Technical Writing Style

To communicate well through your writing, you need to develop clear

smooth style. You must develop a standard by which to judge your own
writing.
Guidelines

for writing clear sentences:

Remember to use normal word order, write sentences of 12 to 25 words,

use parallelism and place the main idea first.
Use

Normal Word Order:

The normal word order in English is subject-verb-object. This order usually

produces the clearest, most concise sentences. If you change the order,
you emphasize the parts of the sentence that are out of place but often
your sentence is just wordy.
Dietitians write memos to doctors. Clear
Memos to doctors are kinds of writing done by dietitians. Wordy
Write a sentence of 12 to 25 words:

An easy to read sentence is 12 to 25 words long. Shorter or longer

sentences are weaker because they become too simple or too complicated.

Cont...

Use Active Voice Sentences:

Active Voice is more direct than the Passive Voice. The active voice allows you to
natural, direct and concise sentence; it places the emphasis on the performer of the
action rather than the receiver.
An insulator surrounds the electrode.
The electrode is surrounded by an insulator.

Active
Passive.

Use parallel structure:

Using parallel structure means using similar structure for similar element. Careful
writers use parallel structure for coordinate elements_ elements with equal value in a
sentence.
Faulty
A successful firm is capable of manufacturing a product, marketing it and
make a profit.
Parallel A successful firm is capable of manufacturing a product, marketing it and
making a profit.

Put the Main Idea First:

Place the sentence main idea__ the subject__ first. When you do so, you provide
context for what follows.

A heaving line which is a coiled line or rope, a heaving jug which is a plastic
container such as milk or bleach bottle with a half-inch of water in it to give it a
buoyancy and line or rope connected to the jug and a ring buoy and line are three

Cont

Writing Clear Paragraphs

A paragraph consists of several sentences introduced by a topic paragraph. The topic
sentence expresses the paragraphs central idea and the remaining sentences
develop, explain and support the central idea. You should generally place the topic
sentence first and structure paragraph coherently, making each sentence expand on
the idea of the topic sentence.

Put the topic sentence First:

In technical writing, almost all the paragraphs begin with topic sentence, followed by
several sentences that explain its central idea. This structure called deductive, gives
your paragraph, the direct, straightforward style, preferred by most report readers.
Assembly drawings are drawings that portray and explain the completely
fabricated final product. ..

Topic Sentence

Supporting Detail

............
.

Structure Paragraph Coherently:

coherent structure means that each sentence amplifies the point of the topic sentence.
You achieve coherence by words you choose and by the way you place sentence in
paragraph. You can indicate coherence by using words in four ways; by repeating
terms, by placing key terms in the dominant position, by indicating class or
membership and by using transitions.

Cont

Repeat Terms: Repeat terms in order to emphasize them.

Because fluid does not compress, its only path is between the gears and
the housing. This path is least resistant.

Path is repeated in the second sentence to provide further details.

Use the dominant position: It means to repeat a key term as the subject or main
idea of a sentence.
Contrast is one of the most important concepts in the black and white
printing. Soft contrast is . contrast is dominant.
Maintain Class or Member Relationship: to indicate class or member
relationship, use the words that show subsequent sentences are subpart of the topic
sentence.
Retailing has two career paths. Store management involves working in the
store itself. Merchandising involves working in the buying office.
In the above sentences store management and merchandising are member
of the class career paths
Provide Transition: using transition means connecting sentences by using words

Cont
Arrange

Sentences by Level: you can also develop coherence by the way you place

sentences in a paragraph. In almost all technical paragraphs each sentence has level. First
level is topic sentence. The second level consists of sentences that support or explain the
topic sentence. The third level consists of sentences that develop one of the second level
ideas. Fourth sentence, could have several different relationships.
Guidelines

for Revising for Clarity:

As you revise drafts, you should look for language that might cause confusion and make your
writing hard to grasp.
Avoid

Strings of Choppy sentences:

Choppiness results from strings of short sentences. Since each idea appears as an
independent sentence, the effect of such a string is to make all the ideas seem equal to one
another. As a consequence, the writing does not clearly emphasize the important idea. The
remedy for this problem is to combine and subordinate ideas so that only the important ones
are expressed as main clause.
The bowl is made from stainless steel. This material makes it
lightweight and durable. The weight of the bowl is four pounds.
The use of stainless steel also allows for easy cleaning.
Because the bowl is made from stainless steel, it is durable, easy
to clean, and lightweight only four pound.
Which paragraph is choppy which one is clear?

Cont
Avoid

wordiness:

Generally

ideas are most effective when they are expressed

concisely. This guideline does not mean that you should write
sentences in telegram style with all short words deleted. But it
does mean that you should eliminate all excess wording. Watch
especially for redundancy, unnecessary intensifiers (such as
very), unnecessary repetition, unnecessary subordinate
clauses, and unnecessary prepositional phrases.
Two important concepts that go along with field are inventory
control and marketing.( unnecessary sub. Clause)
Two important concepts in this field are inventory control and
marketing.( Revised)
It is made of very thin glass that is milky white in color.( revise
it.)
Avoid Redundant Phrases: Since redundancy is such a
common problem, here is a list of some common redundancies
and their corrections.

Cont.
Redundant

phrases.

More concise

Words
Due to the fact that because.
Employed the use of used
Completely eliminate eliminate
Connected togetherconnected
Final result result
Prove conclusively prove
In as few words as possible concisely

Cont

Avoid Abstract and General Terms:

Given choices between, abstract, highly technical
words and simple, concrete, specific words conveying
the same meaning, always choose the concrete ones.
If you must use a potentially confusing word, define it.
Avoid or immediately clarify general terms( such as
excessive, numerous and frequently) and words of
judgment(such as effective, mediocre and significant).
Specific words tell the reader far more.
Use there are Sparingly.
Use there are for emphasis or to avoid the verb exist.
No easy answers exist. Weaker
There are no easy answers. stronger

Cont
Avoid

Nominalization:
Avoid using too many nominalizations verbs turned into nouns by
adding a suffix as ion, -ity, -ment, or ness. It weakens sentences by
presenting the action as a static nouns rather than as an active verb.
Determination of this percentage figure calls for an canalization of
various errors and failures that occurred in planned purchases and
allowances on merchandise given to employees. ( static)
Determine this percentage figure by analyzing the errors that
occurred in planned purchases and in allowances on merchandise
given to employees. ( active)
Avoid Sexist Language:
Language is considered sexist when pronoun indicate only one sex
when both are intended. Several strategies will help you write
smooth nonsexist sentences. Avoid such phrases as he/she or s/he.
An occasional he or she is acceptable, but a number of them in a
short space destroys the sense of the passage.
The clerk must make sure that he punches in.
Sexist
The clerk must make sure to punch in.
Revise by infinitive

Cont
Make

the parallel structure.

It serves the purpose of pulling the sheet off the coil and to
straighten or guide the sheet through the rest of the machine.
The two main functions of the tractor are supplying the
necessary power to pull the load and to provide steering to
guide the vehicle.
Organizing clearly:
We should follow guidelines for clarifying your organization to
your reader. These guidelines allow us to write readable
documents that steer readers effortlessly through the topic.
Use Context-Setting Introduction: your introduction should
supply overall framework so that the reader can grasp the later
details that explain and fill it. You can use an introduction to
orient readers to contents of the document in one of three ways
(a) Define Terms (b) Tell Why Are You Writing. (c) State the Purpose of
the Document.