analysis as a method of development
Analysis takes a topic apart and examines or evaluates its parts to determine how they contribute to the quality of the whole. The following example analyzes the faint illumination that exists in the sky on even the darkest nights.
Although the night sky appears dark it is in fact subject to a faint illumination. This comprises the airglow - originating in the Earth's upper atmosphere; sunlight diffused through interplanetary space—sometimes termed zodiacal light, although this name is more frequently used for its more concentrated cones in the Ecliptic; galactic light—starlight diffused through interstellar space; and stellar light—direct light from faint stars invisible to the naked eye. The biggest contribution is the stellar light, especially that from stars of about the twelfth magnitude, whose numbers more than make up for their faintness.
— Gilbert E. Satterthwaite, Encyclopedia of Astronomy
and/or
The meaning of the phrase and/or can usually be more clearly expressed by
" _____ or ______ or both."
change An electric automobile will probably be marketed soon by Ford and/or General Motors.
to An electric automobile will probably be marketed soon by Ford or General Motors or both.
Often, simply or will convey the necessary meaning.
An electric automobile will probably be marketed soon by Ford or General Motors. [Or both may be clear enough in the context or may not be important.]
and etc.
Omit and. The abbreviation stands for et cetera, which means "and others of the same kind." One and is sufficient.
However, in most writing, etc. should be avoided altogether. (See etc.)
anecdote
An anecdote is a brief account of an amusing or interesting incident, used most often to illustrate a point.
He was one of the greatest scientists the world has ever known, yet if I had to convey the essence of Albert Einstein in a single word, I would choose simplicity. Perhaps an anecdote will help. Once, caught in a downpour, he took off his hat and held it under his coat. Asked why, he explained, with admirable logic, that the rain would damage the hat, but his hair would be none the worse for its wetting. This knack for going instinctively to the heart of a matter was the secret of his major scientific discoveries—this and his extraordinary feeling for beauty.
— Banesh Hoffman, "My Friend, Albert Einstein"
annotated bibliography
In an annotated bibliography, each entry is followed by a brief description or evaluation of the subject and scope of the work.
Applebee, Arthur N. Contexts for Learning to Write. Norwood , NJ : Ablex, 1984. A description of a research study of writing instruction in U.S. secondary schools.
ante-/anti-
The prefix ante- means "prior to" or "in front of."
antecedent, antechamber, antedate
Words with ante- are usually spelled as one word and are not hyphenated.
The prefix anti- means "opposite in kind," "opposing," or "serving to prevent."
anticlimax, antiaircraft, antiulcer
Words with anti- are usually spelled as one word, but they are hyphenated when anti- combines with a proper noun or a word beginning with i.
anti-Russian, anti-inflationary
If you are not sure about the hyphen, consult a dictionary. (See also prefixes.)
antecedents
An antecedent is the word or group of words referred to by a pronoun. (See also pronoun reference.)
