Introduction to Technical Style

1. Introduction to Technical Style TECM 4180 Dr. Lam

2. Three considerations, One Goal • Constructing sentences • Choosing words • Choosing a voice (We’ll talk about this tomorrow) Goal of technical writing: Choose a style that is best-suited to your reader’s needs.

3. Constructing Sentences • Simplify your sentences • Put the action in your verbs • Use the active voice unless you have a good reason to use passive • Emphasize what’s important • Vary your sentence length and structure

4. Guideline 1: Simplify your sentences Research-based principle: Reading is hard work done primarily by short-term memory. • Eliminate unnecessary words • Place modifiers next to the words they modify • Combine short sentences

5. Place modifiers next to the words they modify • Short-term memory relies on word order to indicate meaning. If you don’t keep related words together, your sentence may say something different from what you mean. • Mandy found many undeposited checks in the file cabinets, which were worth over $41,000. • The HR department asked her on Tuesday to return the contract.

6. Combine short sentences • Reduces words and helps readers see relationships among points • Water quality in Hawk River declined in March. This decline occurred because of the heavy rainfall that month. All the extra water overloaded Tomlin County’s water treatment plant.

7. Guideline 1: Simplify your sentences summary • Eliminate unnecessary words • Place modifiers next to the words they modify • Combine short sentences

8. Guideline 2: Put the action in your verbs • Overuse of “to be” • Remove expletive structures • Remove nominals

9. Overuse of main verb“to be” • Forms of “to be” • Main verb is always right-most verb • Management tends to be uncooperative. • Management could have been more cooperative. • Main verb “be” is often followed by a noun, adjective, or prepositional phrase. These words can sometimes replace “to be” • Determine what part of speech follows the main verb “be” and find a more specific verb.

10. Practice: Locate the verb-form “to be” and revise to make it more concise. • The administration is supportive of our program. • This information could be of benefit to the students. • This report is an analysis of the problem.

11. Expletive Structures • Begins with “There” or “It” • “There was”, “it is”, “there could be”, etc. • “There” or “It” is the subject of sentence • Look for a stronger subject following the expletive

12. Practice: Locate the expletive structure. Revise for conciseness. • It is necessary for users to back-up all contents of their websites. • It is the purpose of this manual is to discuss the use of Wordpress as a content management system. • There will be seven sections in this manual that describe the overall management of your website.

13. Nominals • Nouns derived from verbs • -ance, -ence, -ion, or –ment • Maintain • Recommend • Achieve

14. Practice Locate the nominal and revise for conciseness. • This manual contains a discussion of content management systems. • The inclusion of a recommendation for your computer’s minimal technical requirements is found in this manual on page 17.

15. Caveat about conciseness • Watch out for meaning • The article includes a discussion of methods for retention • The article discusses retention • Watch out for tone, especially in negative messages • The application deadline passed last week on February 1st. • You missed the February 1st deadline.

16. Guideline 3: Use active unless you have a good reason for passive • Active voice can focus your sentences on specific actions and actors • Use active to emphasize the agent • Use passive to emphasize the patient

17. Passive vs. Active Voice • Based on thematic roles of agent and patient • Agent: Doer of the action • Patient: Receiver of action • Related to syntactic position • Subject: First noun phrase in the main clause of a sentence • Direct Object: noun phrase following the main verb

18. Identifying active and passive structures

19. Other ways to identify voice • Passive must follow this formula: • “to be” + past participle • The manual was written by John. • Past participles are past tense verbs that usually end in –en or –ed

20. Practice- Active or passive? • Customers have been writing several letters of complaint. • Items have been ripped off from customers. • Customers have been ripped off. • Customers have been ripping off items. • Complaint letters were written.

21. Choosing active and passive voice • Active for conciseness • Removes form of “to be” and “by” phrase • Letters have been written by customers – (5 words) • Customers wrote letters (3 words) • Active to focus on Agent • John made several mistakes. • Use passive to focus on patient • Agentless passive • Mistakes were made. • Use passive to describe generalizable actions or results • Today, faster processers are used in computers.

