The Most Common Habits from more than 200 English Papers written by

Graduate Chinese Engineering Students

By Felicia Brittman
This paper presents some of the most common Chinese-English habits observed
from over two hundred English technical papers by Chinese writers. The habits are
explained and in most cases, example text from an actual paper is given along with
preferred text. An attempt is made to explain how to correct and prevent such mistakes.
In some cases a possible explanation of why the habit occurs is also given. This paper
can serve as an individual guide to editing technical papers especially when a native
English-speaking editor is unavailable.

Introduction
Most Chinese universities require their doctoral and master candidates in
technical and scientific fields to publish at least one English paper in an international
journal as a degree requirement. However, many factors make this task difficult to
accomplish. First, previous English studies may not have focused enough on writing, let
alone technical writing. Current studies may not include English, causing the writers
English fluency level to decline. Second, most writers have never lived in an Englishspeaking country. Third, due to the special aspects of technical writing, even native
English-speaking engineering students have a technical writing course as part of their
study.
Too often, students papers are returned unaccepted because of poor English. If
available, students may have their papers edited by a native English speaker. However,
this can get expensive for a department that has many students with each paper typically
needing to be edited twice. Hiring someone to edit papers is difficult, costly and only puts
a patch over the problem. A native English speaker can do a good job at getting rid of
most of the grammatical mistakes. However, if this person does not have a technical
background, particularly in the area of the papers he is editing, he is unable to get rid of
all of the mistakes and make sure that the meaning is clear. He cannot recognize the
incorrect translation of technical terms for which there is a standard word. Such mistakes
will not be picked up by the processors spelling and grammar checker. In addition, if
they are not familiar with the topic or field, they may not grasp the meaning of the entire
article and fail to make critical edits.
Hiring a person with a technical background similar to that of the papers being
edited is a better option. Nevertheless, while a person with a technical background may
be able to edit the paper sufficiently, he may not be able to explain to the writer how to
prevent such mistakes in the future. Besides, it is difficult for most Chinese universities
to hire such staff simply for editing. Universities may consider inviting a visiting scholar
who will edit papers in addition to doing research or teaching as part of an exchange.
Although editing may be the fastest way to publish papers, it does little in the way
of teaching the writers how to prevent common mistakes and colloquial habits that
prevent a clear understanding of the writers ideas. Writers who have already obtained an
1

impressing command of the English language can only truly benefit if they are made
aware of their common mistakes and colloquial habits and how to prevent them.

Purpose
The purpose of this report is to introduce the most common habits in ChineseEnglish writing as noted from the over two hundred papers I have edited. The habits
include grammar mistakes, colloquialisms, and formatting problems and in most cases
prevent a clear understanding of the writers ideas. A few of the habits, such as writing
extremely long sentences, can be corrected with careful use of the MS Word grammar
and style checker. However, most habits, such as missing articles, go unnoticed by
automatic grammar checking devices. Still, Chinese-English colloquial habits are not
recognized by such software tools.

Structure
The common habits are presented in two sections. The first section lists the habits
that, in my opinion, need the most attention. These habits interrupt the flow of the paper
making it difficult to understand and occur most frequently. In this section, the habits are
explained, example sentences from actual papers are given to show the habits, and the
sentences are rewritten to show the correct way to write them. In the case of missing
articles, a flow chart is also given to aid in choosing the correct articles.
In the second section, an additional list of habits is given. In some cases, example
sentences are given. In other cases, advice is given. The second section is very useful in
becoming familiar with small nuances.
Not all of the common habits I observed are presented mainly because they can
only be dealt with on an individual basis. For example, writers had difficulty titling their
papers and naming new technical ideas to express their contents and functions concisely.
This problem frequently occurred but it can only be addressed individually. Once writers
are aware of their habits, they would be able to write better technical English articles.

Section 1
a, an, the
The single most common habit is the omission of articles a, an, and the. This
occurs because Mandarin has no direct equivalent of articles and the rules for using them
are somewhat complicated for a non-native speakers.
Articles signal that a noun will follow and that any modifiers between the article
and the noun refer to that noun (a big blue bicycle / the first award). A and an are
indefinite articles; the is a definite article. Every time a singular noncount noun, a
common noun that names one countable item, is used the noun requires some kind of
determiner.

