Linguistic Features of Scientific and Technical Texts

Verb tenses and moods: The indicative use of this timeless, conditional (arguably...), and attenuated expressions (e.g., "we suggest..."). There is a solo verbal dominance of the third person to expose impersonality, as well as the use of the first person plural.

Adjectives and resources: Use of specified adjectives, descriptive and explanatory appositions, switches, and other resources.

Lexical-Semantic Characteristics

Scientific and technical texts are characterized by the use of specific terminology and the presence of semantic phenomena such as hyperonymy, hyponymy, synonymy, and antonymy. Technicalities are all expressions which are called own notions of an area of knowledge.

Types of Techniques

• By their origin: Words of ordinary language of science receiving a precise meaning, Latinisms, neologisms, etc.
• By training: From multiplier prefixes, suffixes, derivative specialist eponyms, acronyms, and abbreviations.

Semantic Phenomena

• Hyperonymy and hyponymy: (e.g., horse / mammal).
• Chemical symbols: O₃ (ozone).
• Synonymy: (e.g., white blood cells / leukocytes).
• Antonymy: (e.g., aerobic and anaerobic).
• Rhetorical devices: Metaphors and personifications (e.g., "The behavior of the genome," "the greenhouse effect").

Scientific and Technical Language Definition

Scientific and technical language is the use of natural language in its written form to convey expertise. It is denotative, dominates the referential function, and is characterized by being clear, precise, and simple. This type of language tends toward the universality of terms to facilitate communication and international exchange; consequently, this has led to the creation of terminology standardization bodies (CEN, ISO, etc.). Scientists use non-linguistic signs (symbols and formulas) and graphics (drawings, photos, etc.).

Modes of Expression

• Description: Of processes, people, and objects.
• Explanation: Of concepts and phenomena.
• Arguments: Combined with hypotheses and theories.
• Narrative: Of experiments and advances.

They can also include definitions, lists, and rankings.

Scientific Discourse

Scientific discourse: Scientific texts reflect in their speech the objectivity of science, avoiding expressive elements and references to the issuer.

• Coherence: Statements constituting a scientific text are related by meaning and are always subordinate to the topic. The conditions under coherence include the communicative situation and the type of text, which should meet the expectations of the receiver.
• Internal cohesion: In scientific texts, discourse markers (connectors, information structurers, reformulators) and deictic expressions are particularly relevant.

Morphosyntactic Characteristics

Statements without reference to the issuer are more appropriate in scientific texts, as they reflect the objectivity and validity of science.

Types of Sentences

Declarative sentences, interrogative sentences with didactic purposes, impersonal and passive reflexive sentences, subordinate adverbial, and substantive clauses.

Nominalizations

The action ceases to be named by verbs, and nominalizations are preferred (e.g., classification, addition). There are also nominalizations of qualities (e.g., viscosity).