Technical Report Writing

Today’s session: Punctuation

Special thanks to: Shackouls Technical Communication Program, Bagley

College of Engineering, Mississippi State University for sharing their slides.
 Today, we’ll discuss these marks:

• Commas

• Semicolons

• Colons

• Hyphens with compound adjectives

• Miscellaneous issues
 Notes:
• Not all punctuation rules are strict; some are situational or
open to interpretation.

• Always use resources (handbooks, these slides, the Purdue

OWL) when you write; avoid relying on memory.

• The rules we discuss herein are based on American English;

British English can be quite different.
 Commas
Always provide a comma with two independent
clauses and a conjunction.

The liquid that is collected at the bottom of the column

is piped to a heat exchanger Complete sentence

and Conjunction (also but, so, et al.)

Complete sentence

some of the collected liquid is vaporized to reenter the

column so that the process can be repeated.
 Commas
Always provide a comma with two independent clauses and a
conjunction.

The liquid that is collected at the bottom of the column is piped to a heat
exchanger, and some of the collected liquid is vaporized to reenter the
column so that the process can be repeated.

Omitting this comma is common and often causes no major problems, but
including it is never wrong and increases readability.
 Commas
Do not include a comma when the clause that comes after the conjunction
is dependent (i.e., it has no subject).

INCORRECT: The process of wastewater treatment is unfamiliar to many

people, but is essential to everyday life.
 Commas
Always provide a comma between introductory
dependent clauses and main clauses.

While flowing through the aeration basins

Dependent clause/incomplete
sentence

the water is stripped of carbon dioxide and other

compounds. Main clause/complete sentence
 Commas
Always provide a comma between introductory
dependent clauses and main clauses.

While flowing through the aeration basins, the water is

stripped of carbon dioxide and other compounds.

Omitting this comma does not always create problems

with reading, but it’s never wrong and can prevent
misreading, as below.
Pause or read straight through?

To begin a geological survey must be taken to

determine the best route for the road to take.
 Commas
Always provide a comma between introductory
dependent clauses and main clauses.

While flowing through the aeration basins, the water is

stripped of carbon dioxide and other compounds.

Omitting this comma does not always create problems

with reading, but it’s never wrong and can prevent
misreading, as below.
Pause.

To begin, a geological survey must be taken to

determine the best route for the road to take.
 Commas
Always provide the terminal comma in a series of three or more items.

The terminal comma comes just before the and in a series: I like green,
brown, and orange. Though omitting this comma can be harmless,
providing it is never wrong and can increase readability.

CONFUSING: The elbow system consists of a short section of aluminum

tubing that attaches to a prosthetic hand, a cog and wedge at the elbow
joint and another section of tubing that attaches to the shoulder.
 Commas
Because the first item (a short section…) is relatively long, and because the
second item (a cog and wedge at the elbow joint) already contains an and,
readers might be confused by two close uses of and without a comma to
signal where the second item ends and the third begins.

CLEARER: The elbow system consists of a short section of aluminum tubing

that attaches to a prosthetic hand, a cog and wedge at the elbow joint,
and another section of tubing that attaches to the shoulder.
 Commas
Do not provide a comma with only two items joined by and.

INCORRECT: Roy’s software proficiencies include SolidWorks, and AutoCAD.

 Commas
Never join two independent clauses with only a
comma (comma splice).

Comma splices are considered to be major mechanical

errors. They consist of two independent clauses joined
only with a comma.

INCORRECT: At this eight-mile marker, the first of the

final burns takes place, this is known as the terminal
intercept (Ti) burn. Two independent clauses, no
conjunction, comma
 Commas
Several possible revisions exist for this error; the easiest one would be to
replace the comma with a semicolon (or period).

CORRECT: At this eight-mile marker, the first of the final burns takes place;
this is known as the terminal intercept (Ti) burn.
 Commas
Transition words like however and therefore still create
comma splices if they are preceded only by a comma.

INCORRECT: Exhaust systems do not create power,

however a less restrictive exhaust can take away less
power from the motor.
Two independent clauses,
transition word, comma

CORRECT: Exhaust systems do not create power.

