Name: Karlyle Allen Date: January 25, 2012 Course: FOUN1401 (FD14A) Writing in the Disciplines Topic: Diagnostic

c Essay

In an Observer article highlighting the words of Professor Morrison, entitled: Prof Morrison tells why Jamaicans run so fast: Yam and bananas!, he speaks about the rationale behind the Jamaican dominance in world sprinting. Morrison cites examples that currently disprove that Jamaicans, black people or the fastest athletes in general are born with specific genes that enable them to have an edge over everyone else. He stated that the reason for Jamaican excellence in sprinting is the diet of the citizens which includes yam and bananas. These foods were explained to contain natural substances that if taken over time enable quicker regeneration of energy. The physical structure of black people was also said to be a part of the reason, with the posterior playing a role in the strength of the drive that propels the athletes forward, toward the finish line, ahead of their opponents. This article however was not intended to be a piece of scientific writing. At best, it sought to explain concepts in an easy to understand way without the necessary scientific details and explanations that are expected from a scientific paper. The format/structure of a scientific writing was not used, neither were the abbreviations nor the scientific jargons. Exact words illustrating exact meanings were not used and little to no caution was exercised regarding detailed use of precise language e.g. They have studied about half a dozen and they breathe a little faster. Clich, conversational, or colloquial terms are definite errors in scientific writing and expression e.g. you can't knock research. Finally, in addition to the contradiction in the article in terms of the black anatomy enabling a greater drive and then the dispelling of the myth about genes being a part of the reason made it an imprecise article that is open to ambiguity.

Sources: Observer Online: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sports/Prof-Morrison-tellswhy-Jamaicans-run-so-fast_9306187#ixzz1k5n1xyaa Writing for Science Subjects: 10 Characteristics of Scientific Writing: http://skills.library.leeds.ac.uk/uploads/Writing%20for%20Science%20Subjects74 7.pdf