ENGLISH 214Achieving a Readable Style

Determine if a Particular Style Will

Be Expected

TECHNICAL WRITING ACHIEVING A READABLE STYLE

Determine Your Reader(s)’ Knowledge of the Subject

Anticipate Your Reader’s Comprehension Level in a Given Context

Know Your Relationship to Your

Reader and How You Want to Sound

Basic Principles

Adjust the Style to the Reader, the Purpose, and the Context

TECHNICAL WRITING ACHIEVING A READABLE STYLE

Paragraph Level

A

Sentence Level

Lists & Tables

TECHNICAL WRITING ACHIEVING A READABLE STYLE

Paragraph Level

Begin each paragraph with a topic sentence

(central statement).

This summarises the content to come.

Include only information that is relevant to the topic

sentence.

1

2

3

4

Place sentences in logical order.

Avoid long paragraphs - No more than 100 words.

Do not write too many short paragraphs

Do not use too much enumeration: Firstly, . . .

Secondly . . etcAvoid too many lists.

Use Figures, tables or charts when they express things

better than writing.

TECHNICAL WRITING WELL CONSTRUCTED PARAGRAPHS

Start with the ‘what’*

question in your situational

analysis

* This is also called your thesis statement.It tells the reader the focus of your report; what you are going to write about.

From your planning, develop

topics.

Write a topic sentences for your report

Remove any unrelated topic

sentences

This report is going to discuss how Biomimicry can be used to solve human engineering

problems.

HistoryDefinitionsAdvantagesExamples

Sustainable ConstructionPeople using biomimicry

Recycling

Using topic sentences

TECHNICAL WRITING WELL CONSTRUCTED PARAGRAPHS

Start with the ‘what’*

question in your situational

analysis

From your planning, develop

topics.

Write a topic sentences for your report

Remove any unrelated topic

sentences

HistoryDefinitionsAdvantagesExamples

Sustainable ConstructionPeople using biomimicry

Recycling

Humans have always looked to nature to for inspiration to solve problems.

Biomimicry is the examination of nature in order to solve human problems.

There are several advantages to using biomimicry in solving engineering problems.

Today, there are many examples of biomimicry in action.Sustainable construction has always been at the heart of good engineering.

Several people have claimed to use biomimicry in their everyday lives.

Recycling involves the processing of old materials into new products.

Using topic sentences

Q. What is the logical order of the topics?

TECHNICAL WRITING WELL CONSTRUCTED PARAGRAPHS

Biomimicry is the examination of nature in order to solve human problems.

Using topic sentences

This involves using nature’s models, systems, processes, and elements to emulate or take inspiration from in order to do this. The term biomimicry and biomimetics come from the Greek words bios, meaning life, and mimesis, meaning to imitate. Other terms often used are bionics, bio-inspiration, and biognosis. In a biomimetic world, we would manufacture the way animals and plants do, using the sun and simple compounds to produce totally biodegradable fibers, ceramics, plastics, and chemicals. Our farms, modeled on prairies, would be self-fertilizing and pest-resistant. To find new drugs or crops, we would consult animals and insects that have used plants for millions of years to keep themselves healthy and nourished. Even computing would take its cue from nature, with software that "evolves" solutions, and hardware that uses the lock-and-key paradigm to compute by touch.

TECHNICAL WRITING WELL CONSTRUCTED PARAGRAPHS

Look at Activity 1 on your handout. There are various paragraphs. Looking at the topic sentences below

each one, pick the one you think is the most suitable.

Activity

TECHNICAL WRITING WELL CONSTRUCTED PARAGRAPHS

Development

Topic Sentence.

Developing Sentence.

Developing Sentence.

Developing Sentence.

Single focus

What is the main point I am trying to show?

Does every sentence show this idea?

TECHNICAL WRITING WELL CONSTRUCTED PARAGRAPHS

Development

EcologyEcology is the scientific study of interactions of organisms with one another and with the physical and chemical environment. Although it includes the study of environmental problems such as pollution, the science of ecology mainly involves research on the natural world from many viewpoints, using many techniques. Modern ecology relies heavily on experiments, both in laboratory and in field settings. These techniques have proved useful in testing ecological theories, and in arriving at practical decisions concerning the management of natural resources.

TECHNICAL WRITING WELL CONSTRUCTED PARAGRAPHS

Transitions

A paragraph presents a development of an idea. In a paragraph the topic sentence should therefore closely relate to the previous paragraph. This provides a transition. A transition in this case is the period when one idea changes into another.

PARAGRAPH 1Topic sentence. Developing sentence 1. Developing sentence 2. Developing Sentence 3. . . Last sentence.

PARAGRAPH 2Topic sentence. Developing sentence 1. Developing sentence 2. Developing Sentence 3. . . Last sentence.

PARAGRAPH 3Topic sentence. Developing sentence 1. Developing sentence 2. Developing Sentence 3. . . Last sentence.

PARAGRAPH 4Topic sentence. Developing sentence 1. Developing sentence 2. Developing Sentence 3. . . Last sentence.

TRAN

SITIO

N

TRAN

SITIO

N

TRAN

SITIO

N

TECHNICAL WRITING WELL CONSTRUCTED PARAGRAPHS

Look at Activity 2 on your handout. Read the paragraphs. How has the author transitioned from

one paragraph to the other?

Activity

TECHNICAL WRITING WELL CONSTRUCTED PARAGRAPHS

The first piece of writing seems ‘choppy’.

All the sentences start with ‘I’ and the reader is not often clear about how the paragraphs relate to each other nor how they relate to the thesis.

