The Language of Technical

Writing
 TECHNIQUES ON USING THE RIGHT
LANGUAGE

1. Practice conciseness
Conciseness which means expressing oneself
in the fewest number of words at the same time retaining
completeness in meaning is possible through the following
methods.
 Technical Writing is easily distinguished from other
types of writing because of its language.

 Read not only by company members but by other people

as well, any output of technical writing has to use words
that appeal to the intellect and emotions of all its readers.
a. Shortening words/phrases
Wordy Phrases Shortened forms
Afford an opportunity permit
Along the lines like
An additional another
At a later date later
At a rapid rate fast

A great number of times often

In the advent Before
In the amount of Of
In the event that If
In the final analysis Finally
b. Substituting long and complex words with
short and simple ones
Long/complex words Short/simple words
Advantageous Helpful
Alleviate Lessen
Approximately About
Commence Begin
Demonstrate Show
Discontinue Stop
Sufficient Enough
Supersede Replace
Terminate End
Transmit Send
Undertake Try
Utilization Use
c. Avoiding nominalizations or the use of
“camouflaged or shun words” (words ending in –sion or –tion);
replace them with active words

Nominalizations Active words

Come to the conclusion Conclude/decide
With the exemption of
Make revisions Except for
Implementation of Revise
Investigation of the Implement
Investigate
d. Omitting clichés, hackneyed, trite, old-fashioned,
worn-out , expression
Cliche Fresh/natural language
According to our records Our records show
At all times
As plain as day Always
Attached hereto Clear
Enclosed herewith Attached
At your convenience Enclosed
By the end of___________
At an early date (specify the date)
Needless to say Obviously
By leaps and bounds Very fast
Take pleasure Are happy
Thanking you in advance I shall appreciate
e. Avoiding redundancies or words that say the same meaning

Don’t say Say

During the year of 2012 In 2012
In the month of July In July
The sum of 300 pesos 300 pesos
Like for example Like or for example
New invention New
Collaborated together Worked together
Plan in advance plan
 f. Avoiding expletives or sentences with no true
subjects like sentences beginning with There is,
There are, Here is, It is, It has been, and many more

Don’t say Say

There are many customers Many customers are at
at the lobby. the lobby.
There is a sharp tool on that A sharp tool is on that
table. Table.
 Don’t say Say
There will be a meeting A meeting will be held
tomorrow. tomorrow.
It is requested that you You are requested stay.
stay.
Here is the answer of The answer of Mr. Lee is…
Mr. Lee
g. Cancel or drop extra words

Do not say:
1.Allowing the agent’s request means the showing of all
confidential documents.
2. I think that the checking of all record is important.
3. It is necessary for the customers that they have to
surrender the receipts to the officer in charge of the day
in order to get a refund.
Say:
1. Allowing the agent’s request means showing
confidential documents.
2. Checking of all records is important.
3. The customers have to surrender the receipts to
the officer to get a refund.
2. Express your ideas in active voice rather
than in passive voice

ACTIVE VOICE PASSIVE VOICE

 Stress the doer of the  Stress the receiver of the
action action
 Clearly recognizes the
identity of the person
 ACTIVE VOICE
Example:
Lara is eating a chocolate bar.
S V O
 PASSIVE VOICE
Example:
A lollipop is being eaten by Lara.
O V S
3. Use non-sexist instead of sexist language
by expressing yourself in the following ways:

a. Using plural pronouns instead of a single pronoun

Do not Say:
1. The technician has to show his I.D.
card
to the guard.
2. Each reporter should submit his monthly
report in time.
Say:
1. The technicians have to show their I.D.
cards to the guard.
2. Reporters should submit their work on time.
b. Using 2nd person point of view

Do not Say: Say:

1.She presented her 1. Present your proposal
proposal report on time. report on time

