Eng 01 Reviewer

THE NATURE OF TECHNICAL WRITING
TECHNICAL WRITING is a typ e o f w ritin g w h ere th e a u th o r is w ritin g a p a rtic u la r s u b je c t

th a t req u ire s :
1 . D irec tio n , In s tru c tio n , o r E xp la n a tio n

2 . H a s a v ery d iffe re n t p u rp o s e
3 . D iffe ren t c h a ra c teris tic s th a n o th er w ritin g s tyles s u c h a s c re a tiv e w ritin g ,
a c a d em ic w ritin g o r b u s in es s w ritin g .
The pioneer in 1 9 4 9 , th e firs t p iec e o f e s ta b lis he d tec h n ic a l w ritin g w a s p u b lis h e d b y

J o s e p h C h a p lin e , w h o w ro te a u s e r m a n u a l fo r th e c o m p u ter h e d e ve lo p e d , th e B IN A C .
The growth years It w as in th e '6 0 s w h en th e in d u s try rea lly s ta rted to b o o m . W ith th e ris e
o f c o m p u ter a n d a ero n a utic s tec h n o lo g ies c a m e a ris e in d e m a nd fo r w riters w h o c o u ld
p ro vid e in tu itiv e, w ell-in fo rm ed e xp la n a tio n s o f th e m a c h in e s a n d p ro c es s e s b ein g
d e ve lo p ed to rea d ers w h o ne ed ed in -d ep th in fo rm a tio n o n th e s e s u b jec ts . B y th e ea rly
'7 0 s , jo urn a ls d e d ic a ted to te c h n ic a l c o m m u n ic a tio n w e re c o m in g to fru itio n . H o w ev er,
tec h n ic a l w ritin g w a s n o t le g a lly re c o g n ize d a s a p ro fes s io n u n til 1 9 8 0 .
THE SUBJECT OF TECHNICAL WRITING
Tangible- s o m eth in g th a t c a n b e s een o r to u c h ed , s u c h a s a c o m p u ter o r s o ftw a re

p ro g ra m , o r in fo rm a tio n o n h o w to a s s e m b le a p iec e o f f u rn itu re .
Abstract- s o m e th in g th a t in v o lve d a s eries th a t a ren ’ t re la te d to a ta n g ib le o b jec t.
O n e ex am p le o f th is m ig h t b e s tep s re q u ire d to c o m p u ter a n o ffic e p ro c e s s .
CHARACTERISTICS
1 . P res e nts a n d e xp la in s a s u b je c t m a tte r in a c lea r, o b je c tive , a c c u ra te, c o n c is e, a n d

u n em o tio n a l m a n n e r.
2 . U s e s a rela tive ly h ig h c o n c e n tra tio n o f c erta in c o m p lex a n d im p o rta n t w ritin g
tec h n iq u es p a rtic u la rly d e s c rip tio n o f a m e c h a n is m , d e s c rip tio n o f p ro c e s s ,
c la rific a tio n , c a u s e a nd effe c t, c o m p a ris o n a n d c o n tra s t, a n a lo g y a n d
in te rp reta tio n .
3 . H ig h ly utiliz es tec h n ic a l v o c a b u la ry. It u tiliz es ta b les , g ra p h s a n d fig u res to c la rify
a n d s u p p o rt te xtu a l d is c u s s io n . It u s es th e c o n ve n tio n a l rep o rt fo rm s .
FUNCTIONS OF TECHNICAL WRITING

T o s e rv e a s a b a s is fo r m a n a g e m e n t T o p ro vid e re p o rt to s to c k h o ld ers o f
To fu rn is h n ee d e d in fo rm a tio n To re c o rd b u s in es s th ro u g h
T o g iv e in s tru c tio n s To p ro c u re b u s in es s th ro u g h
T o s e rv e a s a b a s is fo r p u b lic rela tio n s To p ro c u re b u s in es s th ro u g h
TYPES OF TECHNICAL WRITING
P ro p o s a ls , In s tru c tio n s a n d P ro c ed u re s , E m a ils , Le tters a n d M em o ra n d a , P res s R e lea s e s ,

