GSC Guide to Authors - D: Alphabetical Listing

Spelling, Usage and GSC Recommendations

dangling participle Avoid the common error of opening a sentence with a participle, thus misrelating phrases, so that the participle becomes unattached from its correct noun or implies a wrong noun, as in the following examples:

Shattered into fragments, the student picked up the calcite crystal.

Traversing across the fold belt, the rocks become increasingly gneissic.

Going westward, the craton becomes part of a mobile belt.

Such sentences with dangling participles range from amusing to ridiculous — where they should be easy to spot. Students may be fragile, but rocks and cratons are remarkably stable.

Make sure that phrases are related to a proper subject in the main clause. This can be done by examining the participles (present participles end in -ing; past participles end in -d or -ed) and asking: Who or what is -ing or -ed? If the answer is not logical, then rewrite the entire sentence.

Care should be taken to avoid the hanging participle, gerundial, or infinitive phrase, that is, one for which the subject is missing. Amusing illustrations have been quoted, such as: Having eaten our lunch, the boat sailed for Quebec; or, When three years old (or, At the age of three), my grandmother died. However, these are no more absurd than the following: Approaching the contact, the phenocrysts decrease in size; On crossing the ridge, the quartz veins appeared at closer intervals; or Reviewing the preceding paragraphs, the Cache Creek Group...

dark coloured, dark weathering Avoid using these meaningless descriptive terms by describing the actual colour of the rock, weathering, etc.

dates Instead of such expressions as last year or next year, the exact year should be specified. Delay in publication may make the general reference erroneous.

datum (pl. data) The word data is a Latin plural: data are (not data is), and these data (not this data). The singular, datum, is seldom used and the sentence can usually be rewritten to avoid it. The word information can serve much the same purpose.

decimate Decimate means 'to reduce by one tenth, not to one tenth (originally, to take out one tenth)'; hence, 'to decimate by twenty per cent' is incorrect. Decimate also now means 'to destroy a large proportion of'.

defective, deficient Defective (from defect) is appropriate if something is 'lacking in quality'. Deficient (from deficit) refers to 'inadequate quantities'.

definite, definitely Do not use these words unless you are sure that you cannot express your meaning properly without them. They mean 'exact(ly), precise(ly), distinct(ly), certain(ly)'.

definitive This word goes a step further than definite and introduces a concept of finality. A definite offer may state precise terms, but a definitive offer presents final terms. A definitive report is the 'last word' on a subject.

degree symbol (°) 32°C (no space, not 32 °C, or 32° C). Other examples:

30 ± 2°C
minus 10°C or -10°C
-10°C to -30°C (not -10–30°C)
10° (of arc)
40° (40 proof)
an angle of 45°
latitude 49°21'18"N, longitude 72°13'14"W

delta fan, delta front, delta plain (n.), but delta-front deposits, delta-plain deposits (adj.)

dependant (n.), dependent (adj.) Do not omit the word on or upon after depend and dependent.

deposit (or detritus) feeder structure (ichnology) (not deposit feeding structure — deposits do not feed)

deprecate, depreciate Deprecate means 'to express disapproval of'. Depreciate means 'to lower the value of'.

develop Develop should be used in the sense of 'a gradual process' and is not a synonym for arise, come, happen, occur, take place, etc. It is correctly applied in developing a mine, but a prospect is explored. Other words or expressions, such as uncover, unfold, bring to light, disclose, increase, produce, expand, evolve, make, contrive, construct, build, establish, compose, achieve, enlarge, and extend, can be substituted for greater clarity and less monotony.

differ When used in the sense of 'being different', differ is followed by from. When used in the sense of 'having a difference of opinion', it may be followed by with or from.

dilemma This word is not a synonym for difficulty. Dilemma means 'a situation or predicament involving a choice between two equally balanced, and usually equally unattractive, solutions or courses of action'.

direction Compass points consisting of two directions are written as one word: northwest, southeast. Hyphenate after the first point, where there are three points: north-northwest, south- southwest. Note also: north-trending, north-northwest-trending, west-central.

North (or south, east, west, northeast, north-northeast, etc.) is to be preferred where a definite directional designation is intended, as in north bank, north side, west corner, east boundary, south flowing, or north dip.

Northward or northerly are more appropriate where the direction is less precise, as in northward trending, northerly dipping. Northward (westward, etc.) is preferred to 'northerly', as the latter can mean both 'from the north' and 'to the north'.

Bearings should be given by azimuth. Write the fault strikes 135° (not the fault strikes north 45° west, or N55°W). Similarly, write that glacial striae trend 140° (not south 40° east, or S40°E). Avoid bearings such as 'north-south', 'northwest-southeast', or 'east-west' in such statements as 'the folds trend north-south'; it is sufficient to note that the folds trend north (not N).

In texts on structural geology, compass directions can be abbreviated; for example, N, NE, NNE, and strike 328°, dip 25° NE (or 328°/25°NE). Do not abbreviate 'north' ('south', etc.) in expressions such as the north side of the lake, or in expressions such as north-trending fault, southwest- plunging strata.

Use northern, etc. where the 'general northern end of the zone' is intended: southern Alberta, western Virginia, but West Virginia and Western Canada (formal names).

directly As an adverb directly means 'instantly' or 'immediately', not a conjunction equivalent to 'as soon as'.

disc, disk Slipped disc and disc brakes, but disk, diskette for computers, e.g. floppy disk, but CD or compact disc.

discrete, discreet Discrete means 'individually distinct, a separate entity'. Discreet means 'prudent or tactful'.

dolomite, dolostone Dolomite is the mineral. Authors may use either dolostone or dolomite for the rock.

down Most compound words starting with down are one word: downdip, downdropped, downfaulted, downsection, downslope, downstream, downthrown, downwarped, downwelling, but down-ice (adj.)

due to, owing to, because of Current usage indicates that due to has become a compound preposition, essentially synonymous with owing to: Due to (Owing to) the high chert content, the limestone is of limited use. Some writers, however, observe the earlier distinction between these complex prepositions, and feel that due to is an adjectival construction and must be preceded by a noun/pronoun, and any form of the verb to be, whereas owing to is an adverbial construction, and relates to transitive and intransitive verbs. These writers would rewrite the sentence as: Owing to the high chert content, the limestone is of limited use, or The limited usefulness of this limestone is due to the high chert content. Another example of this differentiated usage is: He missed the evidence of a fault, owing to the presence of a thick vegetation cover, or His failure to observe the fault was due to the presence of a thick vegetation cover.

Both of these complex prepositions mean 'because of', or 'caused by', but some distinction can be made by considering that due to = 'a result of', while owing to = 'as a result of'. Avoid adding 'the fact that' to either phrase.