Mistake:
The, a, and an are 1) omitted where they are required, 2) used where they
are not needed or contribute to wordiness 3) used wrongly in place of the correct article.
Examples of incorrect usages:
Incorrect
Correct
Incorrect
Correct

Figure 2 shows the distribution of relative velocity on surface of main

and splitter blades.15
Figure 2 shows the distribution of relative velocity on the surface of the
main and splitter blades.15
The software PowerSHAPE is chosen to be a 3D modeling tool; it is
good at dealing with free surfaces and curves.4
The software PowerSHAPE is chosen to be the 3D modeling tool; it is
good at dealing with free surfaces and curves.4

There was only one 3D modeling tool used in this study, therefore 3D modeling
tool is specific and requires the article the.
Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

A theoretical method for calculating the inner flow-field in centrifugal

impeller with splitter blades and investigation of the interactions
between main and splitter blades is presented in this paper. The vortices
are distributed on the main and splitter blades to simulate the effects of
flows. Systematical study of number and distribution of vortices is
conducted.15
A theoretical method for calculating the inner flow-field in a centrifugal
impeller with splitter blades and an investigation of the interactions
between main and splitter blades is presented in this paper. The vortices
are distributed on the main and splitter blades to simulate the effects of
flows. A systematical study of the number and distribution of vortices is
conducted.15
Theoretically, remanufacturing could fully take advantage of resources
contained in EOF product thereby minimizing impact on environment to
the greatest extent compared to landfill or recycling of materials;
consequently it contributes greatly to resource conservation.16
Theoretically, remanufacturing could fully take advantage of resources
contained in an EOF product thereby minimizing the impact on the
environment to the greatest extent compared to landfill or recycling of
materials; consequently it contributes greatly to resource conservation.16

Definitions:
Articles
Also called determiners or noun markers, articles are the words a, an, and
the. A and an are indefinite articles, and the is a definite article. Articles signal that a

noun will follow and that any modifiers between the article and the noun refer to that
noun. ( a cold , metal chair/ the lightning-fast computer).
Determiners A word or word group, traditionally identified as an adjective, that limits a
noun by telling how much or how many about it. (expression of quantity, limiting
adjective, marker) They tell whether a noun is general (a tree) or specific (the tree). The
is a definite article. Before a noun, the conveys that the known refers to a specific item
(the plan). A and an are indefinite articles. They convey that a noun refers to an item in a
nonspecific or general way (a plan).
Common nouns

A noun that names a general group, place, person, or thing: dog,

house.

Count noun

A noun that names an item or items that can be counted: radio,

streets, idea, fingernails.

Noncount nouns

A noun that names a thing that cannot be counted: water, time.

Specific noun

A noun understood to be exactly and specifically referred to; uses

the definite article the.

Nonspecific noun

A noun that refers to any of a number of identical items; it takes

the indefinite articles a , an.

Very long sentences

Very long sentences are especially common in Chinese-English writing because
the writers often translate directly from Chinese to English. Although, in Chinese writing
it is acceptable to put several supporting ideas in on sentence to show their relationship,
in English, the main idea and each supporting idea is typically written in separate
sentences.
One can usually recognize a very long sentence by its length sixty words or
more. However, sentences of smaller lengths can also be too long if they contain
multiple statements that confuse the main idea. Long sentences can be avoided by
limiting each sentence to one or two topics. Semicolons should be used where the writer
really wants to emphasize the relationship between ideas.
Too long

According to the characteristic of fan-coil air-conditioning systems, this paper

derives the cooling formula of fan-coil units based on the heat transfer theories and
puts forward a new method to gauge cooling named Cooling Metering on the Airside, which can monitor the individual air-conditioning cooling consumption
during a period of time by detecting the parameters of inlet air condition
temperature and humidity of the fan-coil air-conditioning system as well as the
parameters of inlet cooling water provided by the chiller.

Correct

This paper derives the cooling formula of fan-coil units based on the characteristics
of fan-coil air-conditioning systems and heat transfer theories, and puts forward a
new method to gauge cooling called Cooling Metering on the Air-side. The new
method can monitor individual air-conditioning cooling consumption during a
period of time by detecting the condition of inlet air temperature and humidity
of the fan-coil air-conditioning system as well as the parameters of the inlet cooling
water provided by the chiller.