S p e c ific a tio n s , D es c rip tio n s , C a s e S tu d y, R es u m e a n d J o b A p p lic a tio n , W h ite P a p ers ,
T ec h n ic a l R ep o rts , W eb s ite s
CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE TECHNICAL WRITING THE 7 Cs OF PROFESSIONAL

WRITING
Applying the 7 Cs of professional communication will result in writing that is
CLEAR w ritin g in v o lve s k n o w in g w h at yo u w a n t to s a y b e fo re yo u s ay it b ec a u s e o f te n a

la c k o f c la rity c o m es fro m u n c le a r th in k in g o r p o o r p la n n in g ; th is , u n fo rtu n a tely, lea d s to
c o n fu s ed o r a nn o yed re a d e rs . C le a r w ritin g c o n v eys th e p u rp o s e o f th e d o c u m e n t
im m e d ia te ly to th e rea d er; it m a tc h e s vo c a b u la ry to th e a u d ie n c e , a vo id in g ja rg o n an d
u n n ec es s a ry te c h n ic a l o r o b s c u re la n g u a g e w h ile a t th e s a m e tim e b e in g p rec is e . In
c la rifyin g yo u r id ea s , e n s u re th a t ea c h s e n te n c e c o n ve ys o n e id e a , a n d th a t ea c h
p a ra g ra p h th o ro u g h ly d ev elo p s o n e u n ified c o n c ep t.
COHERENT w ritin g e n s u res th a t the re a d e r c a n e a s ily fo llo w yo u r id e a s a n d yo u r tra in o f

th o u g h t. O n e id ea s h o u ld le a d lo g ic a lly in to th e n e xt th ro u g h th e u s e o f tra n s itio n a l w o rd s
a n d p h ra s e s , s tru c tu ra l m a rk ers , p la n n ed re p e titio n , s e nte n c e s w ith c le a r s u b je c ts ,
h ea d in g s th a t a re c lea r, a n d e ffe c tiv e a n d p a ra llel lis ts . W ritin g th a t la c k s c o h e re n c e o ften
s o u n d s “ c h o p p y” a n d id e a s s ee m d is c o n n e c ted o r in c o m p lete. C o h e re n tly c o n n ec tin g
id e a s is lik e b u ild in g b rid g es b e tw e en is lan d s o f th o u g h t s o th e rea d er c a n ea s ily m o v e
fro m o n e id ea to th e n e xt.
CONCISE w ritin g u s es th e lea s t w o rd s p o s s ib le to c o n ve y th e m o s t m e a n in g w hile s till

m a in ta in in g c la rity. A v o id u n n e c e s s a ry p a d d in g , aw k w a rd p h ra s in g , o ve ru s e o f “ to b e ”
fo rm s (is , a re , w a s , w e re, a m , b e , b e ing ), lo n g p rep o s itio n s trin g s , va g u en e s s , u n n ec es s a ry
rep etitio n a n d red u n d a n c y. U s e a c tiv e ve rb s w he n ev er p o s s ib le a n d ta k e th e tim e to
c h o o s e a s in g le w o rd ra th er th a n a lo n g p h ra s e o r c lic h ed e xp res s io n . T h in k o f yo u r w o rd
c o u n t lik e a b u d g e t; b e c o s t eff ec tiv e b y m a k in g s ure e ve ry w o rd yo u c h o o s e d o e s
ef fec tiv e w o rk fo r yo u . C u t a w o rd , s a ve a b u c k ! A s W illia m Z in s s e r a s s erts , “ th e s ec re t
o f g o o d w riting is to s trip e ve ry s e n te n c e to its c lea n e s t c o m p o n en ts .”
CONCRETE w ritin g in vo lv es u s in g s p ec ific , p rec is e la n g u a g e to p a in t a p ic tu re fo r yo u r

