The aim of this book is to develop a basic knowledge of how English is used or communication in mechanical engineering. It is intended for students who already know how to handle the common English sentence patterns but who need to learn how these patterns are used in scientific and technical writing to convey information and to develop logical arguments.
The exercises direct the student's attention to certain features of English which are specific to scientific and technical writing. The aim is to provide the student with a strategy for reading more difficult engineering texts and to prepare him for making effective use of English in his own writing.
Although the emphasis is on English as a medium of expression in mechanical engineering science, the basic elements of the language have not been neglected. Pattern practice is provided, particularly in the grammar and paragraph writing sections of each unit, but this kind of work is always presented in relation to a scientific context and not simply as an exercise in making sentences for their own sake.
This book does not aim at teaching the subject-matter of mechanical engineering, and it does not aim at teaching grammatical structures and vocabulary as such. Its purpose is to show how language is used as a medium for the study of mechanical engineering science, and so to give students a grounding in one particular set of communication skills in English.