22. Guideline 4: Emphasize what’s important • Place key information at the end of the sentence • Place key information in the main clause • Emphasize key information typographically • Tell readers explicitly were key information is

23. Place key information at the end of the sentence • Her powers of concentration are extraordinary. • Last month, he topped his sales quota even though he was sick for an entire week. Original: The department’s performance has been superb in all areas. Revised: ???

24. Place key information in the main clause • If your sentence has more than one clause, place key information in the main clause • Main (independent) clauses can stand alone as a sentence • Subordinate (dependent) clauses are sentence fragments and often begin with relative pronouns (e.g., who, which, that) or subordinate conjnctions (e.g., although, after). Original: Although our profits were up, our productivity was down. Revised: ???

25. Emphasize key information typographically • Emphasize by bolding, italics, small caps, etc. • Be careful not to overdo it • SUBJECT: PLEASE READ- VERY IMPORTANT

26. Tell readers explicitly what the key information is • Use explicit markers to tell readers what is important • Creative writing often discourages explicit markers. However, technical writing encourages these markers. • E.g., In this proposal, I will cover three important issues: 1) cost of healthcare; 2) implementation of healthcare, and 3) quality of healthcare

27. Guideline 5: Vary your sentence length and structure • Repetitive length and structure can lead to monotony and can remove the ability to emphasize major points • Vary your sentence length • Shorter sentence that follows longer sentences can be a point of emphasis (see example on page 274) • Vary your structure • Use introductory clauses (conjunctive adverbs and other transition words) • Active and passive voice

28. Selecting Words • Use concrete, specific words • Use specialized terms when, and only when, your readers will understand them • Use words accurately • Choose plain words over fancy words • Choose words with appropriate associations

29. Guideline 1: Use concrete, specific words • Words can be abstract or concrete, or anywhere in between • E.g., animal > mammal > dog > labrador retriever • Because technical communication often relies on the audience reacting in some tangible way (making a decision, performing an action, etc.), using concrete words is essential. Original: The cost of some materials has risen recently. Revised: The cost of the bonding agent has tripled in three months.

30. Guideline 2: Use specialized terms only when your readers will understand them • Specialized terms can convey precise, technical meanings economically. Many terms have no exact equivalent in everyday speech. • E.g., MySQL Database • They help you establish credibility • They shouldn’t be used if the audience won’t understand them

31. Defining terms for your readers • Provide a synonym • E.g., On a boat, a rope or cord is called a line. • Give a description • E.g., The exit gate consists of two arms that hold a jug while it is being painted and then allow it to proceed down the production line. • Make and analogy • E.g., An atom is like a miniature solar system. • Give a classical definition (provide group and distinguishing characteristics) • E.g., A crystal is a solid in which the atoms or molecules are arranged in a regularly repeated pattern.

32. Practice: Definitions Visit the below links and identify the various definition strategies. Evaluate how well the authors defined terms for their audiences: http://turntablelab.com/pages/beginners-guide-to-turntables http://www.artofmanliness.com/2012/11/09/a-beginners-guide-to-buying-your-first-turntable/

33. Guideline 3: Use words accurately • Be aware of misused words • E.g., infer vs. imply; accept vs. except; affect vs. effect • Consult a dictionary and/or reference when in doubt

34. Guideline 4: Choose plain words over fancy ones • Verbs are a common place this occurs (see page 279) • E.g., Ascertain vs. find out • Plain words promote efficient reading • Plain words reduce your risk of creating a bad impression • E.g., Ambulation deters cardiac arrest

35. Guideline 5: Choose words with appropriate associations • Connotations – All words have connotation, but pay special attention to verbs • High value vs. low value modal verbs • High: You should send me the file • Low: You could send me the file • Flexible words vs. stiff words • Flexible: ask, should • Stiff: must, require • Register- Linguistic term to identify or associate words with specific kinds of words • E.g., Sales and marketing register – You’ll love this product and its low, low price.