Too long

The gear transmission is grade seven, the gear gap is 0.00012 radians, the gear
gap has different output values corresponding to any given input value, nonlinearity of the gear gap model can be described by using the phase function
method, the existing backlash block in the non-linear library of the
Matlab/zdimulink toolbox can be used, the initial value of gear gap in the
backlash block is set to zero.9

Correct

The gear transmission is grade seven. The gear gap, which is 0.00012 radians,
has different output values corresponding to any given input value. The nonlinearity of the gear gap model can be described by using the phase function
method. The existing backlash block in the non-linear library of the
Matlab/zdimulink toolbox can be used; the initial value of gear gap in the
backlash block is set to zero.

Another type of super-long sentence that frequently occurs in technical papers is

that of a list. The writer wants to give a large amount of data, usually parameter values,
and puts this information into one long, paragraph-sized sentence. However, the best
way to give such type and quantity of information is to tabulate it (put it in a bulleted list).
Too long

where m is the mass of the heavy disk mounted at the mid-span of a

massless elastic shaft, e is the eccentricity of the mass center from the
geometric center of the disk, is the angle between the orientation of the
eccentricity and the

axis, k and k are the stiffness coefficients in two

principal directions of shaft respectively, c is the viscous damping coefficient

of the shaft and the disk, ci is the inner damping coefficient of shaft,
is the
rotating speed,
,

Correct

and

axes respectively:

Where

are the components of initial bend in directions of

s
s

rb cos ,

rb sin .1

m is the mass of the heavy disk mounted at the mid-span of a massless

elasticshaft,

e is the eccentricity of the mass center from the geometric center of

the disk,
is the angle between the orientation of the eccentricity and the
axis,
k and k are the stiffness coefficients in the two principal directions
of the
shaft,

c is the viscous damping coefficient of the shaft and the disk,

ci is the inner damping coefficient of the shaft,
s

is the rotating speed,

and s are the components of initial bend in directions of
axes, respectively:

Too long

Clear

rb cos ,

rb sin .

The clear height of the case is 6.15 meters; the thickness of the roof is 0.85
meters; the thickness of the bottom is 0.90 meters, the overall width is 26.6
meters, the overall length of the axial cord is 304.5 meters, the length of the
jacking section is about 148.8 meters; the weight of the case is about 24127
tons.3
Case clearance height
Roof thickness
Bottom thickness
Overall width
Overall length of the axial cord
Length of the jacking section
Weight of the case

6.15 meters
0.85 meters
0.90 meters
26.6 meters
304.5 meters
148.8 meters (approx.)
24127 tons (approx.)

Prefacing the main idea of a sentence by stating the purpose,

location or reason first
Chinese writers often preface the main topic of a sentence by first stating the
purpose, location, reason, examples and conditions as introductory elements. However,
this has the effect of demoting the importance of the main idea and making the reader
think the author is indirect. Bring the main idea to the beginning of the sentence stating
any locations, reasons, etc., afterwards.
Incorrect
Correct
Incorrect
Correct

Incorrect
Correct

For the application in automobile interiors, this paper studies the nesting
optimization problem in leather manufacturing. 5
This paper studies the nesting optimization problem in leather manufacturing
for application in automobile interiors.
Especially when numerical control (NC) techniques[4] are widely used in
industry and rapid prototype methods[5][6] bring a huge economical benefits, the
advantage of constructing 3D model[7][8][9] becomes extremely obvious.2
The advantage of constructing a 3D model[7][8][9] becomes extremely obvious
especially when numerical control (NC) techniques[4] are widely used in
industry and rapid prototype methods[5][6] bring a huge economical benefits.
Inside the test box, the space was filled with asbestos.15
The space inside the test box was filled with asbestos.

Incorrect
Correct
Incorrect
Correct

In practice, we employed this approach to dispose of a wheelhouse subassembly of

one kind of auto-body, and the results show that this method is feasible.16
We employed this approach to dispose of a wheelhouse subassembly of one kind of
auto-body, and the results show that this method is feasible.
To ensure sheet metal quality as well as assembly quality, CMMs are widely used
in automotive industry production.16
CMMs are widely used in automotive industry production to ensure sheet metal
quality as well as assembly quality.

Tendency of placing phrases which indicate time at the beginning of

a sentence
Incorrect
Correct

When U is taken as the control parameter, the BDs for =0.0, 0.001, 0.005
are shown in Fig. 8.
Figure 8 shows the BDs for =0.0, 0.001, and 0.005 when U is taken as the
control parameter.

