TECHNICAL WRITING - STUDY NOTES 1

WHAT IS TECHNICAL WRITING? 1. Purpose

 Technical writing is factual, not fictional.
2. Audience
TECHNICAL WRITING is a written communication
 Technical writing is usually for a specific set of
about various technical subjects in sciences,
audience.
engineering, and technology. It is a specialized
3. Language
structured way of writing, where information is
 Technical writing is informative, not
presented in a format and manner that best suits
entertaining.
the cognitive and psychological needs of the
 Technical writing emphasizes on utility over
readers. It is ideally characterized by an attitude of
beauty.
impartiality and objectivity for accuracy and
4. Writing Style
precision of information.
 Technical writing is concise and to-the-point.
 Technical writing is logical and consistent.
According to Minas et. Al, this type of writing:
 Technical writing is a combination of art and
- focuses on audience selection
science.
- makes use of precise, economical, and
5. Organization
unemotional language
 Technical writing is systematic, organized, and
- employs technical jargon
sequential.
- uses certain conventional and organizational
6. Tone
format
 The tone of the writing is objective and to the
point.
Technical writing is an audience-centered means of
communication that provides a reader with clear
Academic Writing vs. Technical writing
and easy access to information. (Lumen Learning)
The definite purpose, strict format and use of
appropriate language in technical writing define
How is technical writing different?
the differences between technical writing and
Technical Writing Creative Writing
academic writing.
Purpose To inform, instruct, To entertain and
and educate the captivate the
users interest of
audience
Audience Specific. The users Generic. They
use the information use the writing
to understand a mainly for
subject or entertainment
technology
Language Formal, academic, Informal, artistic,
standard driven creative, fictional
Writing Style Clear, accurate; Clear but reflects
emphasized is on the thoughts of
utility over beauty the writer; beauty
Retrieved from http://kathleenmetcalf.weebly.com/technical-writing.html
over utility
Format Format driven; Style and format
usually company depends on the
specific writer (writer NATURE OF TECHNICAL WRITING
specific)
Organization Systematical and Arbitrary and The essential and remarkable qualities of Technical
sequential may not be Writing. Which sets it apart from any other types of
systematic writing are reiterated in the book entitled
Graphics Used to explain the Used to make the TECHNICAL WRITING IN THE MODERN WORLD of
text as required book more Minas et. Al:
interesting
Tone objective subjective
 Technical Writing is geared to the general
Dependency Depends on the Wholly depends
development of the on the schedule public;
technical review of the writer and  Technical Writing aims to portray a
performed by the the publisher message that is clear, concise, and most
developers importantly, helpful to intended readers or
Retrieved from http://sajithajayaprakash.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/tw2.jpg audience;
 Technical Writing also anticipates and
answers any questions or problems that may arise;

Intended for Technical Writing subject only | Content acquired/derived from cited sources. | Urdaneta City University
Prepared by: Angela S. Alcantara, Instructor
 TECHNICAL WRITING - STUDY NOTES 2
 Technical Writing makes transformation of in 14 or 15? The dictates of effective technical
complex and technical information into a more writing suggest that the average length for a
easily understood language possible. sentence is 15-20 words. How do you achieve clarity
and conciseness?
PRINCIPLES OF TECHNICAL WRITING
One of the best ways is to look for multiword phrases
that can be replaced by one or two words.
1. Use Good Grammar
2. Write Concisely Try replacing the multiword phrases below with a
3. Use the Active Voice word or two.
4. Use Positive Statements
5. Avoid Long Sentences A large number of
6. Punctuate Correctly __________________

Prior to that time

Principle 1: Use Good Grammar
__________________
Your readers expect technical documents to be
In the process of tabulating
written in standard English. Certain grammatical
errors can actually cause your reader to
___________________
misinterpret the information. However, because
technical documents must be precise and As shown in table 3
accurate, readers expect documents to be ___________________
professional, polished, and flawless.
Exhibits the ability
One grammatical rule to adhere to is subject-verb ___________________
agreement. Note the choice of verbs below:
Clarity: Define the unfamiliar
One employee is absent.
Two employees are absent.  If you must abbreviate,define the term in its
first occurrence, and put abbreviations in
This subject-verb agreement is easy to make parentheses.
because in each sentence, the subject is obvious:
employee in the first sentence agrees with is and Example:
employees in the second sentence agrees with
are . The real challenge is when the subject is not as The Philippine National Police (PNP) is the armed
obvious. In the following sentences, which verb
national police force in the Philippines.
would you select?
 Italicize first occurrence of unfamiliar terms
Either of the levers is clearly marked.
Either of the levers are clearly marked?
and define them right away.

You must decide if the subject is either or levers . If Example:

you selected either as the subject and is as the verb,
you made the correct choice. A list of indefinite Arson, the malicious burning or exploding of the
pronouns that are always singular is listed below: dwelling house of another or the burning of a
building within the cartilage, can bring a life
Each, either, everybody, everyone, neither, one, sentence.
anyone, anybody, someone, somebody, no one,
nobody Brevity: Use words efficiently

The following indefinite pronouns are always plural: Never use two words when one word will do.

