't like the idea of using a plural subject ("curves") and singular nouns associated with it ("exponential" and "constant") ...[/nq]
A number of followups made the key correction but did not explicitly point it out, so I thought I'd do it here. What you have to do is change "all" to "each". There is one exponential and one constant for A, the same for B, and the same for C, and using "each" with the singular tells you exactly that. "Each of the students raised her right hand."
Also as noted, "single exponential" looks like a mistake for "simple exponential". "Single" and "simple" are translated by the same word in French and presumably some other languages, but they are quite different in English. "Single" expresses only a numerical sense; it's contrasted with words like "double", "triple", and "quadruple", and the more general word "multiple". "Simple", on the other hand, is not numerical; it's contrasted with words like "complex", "com- pound", "complicated", "difficult", "modified", "special", and so on; and that's what you want here.

Mark Brader "You have a truly warped mind. Toronto I admire that in a person." (Email Removed) Bill Davidsen

My text in this article is in the public domain.

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