Place the most important subject at the beginning of the sentence for
emphasis
Incorrect
Correct
Incorrect
Correct

Based on the triangulation structure built from unorganized points or a CAD

model, the extended STL format is described in this section.4
The extended STL format is described in this section based on the triangulation
structure built from unorganized points or a CAD model.
The 3D dentition defect and restoration element models are designed precisely
with complicated surfaces.4
The 3D dentition defect and restoration element models with complicated
surfaces are designed precisely.

which/ that
The antecedent (noun or pronoun) to which which refers is not specific, causing
confusion.
Antecedent The noun or pronoun to which a pronoun refers.
The Shijiazhuang south road underground bridge possesses the largest jacking force, which is
built at 1978(10680t). [Shijiazhuang south road underground bridge possesses the largest
jacking force which is built at 1978(10680t).
Absolute truths in paleontology are often elusive, and even the filmmakers were surprised at the
fierce arguments that split the scientists when an initial brainstorming session was else.

Respectively and respective

Respectively refers back to two or more persons or things only in the order they were
previously designated or mentioned. If two lists are given, respectively pairs the list
entries according to the order in which they are given. In this case the use of respectively
is to allow the writer to give a lot of information without confusing the reader or writing
several short sentences. Respectively is usually at the end of the sentence. In both cases,
mentioning the order must be important to the meaning of the sentence otherwise it is not
used.
For example: Bobby, Nicole and Daren wore red, green and blue coats, respectively.
List 1
List 2
Bobby wore a red coat.
Nicole wore a green coat.
Daren wore a blue coat.
Respective to two or more persons or things only in the order they were previously
designated or mentioned.
The uses of these two words are usually incorrect or confusing as in the following
examples.
1. Respectively is misplaced in the sentence; it is put before the nouns to which it refers.
6 can be respectively linearized as:(equations given)13
6 can be linearized as:(equations given), respectively.

Incorrect
Correct

Equations 2
Equations 2

Incorrect
Correct

The weights of the two experts are respectively 0.600 and 0.400.19
The weights of the two experts are 0.600 and 0.400, respectively.

2. Respectively is inserted to express that there is a certain order in which something was
done. However, the order is already implied elsewhere in the sentence or does not need
to be expressed because it does not add value to meaning of the sentence.
Incorrect

Correct

If both the core technology score and core quality score of a bottleneck process
are, respectively, below certain scores, then we refer to strategy 1, otherwise, if
either is, respectively, above a certain score, then we refer to strategy 2.
Similarly, if the core technology and core quality are, respectively, above a
certain score, then we refer to strategy 3, otherwise, if either is, respectively,
below a certain score, then we refer to strategy 4.19
If both the core technology score and core quality score of a bottleneck process
are below certain scores, then we refer to strategy 1, otherwise, if either is
above a certain score, then we refer to strategy 2. Similarly, if the core
technology and core quality are above a certain score, then we refer to strategy

3, otherwise, if either is below a certain score, then we refer to strategy 4.

Incorrect
Correct

Then, the rows of vortex due to both of the long and short blades are
transformed into two singularities on the -plane and integrate the induced
velocity along the blades respectively.20
Then, the rows of vortex due to both of the long and short blades are
transformed into two singularities on the -plane and integrate the induced
velocity along the blades.

3. In addition to 2, it is unclear to what respectively refers.

Incorrect
Correct
Incorrect
Correct

The dynamic characteristics of a rotor with asymmetric stiffness or with initial

warp have been studied before respectively [1-4]
The dynamic characteristics of a rotor with asymmetric stiffness or with initial
warp have been studied before [1-4].
The inlet and outlet temperature of the air cooler were measured using two
thermocouples respectively.17
The inlet and outlet temperature of the air cooler were measured by using two
thermocouples.

