What first impression of you

would you like your employer to

have?
 Technical
Writing
101
CYRIL ALAIN ALBARAN
What is Technical Writing?
TECHNICAL WRITING
is intended to communicate to a specific audience for a specific
purpose.

PURPOSE
AUDIENCE
TONE
CREATIVE ACADEMIC
WRITING WRITING
any form of writing which is a style of expression that researchers use
written with the creativity of to define the intellectual boundaries of
mind their disciplines and their specific areas
of expertise
 USER TECHNICAL BUSINESS
DOCUMENTATION INFORMATION WRITING
Repair manuals, reviews,
product comparisons,
forms, business letters,
application manuals, user
memos, newsletters and
guides, and content for observation reports and data
minutes from meeting
support websites and FAQs analyses
GOOD TECHNICAL BAD TECHNICAL
WRITING WRITING
1. CORRECTNESS OF
INFORMATION

Water boils at 100 °C.

Water boils at 200 °C.

2. Precise
When warmed up, a pot of water eventually
starts to boil

When warmed up, a pot of water starts to boil at

100 degrees centigrade.
3. RELEVANT
Now turn the key to start the engine.
If it is cold out, 50° or less, bundle up and ask yourself “why
am I out here?”

Make sure that your boat is in neutral. Generally, this will be

with the shift lever in the up position, or the middle position
between reverse and forward.
4. LOGICALLY CONSISTENT

Start the car and insert the ignition key.

Insert the ignition key and start the car.

5. BRIEF

Open valve A before you shut down Valve B.

If I may say so, you should ideally open valve A before you
shut down valve B
6. UNEMOTIONAL
If my paperwork is wrong, please let me know and I will send
you a corrected version immediately.

Our record keeping is very efficient and so this obviously is

because of your stupidity.
7. NON-ANTROPOMORPHIC
The machine works better if its gas tank is half full.

The machine likes to have its gas tank full.

 EFFECTIV INEFFECTIV
E
 content makes the document
worth reading
E
o more (or less) information than
readers need
 organization guides readers and o irrelevant or uninterpreted
emphasizes important material information
o confusing organization
 style is economical and easy to o uninviting appearance or confusing
read layout
 format (layout, typeface) is
accessible and appealing
 EFFECTIV INEFFECTIV
E
 visuals (graphs, diagrams,
pictures) clarify concepts and
E
o jargon or vague technical expressions
readers cannot understand
relationships, and substitute for
words whenever possible o more words than readers need

o no visual aids when readers need or

expect them
 supplements (abstracts,
appendices) enable readers
with different needs to read only
those sections required for their
work
Technical writers help their readers make
sense of complex information by
breaking it into digestible pieces and
giving it clarity and focus.
 Effective
Professional Letters
Heading and
Date

Salutations

Letter Text

Complimentary
Closings
Signature Block
http://rockyrama.info/wp-content/uploads/business-format-
letter-sample-professional-example-of-facile-likewise.jpeg
SPECIALIZED PARTS OF LETTERS
Attention Line - when you write to an organization and do not know
know the addressee’s name but you are directing the letter to a specific department or
position

ATTENTION: Director of Research

Subject line - announces the topic of your letter

SUBJECT: Call for Meeting

SPECIALIZED PARTS OF LETTERS
Typist’s Initials - if someone else types your letter

Enclosure notation - when other documents accompany your letter

Enclosure
Enclosures 2
Encl. 3

If enclosures are important documents, name them in the notation

Enclosure: Transcript of Records

 SPECIALIZED PARTS OF LETTERS
Distribution notation - if the letter is distributed to other readers
indicate with cc (carbon copy)
cc: Head, Department of Science

A postscript typed or handwritten draws attention to a point

you wish to emphasize or adds a personal note
HOW TO’s OF PROFESSIONAL LETTERS

1 Focus on your reader’s interests

Your stupidity knows no bounds and it has affected your work

and the work of other offices.

It would be best if we could double check our work before we turn

it in.
HOW TO’s OF PROFESSIONAL LETTERS

2 Use plain English

Humbly thanking you in anticipation of your kind cooperation, I

remain faithfully yours.

