http://www.prepress-projects.co.uk/index.htmlNews from Prepress Projectsen-gbenquiries@prepress-projects.co.ukCopyright 2010 Prepress Projects Ltd2010-03-07T15:01:00+00:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Sun, 07 Mar 2010 15:32:52 +0000Sun, 14 Feb 2010 13:15:26 +0000enquiries@prepress-projects.co.ukNone2010-03-07T15:01:00+00:00http://www.prepress-projects.co.uk/news/files/our_new_mission.html#unique-entry-id-751http://www.prepress-projects.co.uk/news/files/our_new_mission.html#unique-entry-id-751
We want to teach the world some basic science, one word or phrase at a time.

Let's start with carbon dioxide. The chemical formula is CO₂. First note that CO₂ is the chemical formula, not the abbreviation (that would be CD, wouldn't it?).

So, it's capital C (the chemical symbol for carbon, an element), capital O (the chemical symbol for oxygen, another element), not a zero, then a subscript 2 to indicate that there are two atoms of oxygen in the molecule. The digit should always be subscript, not on the line and never superscript.

To make this clear, the following are all wrong: CO2, C02 and CO².]]>enquiries@prepress-projects.co.ukNone2010-03-04T19:19:04+00:00http://www.prepress-projects.co.uk/news/files/reticent.html#unique-entry-id-750http://www.prepress-projects.co.uk/news/files/reticent.html#unique-entry-id-750reluctant or hesitant would be more appropriate. 

Reticent means taciturn or uncommunicative:

He was reticent about his wartime experiences.

You can't be reticent to do something:

They were reticent to agree.

would be better phrased as

They were reluctant to agree.
]]>enquiries@prepress-projects.co.ukNone2010-03-03T17:17:45+00:00http://www.prepress-projects.co.uk/news/files/plexiglas.html#unique-entry-id-749http://www.prepress-projects.co.uk/news/files/plexiglas.html#unique-entry-id-749enquiries@prepress-projects.co.ukNone2010-02-28T18:02:15+00:00http://www.prepress-projects.co.uk/news/files/affect_and_effect.html#unique-entry-id-748http://www.prepress-projects.co.uk/news/files/affect_and_effect.html#unique-entry-id-748
This is a tricky one as both affect and effect can be used both as a noun and as a verb. Usually, however, if a verb is being used then affect is correct and if a noun is being used effect is correct.

Affect
As a verb, affect means to influence or to adopt a pose or manner.

The outcome of treatment is affected by patients' degree of compliance.

The girl affected a couldn't care less attitude.

As a noun affect means an emotional state. It is rarely encountered outside the realm of psychiatry. So, most people are unlikely ever to use affect as a noun; however, you may well come across it in medical titles.

Effect
We don't think anyone is likely to have difficulty in comprehending the usual meaning of effect: something brought about; a result.

The effect of treatment was an improvement in patients' quality of life.

But effect may also be used as a verb, meaning to cause to happen.

The drugs effected a significant improvement in patients' quality of life.]]>enquiries@prepress-projects.co.ukNone2010-02-25T19:37:26+00:00http://www.prepress-projects.co.uk/news/files/asterix.html#unique-entry-id-747http://www.prepress-projects.co.uk/news/files/asterix.html#unique-entry-id-747... was a Gaul. The footnote indicator is an asterisk.]]>enquiries@prepress-projects.co.ukNone2010-02-23T18:48:57+00:00http://www.prepress-projects.co.uk/news/files/benefactor_vs_beneficiary.html#unique-entry-id-746http://www.prepress-projects.co.uk/news/files/benefactor_vs_beneficiary.html#unique-entry-id-746A benefactor provides largesse and a beneficiary is the recipient of it.]]>enquiries@prepress-projects.co.ukNone2010-02-20T15:12:51+00:00http://www.prepress-projects.co.uk/news/files/phth.html#unique-entry-id-745http://www.prepress-projects.co.uk/news/files/phth.html#unique-entry-id-745
ophthalmology
diphtheria (caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae)
phenolphthalein
naphthalene

Other combinations, e.g. chth, are possible.

ichthyology]]>