In this paper, in this study

Two errors occur when these phrases are used. The first is overuse. In some
papers written by Chinese, these phrases can occur as much as twice per page. In papers
written by native English writers these phrases are reserved for primarily two uses
1. In the introduction and conclusion to emphasize the content of the paper.
2. In the body of the paper, after referring to work not done by the author such as in
other journal articles or in standard.
Therefore, if either phrase occurs more than three times in a paper, its use is questionable.
Actually, the reader is aware that the work presented is by the author (unless the author
states otherwise) so there is no reason to repeat these phrases.
The second error is more subtle. The two phrases are interchanged.
Awkward In this paper, IDEAS was used to .
In this study, IDEAS was used to.
Correct
Awkward In the paper, a SZG4031 towing tractor is used as the sample vehicle, it
Correct

components equivalent physical parameters are obtained by UG design and

testing.9
In this study, a SZG4031 towing tractor is used as the sample vehicle, it
components equivalent physical parameters are obtained by UG design and
testing.

The study is the work the author/s did. The paper is the mode to present this work and
is what the reader is holding/ reading. Keep in mind the writer can also use other phrases
such as in this research, and this paper present.

Numbers and Equations

Two very common errors are those concerning the presentation of Arabic numerals, and
equations. Chinese writers usually write Arabic numerals instead of spelling out the word.
The use of Arabic numerals, itself, is not an error however; they should never be used at
the beginning of sentences.
Incorrect
Correct

12 parameters were selected for the experiment.

Twelve parameters were selected for the experiment.

In addition, Arabic numerals are overused. Arabic numerals should be used to give data
in technical papers, however they should not be used to give general information.
Incorrect
Correct

All 3 studies concluded that the mean temperature should be 30C.

All three studies concluded that the mean temperature should be 30C.

This probably stems from the fact that Mandarin is a symbolic language and not
alphabetic. Thus, the writer will find it easier to write a symbol that expresses the idea
instead of the word. This problem is even more serious when equations are used in place
of words in a way that is not practiced by native English speakers. Consider the following
examples.
Equations should be introduced as much as possible, not inserted in place of words. Most
journals, like the International Journal of Production Research, discourage the use of
even short expressions within the text.
Incorrect
Correct
Incorrect
Correct

If the power battery SOC > SOClo and the driving torque belongs to the
middle load,
If the power battery SOC is greater than SOClo and the driving torque
belongs to the middle load,
All 3 studies concluded that the mean temperature should be 30C.
All three studies concluded that the mean temperature should be 30C.

Format
Paragraphs
A paragraph is a group of sentences that develop one topic or thought.
Paragraphs are separated to indicate the end of one idea or thought and the beginning of
another. All English paragraphs start on a new line with an indent of about one inch or

10

with an extra line between the two paragraphs. The latter is more typical for business
writing.
Chinese students are often puzzled by separating paragraphs; the may perform
one of two error. One error occurs when the writer fails to distinguish between two
paragraphs. Although the new paragraph starts on a new line, there is no indentation,
therefore, the reader in is not aware of the change in paragraphs or ideas. The second
error occurs when a paragraph is preceded by a single sentence on a single line. The
single line is indented along with the succeeding paragraph as in example #. This
commonly occurs in Chinese texts but is never done in English.
Figure and Table
The abbreviations for figure and table are Fig. and Tbl, respectively. However,
the abbreviation of table is rarely seen in text. One can also write fig. for figure. However,
one should choose one convention and use it throughout the paper. You should not switch
between, Figure, figure, Fig, or fig. In addition, abbreviations are not used at the
beginning of sentences and a space belongs between the word/ abbreviation and the
number.
Incorrect
Correct

Figure.6, Figure6, Fig.6, Tbl10

Figure 6, Fig. 6, Tbl. 10

Variables
Variables, especially those of the English alphabet, should be italicized in
technical papers to distinguish them from English words. Of course, this depends on the
style required by the journal.
Capitals
Be careful that capitals are not in the middle of the sentence.
Incorrect
Correct

In table 1, The mark

In table 1, the mark

such as and etc.

Such as and etc. are commonly misused by Chinese-English writers. Such as
means for example and implies that an incomplete list will follow; etc. means and so
on and is used at the end of a list to show it is not complete. Therefore, using such as
and etc. together is redundant.
Incorrect
Correct

Studies of methodology and process of implementing remanufacturing mainly

focus on durable products such as automobile motors, printers, and etc.11
Studies of methodology and process of implementing remanufacturing mainly
focus on durable products such as automobile motors, and printers.

Such as means that an incomplete list will be given and should not be used when a
complete list is given.
11

Incorrect
Correct

Compared to traditional industry, Micro-electronic fabrication has three

characteristics such as high complexity, high precision and high automation.
Compared to traditional industry, Micro-electronic fabrication has three
characteristics: high complexity, high precision and high automation.

