BASIC PRINCIPLES OF TECHNICAL
WRITINGS
WEEK 4
BASIC PRINCIPLES OF TECHNICAL WRITINGS
Technical Writing, sometimes called business
writing, is writing for a specific purpose and with a
specific goal. Usually its goal is to inform/instruct or
persuade/argue. Technical writing can really be
considered transactional writing because there are
two people or groups involved in the communication.
The Language of Technical Writing
1.Practice conciseness
Conciseness which means expressing oneself in the
fewest number of words at the same time retaining
completeness in meaning.
1. Practice Conciseness
A.Shortening words/phrases
Wordy Phrase: At the present time
Shortened form: Now
Wordy Phrase: In the first place
Shortened form: First
1. Practice Conciseness
Wordy Phrases Shortened forms
A.Shortening Afford an opportunity permit
Along the lines like
words/phrases
An additional another
At a later date later
At a rapid rate fast
A great number of times often
Arrive at an agreement agree
As soon as possible By 8:00 am
At the present time now
In the first place first
With regard to about
1. Practice Conciseness
B.Substituting large and complex words with short
simple words
Complex words: Advantegeous
Simple word: helpful
Complex words: Alleviate
Simple words: Lessen
1. Practice Conciseness
Long/complex Short/simple
B.Substituting words words
Advantageous helpful
large and complex
Alleviate lessen
words with short Approximately about
simple words Commence begin
Demonstrate show
Discontinue stop
Employ use
Finalize end
Modification change
1. Practice Conciseness
C.Avoiding nominalizations or the use of
“camouflaged or shun words” (words ending in -sion
or -tion); replace them with active words.
Nominalization: Come to the conclusion
Active words: Conclude/decide
1. Practice Conciseness
C.Avoiding Nominalizations Active words
nominalizations
Come to the Conclude/decide
conclusion
With the exemption of Except for
Make revisions revise
Implementation of implement
Take consideration consider
1. Practice Conciseness
D.Omitting cliches, hackneyed, trite, old-fashioned,
worn-out expressions.
Cliches: At all times
Natural language: Always
Cliches: Enclosed herewith
Natural language: Enclosed
1. Practice Conciseness
D.Omitting cliches, Cliches Fresh/natural
language
hackneyed, trite, old-
According to our records Our records shows
fashioned, worn-out
At all times always
expressions.
As plain as day clear
Enclosed herewith enclosed
Needless to say obviously
As per your request As you request
Trusting this will I trust this…
With your kind May I
permission
Favor us with a reply Please, reply
1. Practice Conciseness
E.Avoiding redundancies or words that say the same
meaning
Don’t say: During the year 2012
Say: In 2012
Don’t say: Plan in advance
Say: Plan
1. Practice Conciseness
Don’t say Say
E.Avoiding
redundancies or During the year of 2012 In 2012
words that say the In the month of July In July
same meaning
The sum of 300 pesos 300 pesos
Like for example Like or for example
New invention New
Plan in advance Plan
The reason why why
True facts facts
Past experience Experience
1. Practice Conciseness
.
F Avoiding expletives or sentences with no
true subjects like sentences beginning with
There is, Here is, It is, It has been and many
more.
1. Practice Conciseness
Don’t say Say
.
F Avoiding expletives or
sentences with no true There are many Many customers are at…
subjects customers at the lobby.
There will be a meeting A meeting will be held…
tomorrow.
It is requested that you You are requested to…
stay.
Here is the answer of The answer of Mr. Lee
Mr. Lee. is…
1. Practice Conciseness
Do not say Say
G.Cancel or drop extra words. Allowing the agent’s request Allowing the agent’s request
means the showing of all means showing confidential
confidential documents. documents.
I think that the checking of I think checking of all
all records is important. records is important.
It is necessary for the The customers have to
customers that they have to surrender the receipts to the
surrender the receipts to the officer to get a refund.
officer in charge of the day
in order to get a refund.
2.Express your ideas in active rather than in passive voice.
2.Express your ideas in active rather than in passive voice.
Sentences in active voice stress the doer of the action; in
passive voice the receiver of the action. Between the two
voices of verbs, many technical writers find the use of
active voice better because this clearly recognizes the
identity of the person answerable for the act (Pearsall,
2010). According to Vanhauss (2005), technical writing
should be an “action-oriented style,” rather than be one
with a great deal of “hidden words.”
2.Express your ideas in active rather than in passive voice.
Passive Voice Active Voice
The research was done by The student did the
the students. research.
The jewelry was stolen by Two men stole the jewelry.
two men.
The crown was won by Tess. Tess won the crown.
3. Use non-sexist instead of sexist language by
expressing yourself in the following ways:
A. Using plural pronouns instead of a single pronoun.
B. Using 2nd person point of view instead of 3rd person
point of view.
C. Using expressions like He or She- him or her. Avoids
using a slash mark - He/She- him/her. Others find He or
She- him or her wordy, hence, they prefer using the plural
form (their) or the 2nd person point of view (you).
4.Avoid using words Do not say Say
Businessman Business person
that explicitly favor
Chairman chairperson
one gender
Craftsman Artist, craft person
Layman Layperson
Mankind humanity
fireman Firefighter
Camera man Camera operator
Police man Police officer
5.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.Eliminate these vague expressions by substituting
them with simple words.
6.Give careful attention to words of phrases that are
commonly misused and misspelled.
a)Accept-except
b)Adopt-adapt
c)Affect-effect
d)Already- all ready
e)Between-among
f)Counsel-council
g)Emigrant-immigrant
h)Principal-principle
i)Loose-lose
ACTIVITY
The technical writer (respectably, respectfully) present (their,
there) proposal to the (principal, principle). They (lay, lie) this in
front of (there, their) administrative officer who is wearing a
(loose, lose) garment. Reading the abstract of the paper, the
officer finds the paper (creditable,credible). However, the
administrative officer suspects that his thoughts on the proposal
report may (differ from, differ with) the other officers of the
company. Nevertheless, (between, among) he and other officers,
his decision always prevails without prejudice to the (council’s,
counsel’s) discussions on the proposal that the entire company
has (all ready, already) been aware of.
