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I wrote:

As can be observed from Figure 3, there exist sufficient white pixels on the edges of the pallet car, that reside on a straight line.

Should I use "that reside on a straight line" close to "sufficient white pixels"? If yes, how can I do this?

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  • 1
    Without knowing what Figure 3 looks like, it's a challenge to understand what the sentence is meant to express. – P. E. Dant Oct 11 '16 at 18:56
  • If they're on the edge, they must be on a straight line. Is it a sufficient number of white pixels that is needed? – Tᴚoɯɐuo Oct 11 '16 at 21:38
  • @TRomano the edge may not be completely strait and slightly bent, but majority of pixels reside on a straight line. – Ahmad Oct 12 '16 at 5:02
  • That goes to show that it is difficult to give you sound advice when you supply very limited context. I don't understand the plural, edges, then. Are there several straight lines? – Tᴚoɯɐuo Oct 12 '16 at 10:13
  • Get rid of the existential construction "there exist" and the ponderous "as can be observed from...". Something like: In Figure 3, the number of white pixels that reside on (a) straight line(s) along the pallet car's edge(s) is sufficient to determine.... Again, not sure about the plurals. – Tᴚoɯɐuo Oct 12 '16 at 10:24
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Not necessarily, but the best choice depends on which details you would like to emphasize. I don't know the context of the sentence, so a few options are below to hopefully cover this specific use case (there could well be a couple suitable stylistic approaches):

a.) "...there exist sufficient white pixels on the edges of the pallet car that reside on a straight line."

--> This implies that it's important that these pixels reside on a straight line vs. others on the edges of the pallet. Stylistically it's a bit wordy.

b.) "...there exist sufficient white pixels on the edges of the pallet car, which reside on a straight line."

--> This implies that there exist sufficient pixels on the edges of the pallet car, and they happen to also be in a straight line (for the reader's reference).

c.) "...there exist sufficient white pixels residing/that reside on a straight line on the edges of the pallet car."

--> Similar to a.) and probably stylistically cleaner; implies that it's important that these pixels reside on a straight line as a defining characteristic of these pixels

d.) "...there exist sufficient white pixels, residing on a straight line on the edges of the pallet car."

--> Similar to f.) implies that there are sufficient white pixels in general, and that you can see them residing on a straight line on the edges of the pallet car.

d.) "...there exist sufficient white pixels, which reside on a straight line, on the edges of the pallet car."

--> Similar to b.); emphasizes that there are sufficient white pixels on the edges of the pallet car, and that they area also in a straight line (for reference).

f.) "...there exist sufficient white pixels, which reside on a straight line on the edges of the pallet car."

--> Implies in that there are sufficient white pixels (in general)and that they happen to both reside on a straight line and be on the edges of the pallet car.

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  • There is entirely too much existing and residing going on here, @Ahmad . It's overly complicated, hard to fathom, and unnecessarily verbose. Try this: "...there are sufficient white pixels on a straight line on the edges of the pallet car." – P. E. Dant Oct 11 '16 at 20:17

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