Lec 3-Style in Technical Writing

Style in Technical Writing
Overview of Style
Definition of Style
The features of ones writing that show

its individuality separating it from
the writing of others and shaping it to
fit the needs of particular situations
Pfeiffer: Technical Communication 2006 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Writing Clear Sentences
Sentence Terms
The most important sentence

parts are the
Subject
the person doing the action or the

thing being discussed
Verb
the action or state of being
Guidelines for Sentence Style
Place the Main Point Near the Beginning
Original: After reviewing the growth of the

Cleveland office, it was decided by the
corporate staff that an additional lab
should be constructed at the Cleveland
location.
Revision: The corporate staff decided to
build a new lab in Cleveland after
reviewing the growth of the office there.
Focus on One Main Clause in Each Sentence

Original: The McDuff hiring committee
planned to interview Jim Steinway today,
but bad weather delayed his plane
departure, and the committee had to
reschedule the interview for tomorrow
Revision: The McDuff hiring committee
had to change Jim Steinways interview
from today to tomorrow because bad
weather delayed his flight.
Vary Sentence Length but Seek an

Average Length of 15 20 words
Exercise
This study was conducted to identify, to the

extent possible, based on available
information from the city files and the criteria
described in our proposal of June 18, 2006,
whether activities near the site may have
involved the use, storage, disposal, or release
of hazardous or potentially hazardous
substances to the environment.
8
This study was conducted to identify, to the

extent possible, based on available
information from the city files and the criteria
described in our proposal of June 18, 2006,
whether activities near the site may have
involved the use, storage, disposal, or release
of hazardous or potentially hazardous
substances to the environment.
This study was conducted to find out whether activities

near the site involved the use, storage, disposal, or
release of hazardous or potentially hazardous
substances to the environment. The study was based
on available information from the city files and on
criteria described in our June 18, 1996 proposal.
9
Being Concise
Replace Abstract Nouns with Verbs
Wordy: Confirmation of the contract

occurred yesterday.
Concise: The contract was confirmed
yesterday.
Shorten Wordy Phrases
along the lines of - like

during the course of - during
in the event that - if
10
Being Concise
Replace Long Words with Short

Ones
approximately - about
modification - change
undertake - try, attempt
Leave Out Clichs
last but not least

step in the right direction
skyrocketing costs
11
Being Concise
Make Writing More Direct by Reading

It Aloud
Indirect: We would like to suggest that

you consider directing your attention
toward completing the project before the
commencement of the seasonal monsoon
rains in the region of the project area.
Direct: We suggest you complete the
project before the monsoons begin.
12
Being Concise
Avoid There Are, It is, and

Similar Constructions
Original: There are many McDuff

projects that could be considered for
design awards.
Revision: Many McDuff projects could

be considered for design awards.
13
Being Concise
Cut Out Extra Words
Original: During the course of its field

work, the team will be engaged in the
process of reviewing all of the notes that
have been accumulated in previous
studies.
Revision: During its field work, the team
will
review all notes accumulated in previous
studies.
14
Being Accurate in Wording
Distinguish Facts from Opinions

Include Obvious Qualifying
Statements When Needed
Use Absolute Words Carefully
15
Exercise
Prior to commencing the project, they

met to prioritize their objectives.
Documentation of the results of the lab
test appeared in the final report.
In these modern times today, there are
new approaches that university
students should take to the job search.
16
Prior to commencing the project,

they met to prioritize their
objectives.
They met to rank the objectives before

starting the project.
17
Documentation of the results of the

lab test appeared in the final report.
The final report documented the

results of the lab test.
18
In these modern times today, there

are new approaches that university
students should take to the job
search.
Today, university students should take

new approaches to the job search.
19
Using the Active Voice
What Active and Passive Mean?
Active-Voice
Emphasizes the person (or thing)

performing the action
Passive-Voice
Emphasizes the recipient of the action

itself
20
When Should Actives and Passives

Be Used?
Use the active-voice when you want to
Emphasize who is responsible for an action

Stress the name of a company, whether
yours or the readers
Rewrite a top-heavy sentence so that the
person or thing doing the action is up front
Pare down the verbiage in your writing
21
When Should Actives and Passives Be

Used?
Use the passive-voice when you want to
Emphasize the receiver of the action or the action

itself rather than the person performing the
action
Avoid egocentric tones that result from
repetitious use of I, we, and the name of your
company
Break the monotony of writing that relies too
heavily on active-voice sentences
22
Using Nonsexist Language
Sexism and Language
The use of wording, especially

masculine pronouns like he or
him, to represent positions or
individuals who could be either men
or women
23
Techniques for Nonsexist Language
Avoid Personal Pronouns Altogether

Sexist: During his first day on the job,
any new employee must report to the
company doctor for his employment
physical.
Nonsexist: During the first day on the
job, each new employee must report to
the company doctor for a physical.
24
Techniques for Nonsexist Language
Avoid Personal Pronouns Altogether

Use Plural Pronouns Instead of Singular
Alternate Masculine and Feminine
Pronouns
Use Forms Like He or She, Hers or His,
and Him or Her
Shift to Second-Person Pronouns
Be Especially Careful of Titles and Letter
Salutations
25
- THE END -
26
Rewrite the following

sentences for better
There
is a reverse beeper on this model, which sounds
understanding
while the truck is backing.

The inspectors indicated that observation of the site
occurred on July 16, 2005.
A new engineer at Petronas receives his first promotion
after about a year.
Due to presence of a good deal of sand at the location,
evacuations are anticipated by us to be relatively
unstable.
The government at this point in time plans to
discontinue its testing of every item but will undertake
to implement testing again in approximately five
months.
27

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Style in Technical Writing

The features of ones writing that show

Writing Clear Sentences

The most important sentence

the person doing the action or the

the action or state of being

Writing Clear Sentences

Guidelines for Sentence Style

Place the Main Point Near the Beginning

Original: After reviewing the growth of the

Writing Clear Sentences

Guidelines for Sentence Style

Focus on One Main Clause in Each Sentence

Writing Clear Sentences

Guidelines for Sentence Style

Vary Sentence Length but Seek an

This study was conducted to identify, to the

This study was conducted to identify, to the

This study was conducted to find out whether activities

Replace Abstract Nouns with Verbs

Wordy: Confirmation of the contract

Shorten Wordy Phrases

along the lines of - like

Replace Long Words with Short

Leave Out Clichs

last but not least

Make Writing More Direct by Reading

Indirect: We would like to suggest that

Avoid There Are, It is, and

Original: There are many McDuff

Revision: Many McDuff projects could

Cut Out Extra Words

Original: During the course of its field

Being Accurate in Wording

Distinguish Facts from Opinions

Prior to commencing the project, they

Prior to commencing the project,

They met to rank the objectives before

Documentation of the results of the

The final report documented the

In these modern times today, there

Today, university students should take

Using the Active Voice

What Active and Passive Mean?

Emphasizes the person (or thing)

Emphasizes the recipient of the action

Using the Active Voice

When Should Actives and Passives

Use the active-voice when you want to

Emphasize who is responsible for an action

Using the Active Voice

When Should Actives and Passives Be

Use the passive-voice when you want to

Emphasize the receiver of the action or the action

Using Nonsexist Language

Sexism and Language

The use of wording, especially

Using Nonsexist Language

Techniques for Nonsexist Language

Avoid Personal Pronouns Altogether

Using Nonsexist Language

Techniques for Nonsexist Language

Avoid Personal Pronouns Altogether

Rewrite the following