2.The customer showed his 2. Show your receipt to

receipt to the guard. the guard.
C. Using expressions like He or She – him or her. Avoid
using a slash mark- He/She –him/her. Others however find
He or She – him or her wordy, hence, they prefer using the
plural form- their, or the 2nd person point of view -you
 Do not say: Say:
1. The customer explained 1. The customer
her point to the manager. explained his or her point
to the manager.
2. The X-ray technician
affixed his signature to the 2. The technician affixed
document. his signature to the
document.
 Do not Say Say
3. She is willing to pay any 4. He or she is willing to
amount for her choice. pay any amount for his or
her choice.
4. Avoid using words that explicitly favor
one gender
Do not Say Say
Businessman Business person
Chairman Chairperson
Craftsman Artist, crafts person
Layman Layperson
Manpower Personnel
Policeman police officer
 Do not say Say
Salesman Sales person
Congressman Congress person
Spokesman Spokesperson
Security man Security person
Mankind Humanity
Milkman Milk person
 Do not Say Say
Repairman Repair person
Fireman Firefighter
Sportsman Sportsperson
Camera man Camera operator
Career girl Artist, designer
4. Avoid using jargons, gobbledygook,
horse-and-buggy or verbal dead words
These expressions are long, pretentious, and high-
sounding; words that have no significant or necessary
place in the sentence. Appearing complex, they work to
hide the true meaning of the term or make the writer
sound learned or professional. Eliminate these vague
expressions by substituting them with simple and easier
terms.
Legal profession
habeas corpus, subpoena, status quo, preliminary
injunction, corpus delicti

Business world
rebate, assets and liabilities, amortization,
mortgage, balance sheet, investment
Medical world
stethoscope, hypertension, differential diagnosis,
formaldehyde, silver nitrate, metrectomy

Computer world
user friendly, on-line adapter, debug, open shop,
quick-access storage, scramble time
6. Give careful attention to words and phrases
that are commonly misused and misspelled

a. Accept – to take something seriously

ex. Let him accept the tools.

Except – to exclude a rule or statement from a

list
ex. Everyone acquired the coronavirus except
Leonil.
b. Adapt – to adjust or to be in harmony with
somebody
ex. Try to adapt yourself to their culture.

Adopt – to make a person own a thing belonging to

another person
ex. Adopt some aspects of the Philippine
culture.
c. Affect – a verb used to mean having an influence on
another person or thing

ex. Her presence will affect his performance.

Effect- a result coming from a cause

ex. Fear is one effect of the news about the

coronavirus.
d. Already – by this time or before a particular moment
ex. She already sent a notice of the meeting.

All ready – state of being fit or balanced for an

immediate action or use
ex. She is all ready for the party.
e. Between – a preposition for only two persons, things,
or places
ex. She placed a flower between the pages of
the book.

Among- a preposition for three or more persons,

places or things
ex. Among the five of them, she was the prettiest.
f. Counsel- a person serving as a legal
adviser
ex. My counsel will be present in the
hearing.
Council – a body or group of persons to
discuss a moral or legal aspect of a thing
ex. The council will discuss her case about
homicide.
g. Credible – believable
ex. The magic stunt that he performed
was credible.
Creditable – quite good; more than just
satisfactory
ex. The creditable company won an
award.
h. Dessert – (noun) sweet food served at the
end of the meal
ex. The dessert that I ate was ice cream.
Desert - (noun) large area of land with not
enough vegetation
ex. The Sahara desert is the largest hot
desert in the
world.
Desert – (verb) to abandon ; to break off
from; to give up
ex. God will not desert His children.
i. Differ from – not the same in observation
ex. The two differ from each other
as to size.
Differ with – not the same in opinion
ex. The two prospective buyers
differ with one another
as to their
usefulness.
j. Emigrant – a person going out of the
country
ex. I am an emigrant from the
Philippines and I am
planning to
stay in the U.S.
Immigrant – a person going into a
country not his own
ex. I am from the Philippines and I
will be an immigrant in the
U.S.
k. Lie – an intransitive verb which means to
be in a reclining or horizontal
position
ex. I lie down on the bed during
my free time
Lay – a transitive verb which means to place
ex. Lay the tools on that table.
l. Loose- (adjective) not fastened or firmly
fixed
ex. The screw is loose.
Lose – (verb) to fail to see something;
to become unable to find
ex. Even if you lose your keys,
you should not worry
because
I have a spare key.
m. Practical – useful at all times (for persons
and things)
ex. It is practical to save some money.
Practicable – can be practiced or applied
(for
things only)
ex. The driving lessons are practicable
especially in
major subjects.
n. Principal – main chief or first of
importance
ex. The principal in our school is very
strict.
Principle – basic truth or rule
ex. The principle of giving is important.
m. Respectfully – giving full respect or

consideration to someone
ex. She respectfully knelt before the
Lord.
 Respectably – doing something that
will earn other
people’s
respect
ex. She dressed respectably for the
formal gathering.
Respectively – referring to series of things
following a certain arrangement.
ex. Each of them was respectively
seated on the chairs.