express exactly what he means better than if he had but one word, and he can give a variety of style in his writings that rests the reader's mind and adds to his interest and enjoyment in the work. Therefore, add to your store of words in order that you may have a richer mental life, that you may better understand and appreciate writers who do have many words, and that you may never be at a loss for the right word when you want it.

But how can a vocabulary be enlarged? In the first place, two kinds of vocabularies must be recognized; first, it is a commonplace that we understand many words that we never use this may be called our "passive" vocabulary, and the words we actually have use for may be called our active "working" vocabulary. In the opulence of our language we should discriminate between these and strive to enlarge the latter by the study of dictionaries, books on synonyms, glossaries, and the special vocabularies employed by separate trades and professions, always remembering that words have a suggestive power that is greater than their dictionary meaning.

We will not discuss the troublesome words "it," "they," "their," and "them," and a "*". number of other words, the indiscriminate use of which is a source of much ambiguity in technical writing; their proper use is a matter of grammar. We would rather warn the en

gineer-author against the employment of certain overworked pet expressions and to urge either their disuse or the acquisition of new words and phrases that will convey the meaning just as well. A few of these are:

Up-to-date (as an adjective)

Of course

In this connection

In addition to

That is to say

As will be evident

Due to its, this, that, etc.

It should be noted

Within the scope of

In other words

Owing to the fact that
On the other hand

This feature of the subject has now been considered long enough to show most of the faults in literary expression that come from the improper and careless use of words and phrases, and which are caused chiefly by scantiness of vocabulary. We will conclude by quoting from an address by George A. Wardlaw, before the engineering students of Cornell University:

"Careful reading of the classics will help materially to overcome both defects ('inapt diction and grammatical heresy'), for the classics are classics only because they put sound thoughts in pure language. Here the elements

and qualities of style are handled with great delicacy of touch; the masters are at work painting word-pictures of rare merit; the right word is in the right place; there is harmony between verbs and noun; pronouns are not uncertain about their antecedents; and the "lid" is on the split infinitive. There is clearness and force and efficiency. Prose classics for grammatical purity, then; poetry for clear and forceful diction; both alike for rhetorical beauty and literary efficiency."

V

INSPIRATION AND MOTIVE

IN LITERARY WORK

Why is the professional man more inclined to literary work than the commercial man? The conditions of attaining success are vastly different; for instance, display advertising is essential to the success of the commercial man; but as such practice is contrary to the professional etiquette of the doctor, lawyer, or engineer, the professional man, and this refers to the engineer especially, is moved to literary work, frequently, by a desire for publicity (see page 10).

self-advancement is the motive which causes the production of most of articles in our engineering publications. An engineer completes a piece of work and says to himself, 'Now, if I write an elaborate description of this work it will add to my professional reputation. Really the question he ought to ask is this: 'Is there anything in this work I have done that my brother engineers-perhaps my business rivals would find it useful to know about?' When he solves a difficult problem does he say: 'I ought to publish the solution of that problem to help some other fellow who may also have to struggle with it'?

"That is the standard which I want to see

:

58

ENGINEERING LITERATURE

followed more and more by the engineers create engineering literature; * * * adoption of this standard will do more anything else to solve our difficulties and on other hand to make accessible great am of valuable and useful information that is being selfishly hoarded by private interest

The business man seeks to build up a commercial machine-manufacturing, wh sale or retail selling, etc.-and needs comp tively little book knowledge, but must k the trend of markets and values, manufac ing processes, and business methods. The fessional man, on the other hand, is an i pendent, one-man power, or a part of a s organization, or a unit in a large organizat He needs a great deal of theoretical inst tion, as given in colleges, books, periodi lectures, etc.; also a great deal of practica struction and special training, obtained f shop work, field work, etc.; while, in com with the commercial man, he must have a v knowledge of human nature.

Inspiration to literary work may be dr from natural ability,

surroundings,

tendencies derived from

previous trainin

present occupati

all of which are more closely identified

*From address on "The Making of Literature Engineers," before the engineering students of University of Michigan, by Charles Whiting Ba Editor of "Engineering News."