Legislative system in Hong Kong

[Jiayun]

Hi all,

Could you please help check the paragraph below? Thanks!

The function of the Legislative Council (“LegCo”) in Hong Kong is similar to that of the U.K. parliament. However, not every member of the LegCo is directly elected by the general public. Around one-third of the members of the LegCo belong to the so called functional constituency. Such LegCo members are elected by members of different sectors of the society. For example, the LegCo member who represents the business sector can only be elected by the senior management of certain companies or corporations in Hong Kong. That is why people call the election of functional constituency members is a small circle election.

JY

 

[Tdol]

so called- I would use so-called
In the last sentence, it reads better if you remove the final is.

 

[charliedeut]

I think capitalizing Parliament would also be a good idea.

charliedeut

 

[Academic Writing]

I agree with Tdol and charlie.

Also I'd consider hyphenating "functional-constituency members" and "small-circle election" unless those terms are generally left open in your field even when used as compound modifiers (quite possible, but I figured I'd mention it just in case). It also seems like you could delete the word the in the society.

Finally, I'm not sure but I'm guessing you are following Oxford style. If so, I'd check the style guideline for the hyphen in "one-third." For instance, Chicago style uses the hyphen in that structure, but APA does not. I don't remember Oxford's regulation off the top of my head.

Overall though Jiayun, those are minor details and your paragraph is very well written. Congrats!

 

[Academic Writing]

Oh, one other thing that I forgot to mention was that I wonder if you could reduce "companies or corporations" to just one word or the other (that is, if there is not really a difference between the two, just use one term for conciseness). If there is a specific difference that is defined in your study or is understood by default by your readership, then certainly I would leave both terms as you have them.

 

[Jiayun]

Hi there,

Actually I know nothing about Oxford style. I used hyphen because I find it is quite commonly used in the English writings. By the way, I am not sure what you meant by "I don't remember Oxford's regulation off the top of my head." Do you mean you do not memorize Oxford's regulation by heart?

I agree with Tdol and charlie.

Also I'd consider hyphenating "functional-constituency members" and "small-circle election" unless those terms are generally left open in your field even when used as compound modifiers (quite possible, but I figured I'd mention it just in case). It also seems like you could delete the word the in the society.

Finally, I'm not sure but I'm guessing you are following Oxford style. If so, I'd check the style guideline for the hyphen in "one-third." For instance, Chicago style uses the hyphen in that structure, but APA does not. I don't remember Oxford's regulation off the top of my head.

Overall though Jiayun, those are minor details and your paragraph is very well written. Congrats!

 

[charliedeut]

Hi,

See entry "+phrases" here for the meaning of the idiom.

charliedeut

 

[Academic Writing]

Hi there,
By the way, I am not sure what you meant by "I don't remember Oxford's regulation off the top of my head." Do you mean you do not memorize Oxford's regulation by heart?

No, you don't have to memorize Oxford (either the dictionary or the Oxford Style Manual). See the link Charlie gave for a definition of "off the top of my head" (and I apologize for not using a more direct phrase!).

I was referring to my own, limited memory of the Oxford Style Manual because you seem to be writing about an academic subject and this might or might not be an appropriate style guide for you to follow. In the US, some academic disciplines follow the editorial guidelines of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, some follow the Chicago Manual of Style, some follow the MLA Handbook, and so forth. There are specific reasons that disciplines tend to use a certain style.

I am not sure what kind of document you are writing. If it is a practice essay for an English test, you don't have to worry about a style guide and you can ignore that part of my comment (unless you know what academic discipline you will be studying and what country you will be studying in, in which case you could begin practicing that style if you so choose). If you are writing a scholarly article, then the style guide will help you understand the preferences in your field.

My limited understanding is that the Oxford Style Manual is a common guide for academic writers outside the US. I said "I don't remember . . . " because, although I perused Oxford's guidelines years ago, I don't remember them as well as I remember the guidelines that I reference frequently (APA, Chicago, etc.). Even for the latter guides, I only remember a modest portion and use them daily for reference. I just meant that, if you are writing an academic paper, you should find out what style guide is preferred by your academic discipline (or by the specific journal you are submitting to) so that you can follow the guide's recommendations because standards of usage change from guide to guide.

Papers written in Chicago style would say "one-third of members."
Papers written in APA style would say "one third of members."
Papers written in Oxford style would say . . . (I am not sure!)

Actually, I just searched Barnes & Noble and it looks like a new version called the New Oxford Style Manual will be coming out September 7, 2012.

 

[Jiayun]

Thanks for your detailed explanation. Actually I am not writing for any specific purpose. I am just writing to practise and improve my English. I wrote about the legislative system only because I am interested in politics and I find it easier or more motivated to write something that I am interested in. :lol:

No, you don't have to memorize Oxford (either the dictionary or the Oxford Style Manual). See the link Charlie gave for a definition of "off the top of my head" (and I apologize for not using a more direct phrase!).

I was referring to my own, limited memory of the Oxford Style Manual because you seem to be writing about an academic subject and this might or might not be an appropriate style guide for you to follow. In the US, some academic disciplines follow the editorial guidelines of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, some follow the Chicago Manual of Style, some follow the MLA Handbook, and so forth. There are specific reasons that disciplines tend to use a certain style.

I am not sure what kind of document you are writing. If it is a practice essay for an English test, you don't have to worry about a style guide and you can ignore that part of my comment (unless you know what academic discipline you will be studying and what country you will be studying in, in which case you could begin practicing that style if you so choose). If you are writing a scholarly article, then the style guide will help you understand the preferences in your field.

My limited understanding is that the Oxford Style Manual is a common guide for academic writers outside the US. I said "I don't remember . . . " because, although I perused Oxford's guidelines years ago, I don't remember them as well as I remember the guidelines that I reference frequently (APA, Chicago, etc.). Even for the latter guides, I only remember a modest portion and use them daily for reference. I just meant that, if you are writing an academic paper, you should find out what style guide is preferred by your academic discipline (or by the specific journal you are submitting to) so that you can follow the guide's recommendations because standards of usage change from guide to guide.

Papers written in Chicago style would say "one-third of members."
Papers written in APA style would say "one third of members."
Papers written in Oxford style would say . . . (I am not sure!)

Actually, I just searched Barnes & Noble and it looks like a new version called the New Oxford Style Manual will be coming out September 7, 2012.