rea d ers s o th a t th e y c a n m o re ea s ily u nd ers ta n d yo u r id ea s . If yo u h a ve to e xp lain a n
a b s tra c t c o n c ep t o r id e a , try to u s e e xa m p les , a na lo g ies , a n d p rec is e la n g u a g e to
illu s tra te it. U s e m e a s u ra b le d e s c rip to rs w h e n ev er p o s s ib le ; a v o id v a g u e te rm s lik e “ b ig ”
or “ go od.” T ry to g e t yo ur rea d e rs to “ s e e” yo u r id e a s b y us in g s p ec ific te rm s a n d
d e s c rip tio n s .
CORRECT w ritin g u s e s s ta n d a rd E n g lis h p u n c tu a tio n , s en ten c e s tru c tu re , u s a g e, a nd

g ra m m a r. B ein g c o rrec t a ls o m ea n s p ro v id in g a c c u ra te in fo rm a tio n , a s w e ll a s u s ing th e
rig h t d o c u m e n t typ e an d fo rm fo r th e ta s k
COMPLETE w ritin g in c lu d es a ll req u es te d in f o rm a tio n a n d a n s w ers a ll relev a n t q u es tio n s .

T h e m o re c o n c re te a nd s p e c ific yo u a re, th e m o re lik ely yo u r d o c u m en t w ill b e c o m p lete
a s w e ll. R ev iew yo u r c h ec k lis t o f s p ec if ic a tio n s b efo re s u b m ittin g yo u r d o c u m en t to its
in te n d e d rea d er.
COURTEOUS w ritin g en ta ils d es ig n in g a rea d er-frien d ly, e a s y-to -re ad d o c u m en t; u s in g

ta c tfu l la n g u ag e a n d a p p ro p ria te m o d es o f a d d res s in g th e a u d ie nc e; a n d a v o id in g
p o ten tia lly o ffe n s ive te rm in o lo g y, u s a g e , a n d to n e. A s w e h av e d is c u s s ed in a n ea rly
s ec tio n , w ith o u t c o u rte s y yo u c a n n o t b e c o n s tru c tive

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THE NATURE OF TECHNICAL WRITING

TECHNICAL WRITING is a typ e o f w ritin g w h ere th e a u th o r is w ritin g a p a rtic u la r s u b je c t

1 . D irec tio n , In s tru c tio n , o r E xp la n a tio n

The pioneer in 1 9 4 9 , th e firs t p iec e o f e s ta b lis he d tec h n ic a l w ritin g w a s p u b lis h e d b y

THE SUBJECT OF TECHNICAL WRITING

Tangible- s o m eth in g th a t c a n b e s een o r to u c h ed , s u c h a s a c o m p u ter o r s o ftw a re

1 . P res e nts a n d e xp la in s a s u b je c t m a tte r in a c lea r, o b je c tive , a c c u ra te, c o n c is e, a n d

FUNCTIONS OF TECHNICAL WRITING

T o s e rv e a s a b a s is fo r p u b lic rela tio n s To p ro c u re b u s in es s th ro u g h

TYPES OF TECHNICAL WRITING

P ro p o s a ls , In s tru c tio n s a n d P ro c ed u re s , E m a ils , Le tters a n d M em o ra n d a , P res s R e lea s e s ,

CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE TECHNICAL WRITING THE 7 Cs OF PROFESSIONAL

Applying the 7 Cs of professional communication will result in writing that is

CLEAR w ritin g in v o lve s k n o w in g w h at yo u w a n t to s a y b e fo re yo u s ay it b ec a u s e o f te n a

COHERENT w ritin g e n s u res th a t the re a d e r c a n e a s ily fo llo w yo u r id e a s a n d yo u r tra in o f

CONCISE w ritin g u s es th e lea s t w o rd s p o s s ib le to c o n ve y th e m o s t m e a n in g w hile s till

CONCRETE w ritin g in vo lv es u s in g s p ec ific , p rec is e la n g u a g e to p a in t a p ic tu re fo r yo u r

CORRECT w ritin g u s e s s ta n d a rd E n g lis h p u n c tu a tio n , s en ten c e s tru c tu re , u s a g e, a nd

COMPLETE w ritin g in c lu d es a ll req u es te d in f o rm a tio n a n d a n s w ers a ll relev a n t q u es tio n s .

COURTEOUS w ritin g en ta ils d es ig n in g a rea d er-frien d ly, e a s y-to -re ad d o c u m en t; u s in g

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