I will appreciate your cooperation.

Avoid Letterese. It is an elaborate way of stating something and it is usually

unclear.

(John M. Lannon:Technical Communication 11th ed)

HOW TO’s OF PROFESSIONAL LETTERS
LETTERESE PLAIN ENGLISH
• as per your request • as you requested
• contingent upon request • as soon as we receive
• I am desirous of • I want, I would like
• Please be advised that I • I
• This writer • I
• in the immediate future • Soon
• in accordance with your request • As you requested
• due to the fact that
• I wish to express my gratitude • Because
• Thank you
HOW TO’s OF PROFESSIONAL LETTERS

3 Anticipate your reader’s reaction

• What do you want the reader to do, think, or feel after

reading the letter?
• What facts will the reader need?
• To whom am I writing?
• What is my relationship to my reader?
• How will my reader react to what I’ve written?
• What impression of me will my reader get from this letter?
• Am I ready to sign my letter with confidence?
HOW TO’s OF PROFESSIONAL LETTERS

4 Decide on a Direct or Indirect Plan

The direct plan puts the main point right in the first paragraphs; the
indirect gives an explanation before the main point

*Use the direct plan when you expect your reader to react with approval or when you
want the reader to know immediately the point of your letter

Use the indirect plan when you expect the reader to resist or to need persuading.
THE WRITING PROCESS

PREWRITING: 25%

 Determine objectives
 Gather data
 Recognize audience
THE WRITING PROCESS

WRITING: 25%
 Organize
 Format: Document design
 Highlighting
 Tone
THE WRITING PROCESS

REWRITING: 50%

 Revise (45%): Add, Delete,

Simplify, Move, Reformat, Enhance,
Correct
 Proofread (5%)
THE RE-WRITING PROCESS
1. Use the Meat Cleaver Method of Revision

 Limit the number of words per sentence by cutting the

sentence in half or thirds
 Make the sentence more concise and easier to understand
THE RE-WRITING PROCESS
2. Avoid Shun Words
o came to the conclusion  Concluded/ decided
o with the exception of  Except for
o make revisions  Revise
o Investigation of the  Investigate
o Consider implementation  Implement
o utilization of
 Use of
THE RE-WRITING PROCESS
3. Avoid Camouflaged Words
o make an amendment to  Amend
o make an adjustment of
o have a meeting  adjust
o thanking you in advance  meet
 Thank you
o for the purpose of discussing
o arrive at an agreement  To discuss
o at a later moment
 Agree
 later
THE RE-WRITING PROCESS
4. Avoid the Expletive Pattern
there is, are, was, were, will be it is, was. these expletives lead
to wordy sentences

There are three people who will be hired.

It has been decided that ten teachers will be hired.
THE RE-WRITING PROCESS
5. Omit redundancies
• during the year of 2012
• in the month of July
• needless to say
• the LCD will cost the sum of Php 22, 500.
• the results so far achieved prove
• our regular monthly status reports require
• we collaborated together on the project
• the other alternative is to
• this is a new innovation
• the consensus of opinion is to
THE RE-WRITING PROCESS
6. Avoid wordy phrases
o in order to purchase  To buy
o at a rapid rate  Fast
o it is evident that  Evidently
o with regard to  About
o in the first place  First
o a great number of times  Often (or state the number o
times
o despite the fact that  Although
o is of the opinion that  Thinks
o due to the fact that  Because
o am in receipt of  received
THE RE-WRITING PROCESS
6. Avoid wordy phrases
o enclosed please find  Enclosed is
o as soon as possible  By (state time AM/PM)
o in accordance with  According to
o in the near future  soon
o at this present writing  now
o in the likely event that  If
o rendered completely  Broken/ Inoperative
THE RE-WRITING PROCESS
7. Proofreading Tips
 Let someone else read it
 Read one line at a time
 Use technology
 Check figures, scientific, and technical equations, and
abbreviations
 Read it out loud
 Try scattershot proofing
 Use a dictionary
APPLICATION LETTER
1. Brief introduction about yourself.
2. Where did you see the job posting?
3. What are your qualifications?
4. Statement of assurance.
5. Contact details