Lesson Nine

Technical and Scientific Texts

Technical Texts

Only 9% circa technical vocabulary– Structural: and, this– General: dog, table– Sub-technical: engine, mouse– Technical: carbon disulphide, alveolar,

Special automatic crankshaft turning

Tornio automatico speciale per fornire perni di biello di alberi a gomito

Describing reality

The names we use, their relationships to one another, the configurations in which they occur - define what we think of as reality.

Reality is what our language says it is.

Describing reality 2

Children learn language using

Names

(flower, garden)

Relationships

(flowers - garden)

Configurations

(flowers grow in my garden)

Describing reality 3

Children know that

“mosquitoes, wasps, bees and other insects bite and sting”

Use of VERBS

Describing reality 4

Then they learn in school another grammar:

Some animals protect themselves with bites and stings.

(primary school textbook)

Cf. Some animals run really fast so they can get away from danger.

Some animals rely on their great speed to escape from danger.

Scientific American

Our work on crack growth in other solids leads us to believe that the general conclusions developed for silica can explain the strength behaviour of a wide range of brittle materials.

(from ‘The Fracturing of Glass’)

Scientific American 2

Features of S.A. technical text:

Little technical vocabulary, but other features are observable:

1) Simple structureNominal group + verbal group + nominal group

2) Process a ‘explains, etc.? b

3) Head nouns are nominalisations conclusion/conclude; behaviour/behave

Examples of nomimalisation in scientific texts The net effect of electron emission is

the conversion of a neutron to a proton.

Segregation of DNA into daughter cells is a simple consequence of cell growth

Disc braking can only occur in very young stars

Examples of passive form in scientific texts The inheritance of specific genes is

correlated with the inheritance of a specific chromosome.

The theoretical program of devising models of atomic nuclei has been complemented by experimental investigations.

Nominalisation 1

The driver was driving the bus too fast down the hill - so the brakes failed.

NG + VG + NG + Adv + Adv + conj. + NG + VG

Nominalisation 2

The driver’s over rapid downhill driving of the bus caused brake failure.

NG + VG + NG

Nominalisation 3

Cells grow, so DNA is segregated into daughter cells.

Segregation of DNA into daughter cells is a simple consequence of cell growth

Nominalisation 4

an electron moves in an orbit

the orbital motion of an electron

Lexical Density 1

The use of this method of control unquestionably leads to safer and faster train running in the most adverse weather conditions.

Clauses - 1 No. of lexical words - 12 Lexical density = 12

Lexical Density 2

If this method of control is used, trains will unquestionably run safer and faster even when the weather conditions are most adverse.

Clauses – 3No. of lexical words – 11Lexical density = 3.6

Lexical Density 3

You can control the trains this way. And if you do that, you can be quite sure that they’ll be able to run safer and faster no matter how bad the weather is.

Clauses – 5No. of lexical words – 8Lexical density = 1.6