Section 2
1) Some words have identical singular and plural forms and do not need an s added on to
make them plural. These words include:
literature (when referring to research)
equipment,
staff (referring to a group of people)
faculty
2) Avoid redundancy in the following types of phrases frequently used by Chinese
English writers
Instead of
Say
Or say
Research work
Research
Work
Limit condition
Limit
condition
Knowledge memory
Knowledge
Memory
Sketch map
Sketch
map
Layout scheme
Layout
scheme
Arrangement plan
Arrangement
plan
Output performance
Output
performance
Simulation results
results
simulation
Knowledge information
Knowledge
information
Calculation results
results
calculation
Application results
Results
Application
3) Certain words demand that the noun they modify is plural. These include different,
various, and number words.
Dont write
Different node
Various method
Two advantage
Fifteen thermocouple

Instead write
Different nodes
Various methods
Two advantages
Fifteen thermocouples

4) Never begin an English sentence with abbreviations and Arabic numerals such as Fig.
and 8. Instead write Figure and Eight.
5) Do not write by this way. Instead write by doing this, or using this method.
6) Never write How to at the beginning of a sentence. (Dont say it ither.)
12

No
Yes

How to find the optimal parameter is the main objective.

Determining how to find the optimal parameter is the main objective.

7) Do write the results are shown in Figure 2. Do not write the results are showed as
Figure 2.
8) Italicize variables appearing in the text to differentiate them from words. This is
especially important when the variables are English alphabets. Write The graph shows t,
a, and C as a function of time. Do not write The graph shows t, a, and C as a function of
time.
9) Refrain from using the word obviously in a technical paper in the following way
No
Yes

Obviously, detecting regimes by means of PMH maps is a novel method.8

Detecting regimes by means of PMH maps is a novel method.8

10) International papers should not use location dependant terms such as at home,
abroad, here, our country because the reader most likely is not Chinese and not in
China. Instead, write in China.
11) Avoid overusing the phrases that is to say and namely. Instead, try to convey your
meaning in one sentence.
12) Do not use too at the end of a written sentence, especially in a technical paper.

13

Appendix A

14

1. LIN Fushen, MENG Guang, Dynamic Behavior of an Unbalanced and Warped Jeffcott
Rotor with Asymmetric Stiffness, The State Key Lab of Vibration, Shock and Noise
Shanghai JiaotongUnversity, Shanghai 200030, P.R. China, Institute of Vibration
Engineering Northwester Polytechnic University, Xian 710072, CHINA, 2003
2. ZHANG Yuping, JIANG Shouwei, Review and Analysis of 3D-Model Reconstruction and
Application, Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Mechanical and Dynamic Engineering,
2003
3. DU Shouji, Long Distance Box-bridge Jacking Research: Report of Starting Research,
Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shijiazhuang Municipal Traffic Project Provided a loan by
World Bank, Contract number: TA3.1.4, 2003
4. ZHANG Wenqiang, YAN Heqing, HUANG Xuemei, WEI Bin, and WANG Chengtao, 3D
Modeling and Rapid Prototyping for Dentition Defect Restoration, School of Mechanical
Engineering, Shanghai JiaoTong University, Shanghai 200030, China, The Ninth Peoples
Hospital, Attached to Shanghai Second Medical University, Shanghai 200011, China, 2003
5. ZHANG YuPing, JIANG Shouwei, YIN Zhongwei, A Generic Approach for Leather
Nesting with an Heuristic Simulated Annealing Based Genetic Algorith, Shanghai JiaoTong
University School of Mechanical & Dynamic Engineering, Huashan Road 1954, Shanghai,
200030, 2003
6. HU Xin, XI JunTong, JIN Ye, Shape analysis and parameterized modeling of a hip joint,
Institute of Computer Integrated Manufacturing, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Post Code
200030, Shanghai, China, 2003
7. LI LiJun, JIN XianLong, LI YuanYin, WEI JinQiao, WU WeiWei, A Parallel Solver for
Structural Modal Analysis, High Performance Computing Center, Shanghai JiaoTong
University, Republic of China, 2003
8. CHEN YongGuo, TIAN ZiPing, MIAO ZhengQing, Application of Time-frequency
Analysis to Fluidization Regimes Recognition in Circulating Fluidized Beds, School of
Mechanical and Power Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Dongchuan Road 800,
Shanghai, P.R. China, 200240, 2003
9. REN ShaoYun, ZHANG JianWu, GAO ChangYun, Modeling and Simulation Analysis of
the Torsional Vibration of a FR Driveline System, School of Mechanical Engineering,
Shanghai Jiaotong University, 2003
10. WU LiJun, CHEN HuiEr, Mathematical Model for on-line Prediction of Bottom and Hearth
of Blast Furnace by Particular Solution Boundary Element Method, Department of Power
and Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai JiaoTong University, Shanghai, 200030, Peoples
Republic of China, 2003.
11. JING XueDong, ZHANG GuoQing, PU GengQiang, WANG ChengTao, XU BinShi, ZHU
Sheng, Study on Architecture of Remanufacturing System, School of Mechanical
Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China, Surface Engineering Institute,
Beijing, China
12. CAI XiaoPing, JIN Chen, WU JunBiao, HIRAOKA Sumito, CHEN ShaoLin, Application of
Partial Singular Value Decomposition Analysis to Location of Vibration Sources of Elevator,
1. State Key Laboratory of Vibration, Shock & Noise, Shanghai Jiao Tong University,
Shanghai, China, 200030, 2. Fujitec CO., Ltd. Osaka, 547-8510, Japan, 2003
13. YE Yao, LIAN ZhiWei, HOU ZhiJian, Heat Exchange Analysis of Cooling Coils Based on a
Dynamic Model, Institute of Refrigeration and Cryogenics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University,
Shanghai, 200030, China
14. NIU XinWen, DIN Han, XIONG YouLun, Assembly Plans Generation Based on Precedence
Graphs, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai JiaoTong University, Shanghai

