Prelim Flashcards
FIVE COMPONENTS OF TECHNICAL WRITING
Development
Grammar
Organization
Style
Document design
• Technical writing requires a logical method of that will give shape and structure to
the document being write. helps us sort out information and shape paragraphs or
essays. They can help organize an outline, or depending on the purpose they can determine the
form that a paper will take. Remember that most paper will use a combination of methods, working
together in function of each other
DEVELOPMENT
how writers chose to elaborate their main idea. Details bring our ideas to life. A
conversation without details is like a blank canvas, plain and lacking color until the painter arrives.
Writers who develop their ideas usually do a better job of keeping their readers’ attention and
gaining their readers’ trust. To develop your ideas, you’ll need to know what types of
you should use with your particular audience and focus. With this information, you can then
present convincing details to your readers.
Development
Methods of Development
Cause and effect
Chronological
Comparison
Definition
Division and classification
General and specific
Order of importance
Sequential
Spatial
used to develop a report that offers a solution to a problem, beginning with the problem and
moving on to the solution or vice versa.
Example:
The family have a picnic planned for Sunday afternoon. However, the weather becomes
stormy and they have to cancel their outdoor plans.
Cause and Effect
narrative method of development might help you find a
way to add both interest and content to your essay. Material arranged is
explained as it occurs in time. This pattern may be used to establish what was happened next.
Example:
The rehearsal dinner will be on Friday night. Afterward, we are hoping that many of the
guests will help to clean the area for tomorrow’s wedding
Chronological
. useful when writing about a new topic that is more familiar to your readers.
Examples of Comparison Words: like, similar to, also, unlike, similarly, in the same way, likewise,
again, compared to, in contrast, in like manner, contrasted with, on the contrary, however, although,
yet, even though, still, but, nevertheless, conversely, at the same time, regardless, despite, while, on
the one hand, on the other hand etc.
Comparison
. extends definition with additional details, examples, comparisons, or other
explanatory devices.
The format for technical definition works like this:
TERM= CLASSIFICATION + DIFFERENTIATION
Definition
. Either separates a whole into component parts and discusses
each part separately (division) or groups parts into categories that clarify the relationship of
the parts (classification).
Division-and-classification
. Proceeds either from general information to specific details
or from specific information to a general conclusion.
General and specific
. Presents information in either decreasing
of proposal that begins with the most important point, or increasing order of importance, as in
presentation that ends with the most important point.
Order –of-importance
. Emphasizes the order of elements in a process and is particularly useful when
writing step-by-step instructions.
Sequential
. Describes the physical appearance of an object or area from top to bottom, inside to
outside, front to back, and so on.
Spatial
is the structural foundation of our ability to express ourselves.
• Convey Your Exact Meaning Through Correct Punctuation. Correct punctuation allows you
to convey your meaning easily and smoothly. Punctuation allows writers to convey subtle and
precise meaning to their readers
Grammar
This is really important if you are writing for a business
and need to stand out from the crowd.
i. If a potential buyer reads two ads for similar products, one with perfect grammar and the
other peppered with mistakes, which one would they be more likely to purchase?
ii. If a business publishes work containing grammatical errors, it gives the impression that
they do not care about details. This makes them look unprofessional which does not reflect
well on their product.
Good Grammar Increases Credibility.
of ideas is essential to the success of any writing project. Formal
report or an effective presentation
organization
Good organization is achieved by:
- Outlining Using a logical and an appropriate method of development that suits your
subject, your audience, and your purpose. - Take note:
A well-organized document also has a carefully considered layout and design
that will be helpful to readers and a format that suits one’s subject and purpose
. In technical writing it should be (almost, always) concise, precise, direct and well organized
STYLE
Examples of editing for concision
Before: Keep this information on file for future reference
After: File this information.
Before: We need to act on the suggestions that the supervisors offer us.
After: We need to act on the supervisor’s suggestions.
CONCISE
▪ Statements are verifiable.
▪ Statements are specific and meaningful.
▪ Descriptors are quantified whenever possible.
▪ Word choice accurately represents the level of certainty
PRECISE
▪ Clearly state the purpose and scope of a document or communication at the start
— get to the point quickly.
▪ Use concise, meaningful subject lines for professional emails
DIRECT
▪ Outline the document
▪ Use an advance organizer
▪ Divide longer documents with headings and subheadings
▪ Use transition words and phrases
▪ Use simple, direct topic sentences.
▪ Short, denotative words
▪ Short sentences
▪ Short paragraphs with information clarified through graphics, charts, graphs, etc.
▪ Note: Readers of technical writing do not have time, nor necessarily an interest in
the subject matter. Brevity is important in critical situations where people need to
digest information quickly
WELL ORGANIZED
. the physical layout of the correspondence. Essays consist of words, words, and more
words, separated by indentations to create paragraphs. Technical writing, in contrast, uses highlighting
techniques and graphics for visual appeal to help the reader access and understand the data
DOCUMENT DESIGN
. Correctly formatting your text is important when it comes to the overall look and
feel of your document, but also when it comes to readability.
Text/ Typeface