With the transitions the essay is more understandable.

With transitions the author has taken more control. The author’s voice is much stronger and clearer in the second text.

The second text has a transition after a quote instead of leaving the quote alone. The author has told why they have used the quote.

Activity- Analysis

TECHNICAL WRITING ACHIEVING A READABLE STYLE

Help your audience to read your paper by introducing lists to break up complicated ideas.

Lists help to clarify introductions and summaries.

Use tables to present mainly statistical information.

LISTS AND TABLES

1. ____________________2. ____________________3. ____________________4. ____________________

Start each point on a separate line

Use numbers within the lineWhite space

Do not use too many!

TECHNICAL WRITING ACHIEVING A READABLE STYLE

CLEAR SENTENCE STRUCTURE

Remember in English, basic sentence structure

follows two patterns:

SUBJECT VERB OBJECT

SUBJECT VERB COMPLIMENT

TECHNICAL WRITING ACHIEVING A READABLE STYLE

CLEAR SENTENCE STRUCTURE

SUBJECT VERB OBJECT

Americans love ice-cream.modify

& extend Americans love ice-cream, but ice cream is made from whole milk and

cream and therefore contains a considerable amount of saturated fat

and cholesterol.

words

phrases

clauses

TECHNICAL WRITING ACHIEVING A READABLE STYLE

CLEAR SENTENCE STRUCTURE

SUBJECT VERB OBJECT

SUBJECT VERB COMPLIMENT

TECHNICAL WRITING ACHIEVING A READABLE STYLE

CLEAR SENTENCE STRUCTURE

SUBJECT VERB COMPLIMENT

She planned carefully.modify

& extend

words

phrases

clauses

Although she planned her wedding carefully, it was not what she expected

on the actual day.

TECHNICAL WRITING CLEAR SENTENCE STRUCTURE

Work in your groups. Look at Activity 3 on your handout and see if you can extend the sentences

using the useful extension / transition phrases.

Activity

TECHNICAL WRITING THINGS TO BE CAREFUL OF

If sentences are too long, they can be difficult to read. The length of sentences should vary. You should

revise sentences that are over 15-20 words long. Look at this paragraph:

Sentence length

This report contains a brief discussion on different types of internal combustion engines in the area of biofuels which constitutes the majority of engines produced today and does not include engines which run on fossil fuels. Information in this

report has been obtained from the sources noted, which are believed to be reliable, although no investigation has been made to verify the accuracy of such information.

TECHNICAL WRITING THINGS TO BE CAREFUL OF

Sentence length

This report contains a brief discussion on different types of internal combustion engines in the area of biofuels which constitutes the majority of engines produced today and does not include engines which run on fossil fuels. Information in this

report has been obtained from the sources noted, which are believed to be reliable, although no investigation has been made to verify the accuracy of such information.

This report contains a brief discussion on different types of internal combustion engines in the area of biofuels. This constitutes the majority of engines produced today and does not include engines which run on fossil fuels. Information in this

report has been obtained from the sources noted. They are believed to be reliable. However, the accuracy of the information has not been verified.

TECHNICAL WRITING THINGS TO BE CAREFUL OF

Keep the subject of the sentence and the verb close together, and emphasise verbs. The more verbs in a sentence, the sharper and more direct the sentence:

John loves Mary because she inherited money.

Mary’s inheritance of money was one of the reasons for John’s interest in Mary.

Keep subjects and verbs together

SUBJECT

VERB

SUBJECT

VERB

SUBJECT

VERB

✓

✗

approve

tend to

discuss

TECHNICAL WRITING THINGS TO BE CAREFUL OF

Omit Verbiage - Use concrete verbsDon’t use many words when one will do:

Examples:

give approval to

have a tendency to

have a discussion about

Look at your handout for further examples

TECHNICAL WRITING THINGS TO BE CAREFUL OF

✓ Do not begin sentences with there is, there are, there was, or there were.

✓ Avoid beginning sentences with phrases such as it is clear that, it is evident that, or it should be noted that.

✓ Choose a specific verb rather than is, was, and were verb forms.

Avoid using is / are verbs too much

TECHNICAL WRITING THINGS TO BE CAREFUL OF

✓ If you want to be clear about something in your research paper use the active voice and not the passive.

✓ In technical writing you need to be specific.

✓ We do not usually want to hide the agent.

Compare:

Chemical engineers ensure quality control in processes. (A)

Quality control in processes are ensured. (P)

Use the Active voice for clarity

That does not mean ONLY use the active voice!

TECHNICAL WRITING THINGS TO BE CAREFUL OF

✓ Is the reader aware of the terminology you use in your document?

✓ If not, ensure that you take time to explain it.

✓ Expand abbreviations / acronyms on first use.

✓ Remember at the heart of technical writing is explanation.

Define when necessary

TECHNICAL WRITING THINGS TO BE CAREFUL OF

✓ Remember that writing exists for human beings, and few of us enjoy writing that is harder to read than it needs to be.

✓ What constitutes “difficult” writing depends on the reader, the topic, and the purpose of the document.

✓ You can make it conversational but have formal elements. Our goal is to make sure our message is communicated.

Avoid Impersonal Language

TECHNICAL WRITING CLEAR SENTENCE STRUCTURE

•Watch sentence length.• Keep subjects and verbs close

together. • Omit verbiage; use concrete verbs. • Avoid excessive use of is/are verb

forms• Use active voice for clarity. • Define when necessary. • Avoid impersonal language.

Summary