15

15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.

200030, China, School of Mechanical Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of

Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
LIU ZhengHua, TONG TieFeng, Critical Heat Flux of Steady Boiling for Subcooled Water
Jet Impingement on the Flat Stagnation Zone, School of Mechanical and Power Engineering,
Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, 200030, P.R. China, 2003
WANG Jian, LIN ZhongQin, ZHANG YiZhu, Matching Clearance Analysis for Sheetmetal
Assembly, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 2003
DENG D. Q., XU L., Experimental investigation on the performance of an air cooler under
frosting conditions, Institute of Refrigeration and Cryogenics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University,
No. 1954 Huashan Road, Shanghai, 200030, P.R. China, 2002
YIN ZhongWei, JIANG ShouWei, Iso-phote based adaptive surface fitting to digitized points
and its applications in region-based tool path generation, slicing and surface triangulation,
2003
GU ZhengLing, WANG LiYa, QIAN ShanYang, An AHP-based Method for Improving the
Manufacturing Processes of Mass Customization, Industrial Engineering and Management
Department, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, P.R. China, 2003
XU Jie and GU ChuanGang, Numerical Calculation of the Flow-Field in a Centrifugal
Impeller with Splitter Blades, School of Power and Energy Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong
University, Shanghai 20003.
Zhu ZhengLi, YIN ChengLiang, ZHANG JianWu, Matching and Optimization of HEV
Powertrain Based on Genetic Algorithm, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao
Tong University, Shanghai, 200030

16

yes

end

no

no
end

yes

yes

no

yes
a

Does the noun begin

with a consonant or a
consonant sounding h?
(i.e. house, half)?

these, those
no, two, three, etc.; the first, the
second, the third, etc.

my, our, your, his, her its, their,

nouns with s or s

some, any, both, many, more, most,

few, fewer, the fewest, a lot of, a
number of, other, several, all, all
the

yes

no

Is the noun countable?

Count
Non-count

Is the plural countable noun

already preceded by a
determiner below?

Requires a, an, or the.

Is the noun specific?

the

no, plural

one, no, the first, the second,

etc.

this, that

my, our, your, his, her, its,

their, nouns with s or s

one, any some, every, each,

either, neither another, the
other

Is the noun already

preceded by a
determiner below?

yes

Is the noun countable?

Count
Non-count

yes

Is the noun singular?

(refer to only one thing)

yes

Is the word a noun?

(person, place or thing)

Start

When to use a, an, and the

no

no

the

yes

end

The noun must begin with a

vowel or vowel sounding h
(i.e. hour, hierarchy) and
therefore requires an an.

end

no

Is the plural, countable

noun specific?

end