Style advice for technical writing

1. Style advice for technical writing Dr. ArnettWRIT 3140

2. Advice from plainlanguage.gov • analyze your audience(s) • address separate audiences… separately

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5. Advice from plainlanguage.gov • analyze your audience(s) • address separate audiences… separately • get to the point quickly • state the purpose, state the main point, and omit background info

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8. Advice from plainlanguage.gov • analyze your audience(s) • address separate audiences… separately • get to the point quickly • state the purpose, state the main point, and omit background info • use “you” / imperative voice

10. Advice from plainlanguage.gov • analyze your audience(s) • address separate audiences… separately • get to the point quickly • state the purpose, state the main point, and omit background info • use “you” / imperative voice • use active voice and active verbs

11. Specific advice on language use (prepare to take notes)

12. Create“end focus.”

13. The Ford Pinto is a deeply flawed car from the 1970s. It had an unreinforced gas tank filler neck. If a rear-end collision occurred, it would rupture. Spilled gas would cause a fire.

14. The Ford Pinto is a deeply flawed car from the 1970s. It had an unreinforced gas tank filler neck. If a rear-end collision occurred, it would rupture. Spilled gas would cause a fire. lack of end focus

15. The Ford Pinto is a deeply flawed car from the 1970s. It had an unreinforced gas tank filler neck. If a rear-end collision occurred, it would rupture. Spilled gas would cause a fire. lack of end focus

16. The Ford Pinto is a deeply flawed car from the 1970s. This car’s flaw was its unreinforced gas tank filler neck. If a rear-end collision occurred, it would rupture. Spilled gas would cause a fire. lack of end focus partially fixed

17. The Ford Pinto is a deeply flawed car from the 1970s. This car’s flaw was its unreinforced gas tank filler neck. If a rear-end collision occurred, it would rupture. Spilled gas would cause a fire. lack of end focus partially fixed

18. The Ford Pinto is a deeply flawed car from the 1970s. This car’s flaw was its unreinforced gas tank filler neck. If a rear-end collision occurred, this weak neck would rupture. Spilled gas would cause a fire. lack of end focus partially fixed

19. The Ford Pinto is a deeply flawed car from the 1970s. This car’s flaw was its unreinforced gas tank filler neck. If a rear-end collision occurred, this weak neck would rupture. Spilled gas would cause a fire. lack of end focus partially fixed

20. The Ford Pinto is a deeply flawed car from the 1970s. This car’s flaw was its unreinforced gas tank filler neck. If a rear-end collision occurred, this weak neck would rupture, spill gas, and start a fire. lack of end focus fixed

21. Avoid nonsense antecedents. antecedent = the thing a pronoun refers to pronoun = a word that substitutes for a noun

22. When the user presses Alt+F4, it will shut down.

23. When the user presses Alt+F4, it will shut down.

24. When the user presses Alt+F4, it will shut down. nonsense antecedent

25. When the user presses Alt+F4, the computer will shut down. nonsense antecedent fixed

26. Specify pronoun antecedents.

27. The Norton Antivirus website updates your virus protection software automatically, once a week. This protects your computer from new viruses.

28. The Norton Antivirus website updates your virus protection software automatically, once a week. This protects your computer from new viruses. vague pronoun reference

29. The Norton Antivirus website updates your virus protection software automatically, once a week. This update protects your computer from new viruses. vague pronoun reference fixed

30. Match pronoun cases. case = the form of a word that shows its relationship to other words in the sentence singular/plural (I, he, we, they) subjective/objective/possessive (I, me, mine) relative (that, which) interrogative (who, whose, whom) indefinite (everybody, nobody)

31. It’s common for a 26-year-old to be more mature than they were at 19.

32. It’s common for a 26-year-old to be more mature than they were at 19.

33. It’s common for a 26-year-old to be more mature than they were at 19. pronoun case mismatch

34. It’s common for 26-year-olds to be more mature than they were at 19. It’s common for a 26-year-old to be more mature than she was at 19. pronoun case mismatch fixed

35. Jimmy and me should have the job done in ten minutes.

36. Jimmy and me should have the job done in ten minutes.

37. Jimmy and me should have the job done in ten minutes. pronoun case mismatch

38. Jimmy and I should have the job done in ten minutes. pronoun case mismatch fixed

39. Cut down noun strings. noun string = a collection of nouns, one after the other

40. Underground mine worker safety protection procedures development is an important task.

41. Underground mine worker safety protection procedures development is an important task.

42. Underground mine worker safety protection procedures development is an important task.

43. Underground mine worker safety protection procedures development is an important task.

44. Underground mine worker safety protection procedures development is an important task.

45. Underground mine worker safety protection procedures development is an important task.

46. Underground mine worker safety protection procedures development is an important task.

47. Underground mine worker safety protection procedures development is an important task.

48. Underground mine worker safety protection procedures development is an important task. noun string

49. Developing safety procedures for underground mine workers is an important task. noun string fixed

50. Change nominalizations into nouns or verbs. nominalization = a verb, adjective, or other part of speech that’s been turned into a noun -tion, -ure, -ability, -ness, -ity, -ance, -ence, -ing, -ment