Both, few, many, several

Our research has three features that you wouldn’t
find in those of competition.
Principle 2: Writing Concisely vs.
Our research has three unique features.
In technical writing, clarity and brevity is your goal.
Why take 32 words to express what could be stated
Intended for Technical Writing subject only | Content acquired/derived from cited sources. | Urdaneta City University
Prepared by: Angela S. Alcantara, Instructor
 TECHNICAL WRITING - STUDY NOTES 3

Principle 3: Using Active Voice Principle 4: Using Poitive Statements

Imperative sentences, or command sentences, are Technical writers should word instructions as positive
written in the active voice. The active voice is more statements. Whenever possible, phrase commands
natural to people when they speak, but technical in a positive manner. Compare the following:
writers often turn to the passive voice when writing
technical documents. One of the main reasons you Negative: Do not close the window.
should use the active voice rather than the passive
in technical writing is the active voice more closely Positive: Leave the window open.
resembles the way people remember and process
information. Telling your readers what NOT to do is a negative
statement. It is also abstract rather than concrete.
Passive voice constructions are weak for at least 2
reasons: they are wordy and they replace strong One exception to this rule is when a negative
verbs with weak verbs. statement is clearer than a positive one. Keep in
mind studies show it is almost 50% harder for your
readers to understand the meaning when you use
The victim was harassed by the suspects. negatives.
vs.
The suspects harassed the victim.
Principle 5: Avoiding Long Sentences

You can shorten a sentence by avoiding:

Another Example:  Redundancy
 Prepositional phrases
Passive Voice Active Voice  Passive voice
There are fifteen people Fifteen people tried out
who tried out for the for the Reserve Officer
Reserve Officer Training Training Corps. Avoiding Redundancy
Corps.
The computer was stolen John Doe stole the Example:
by John Doe. computer.
The used truck will cost the sum of one million pesos.
Practice: or
The used truck will cost one million pesos.
Instruction: Rewrite the sentences to make them
active. Which sentence from above is redundant?

Another example:
1. All the questions are answered by the witness.
_______________________________________________
Wordy sentence Less wordy sentence
The team collaborated The team collaborated
2. The video will be uploaded by Jane.
together on the projects. on the projects.
_______________________________________________

3. Staff hours are calculated by the supervisor on

the actual work load. Avoiding Prepositional phrases
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________ Prepositional phrases create wordy sentences.
Consider the following examples:

Wordy sentence Concise sentence

She drove at a rapid She drove rapidly.
***In the active voice sentence, the subject acts. rate.
In the passive voice sentence, something is done I will see you in the near I will see you soon.
to the subject. future.

Intended for Technical Writing subject only | Content acquired/derived from cited sources. | Urdaneta City University
Prepared by: Angela S. Alcantara, Instructor
 TECHNICAL WRITING - STUDY NOTES 4

Principle 6: Using Standard Punctuation Unlike the past, when skills were handed down
through oral traditions, the writers who could
Your readers expect standard punctuation when document these devices were desired.
they read your documents.
XX Century
It is essential to decide where to place your After World War II, technological advances led to
commas, periods, colons, and semicolons when an increase in consumer goods and standards of
using quotation marks. Commas and periods living. During the post-war time libraries, universities
always go inside the closing quotation mark. and transport systems saw massive amounts of
growth, and the need for writers to chronicle these
processes increased.
Examples:
In 1980s PCs arrived in the workplace,
Most companies adopt the belief, “the customer is
accompanied by large manuals with names such
always right.”
as “Guide to Operation”.
“Not gulity,” the defendant pleaded.
XXI Century
In 2000s how-to books and guides increased in
On the other hand, semicolons and colons are
popularity. And in 2010s applications and programs
always placed outside the quotation marks.
included tooltips and product tours, and web help
became even more sophisticated.
Examples:

Look in the manual under “List of Complaints”; the

directions are very clear.

These actors can deliver “box office hits”: Tom

Hanks, Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp. References:

A. (2017, December 19). History of Technical Writing.

HISTORY OF TECHNICAL WRITING Retrieved February 27, 2021, from
https://clickhelp.com/clickhelp-technical-writin
g-blog/history-of-technical-writing/
For a few centuries, technical writing has been
there. Where does technical writing come from? Active and Passive Voice Quiz - Practice changing
voice. (n.d.). Retrieved February 26, 2021, from
Antiquity https://www.grammarwiz.com/active-and-pas
The earliest examples of technical writing belong to sive-voice-quiz.html
Aristotle around 384–322 BC. Aristotle’s works are
considered the earliest forms of technical writing. Blanza, M. (2012, November 9). Six Principles of
Technical Writing. Retrieved February 27, 2021, from
https://www.scribd.com/document/113787213
Middle Ages
/Six-Principles-of-Technical-Writing
Geoffrey Chaucer (1343–1400) created the first
example of technical document published in Siuagan, T. (2014, June 29). Technical Writing Notes (1st
English. It was a scientific treatise on the astrolabe. Series). Retrieved March 1, 2021, from
https://www.scribd.com/document/231805944
Renaissance /Technical-Writing-Notes-1st-Series
Famous inventors and scientists like Leonardo da
Vinci (1452 – 1519) and Isaac Newton (1642–1727)
compiled documents with their inventions and
findings. Those documents played a crucial role in
developing modern forms of technical writing and
communication.

Age of Reason
More complex inventions had been made during
the Industrial Revolution. However, at that time, only
the inventors themselves knew how to use their new
machines. The innovations waited to be tested and
implemented into the daily life, but in order to do
that people needed to learn how to use them.

Intended for Technical Writing subject only | Content acquired/derived from cited sources. | Urdaneta City University
Prepared by: Angela S. Alcantara, Instructor