English manuscript writing rules (loaded when language=en)

For materials-science SCI submissions. Reviewers penalize violations even when quality_check doesn't catch them all.

Title / Abstract / Keywords

Title: state what was done + system + key finding; avoid "Study on…/Investigation of…" filler; minimize abbreviations.
Abstract: 150-320 words, self-contained, covering background/aim, methods, quantitative results, conclusion. No citation markers [n] and no figure/table numbers inside the abstract. Structured abstract only if the journal requires it.
Keywords: 3-6, complementary to the title (don't just repeat it); cover material system + method + property.

Introduction: funnel structure; the final paragraph must state the aim and contribution of this work. Each paragraph makes a point — not a citation list.
Materials and Methods: reproducibility is mandatory — raw material source/purity/composition, mix proportions (with values + units), processing (temperature/time/heating-cooling schedule/atmosphere), characterization instrument models + parameters + standards (ASTM/EN/ISO). Never "by conventional method".
Results: report, don't interpret (interpretation belongs to Discussion). Every figure/table is cited and described in text; data carry units + uncertainty/SD; highlight key numbers, don't restate every value in a table.
Discussion: mechanism, comparison with literature (cited), limitations; do not restate Results numbers; answer the question posed in the Introduction.
Conclusion: itemized + quantitative; introduce no new data; outlook optional, not vague.

Tense: Methods & Results in past tense (what you did/found); established facts and conclusions in present tense.
Voice: active voice is increasingly accepted ("We measured…"); keep it consistent; avoid dangling modifiers.
Terminology consistent throughout (one concept = one term). Define abbreviations at first use: C-S-H, C₃S, AFt (ettringite), etc.
SI units and standard symbols (MPa, °C, wt%, mol/L); correct spacing between number and unit.
No overclaiming: "world-first / unprecedented / groundbreaking / state-of-the-art" without evidence (quality_check flags these). Let data speak.
Figures: cite before showing; caption below figure, title above table; axes labelled with units; no ASCII art (use mermaid or matplotlib PNG).
Watch common L2 issues: article use (a/the), subject-verb agreement, "respectively" placement, comma splices.

No fabrication / no result beautification / no selective reporting; report negative results honestly.
Citations must be real and verified via citation_verify.md; no plagiarism, no duplicate submission.
Disclose AI-assisted writing if the target journal requires it.
Funding / ethics / competing interests as required; mark <TODO> when user input is needed.

"Study on…" title with no finding / [n] markers inside abstract / interpreting mechanism in Results
Methods saying "conventional/appropriate/certain temperature" (not reproducible) / Discussion restating Results numbers
Fabricated data or citations / rendering while [CITE-xx] placeholders remain