However, a less restrictive exhaust can take away less
power from the motor.
 Semicolons
In written body text, semicolons are primarily used for two reasons:

(1) To join independent clauses that are closely related in some

substantive way:

The initial costs of such a system are high, often $800,000 or more;
however, some companies have seen a full return on investment in fewer
than 18 months.
 Semicolons
(2) To separate three or more items in series that are relatively lengthy
and/or already contain commas:

The general equipment for this process includes a tank to hold the mixture;
a pump to pump the mixture into the tank; a heater to heat the mixture to
a boiling temperature; a distillation column to allow the travel of water
vapor from the tank; a condenser to cool the water vapor so that it turns
into a liquid; and a second tank to capture the liquid.
 Semicolons
Any other usage is probably incorrect.

INCORRECT: The field of scaled model testing allows

engineers to create safer, more advanced products
more quickly and with less expense; a result which
provides the consumer with a better product at a better
price. Comma, colon, or dash
Colon or dash

INCORRECT: Chemical composition refers to a

breakdown of the substances in the stream; for
instance, 10% water, 50% oxygen, 40% titanium.
 Semicolons
Any other usage is probably incorrect.

INCORRECT: The amount of a substance that goes in a

reactor; must yield a product or products that equals
that same amount. Omit

INCORRECT: While every wing and airfoil shape has its

own set of advantages and disadvantages; the correct
combination can be used with very effective results.
Comma
 Colons
In written body text, colons are primarily used for four
reasons: Complete the thought – avoid
putting the colon just after the verb.

(1) To introduce a list after an independent clause:

This report discusses the following major points: (a) the

history of NASA's space program; (b) the environment
of NASA at the time of the disaster; (c) the technical
flaws that caused the destruction of the Space Shuttle
Columbia; (d) the investigations and hearings of the
disaster…
 Colons
(2) To introduce a quotation after an independent
clause:

Cheney suggests that laboratories should foster global

teamwork: "Think of the impact on biomedical research
if individual labs would create their own online
database of commonly prototyped enzymes; the access
afforded to other, perhaps less affluent facilities would
be unprecedented" [5].
 Colons
(3) To introduce an example or further illustrate the
point of an independent clause:

Chemical composition refers to a breakdown of the

substances in the stream: for instance, 10% water, 50%
oxygen, 40% titanium.
 Colons
(4) To emphasize the second of two independent
clauses: You can make a case for a semicolon
here instead.

The loss of Space Shuttle Challenger was hardly an

accident: indeed, the very design flaw that caused its
destruction had been openly and, in some cases,
emphatically discussed for 8½ years prior to the
disaster.
 Hyphens with Compound Adjectives
When two or more adjectives precede and modify a
noun equally, those adjectives must be hyphenated.

• on-the-job injuries • air-to-fuel ratio

• flight-critical components • helicopter-like rotor
• 500-grit dry sand paper • five-step process
• 9-volt battery • clay-filled tray
• manufacturing-related incidents • forty-five-degree swept angle
• large-scale software development
• 8-foot-long, half-credit-card-thick
nozzle extension
 Hyphens with Compound Adjectives
Although omitting these hyphens may sometimes be
harmless (especially with familiar phrases), their
absence can be confusing.

CONFUSING: A key distress mode used in analyzing

turbine blade material performance and life is surface
roughness.

Turbine-blade material performance?

Turbine blade-material performance? Are these different?
Is this even important?
Turbine-blade-material performance?
Let your audience know.
 Hyphens with Compound Adjectives
CONFUSING: Small network appliance platforms such
as routers fall in this broad category.

This example has the same problem:

Small network-appliance platforms? Are these different?

Small-network appliance platforms? Is this even important?
Small-network-appliance platforms?

Let your audience know.

 Miscellaneous Issues
The correct order for punctuating quotations is…

1. Last quoted word OR 1. Last quoted word

2. Closing quotation 2. Period
mark 3. Closing quotation
3. Citation mark
4. Period
 Miscellaneous Issues
According to Al McDonald, “For each day the Shuttle
was out of flight status, it was costing NASA over $10
million – or $4 billion a year” [6].

Without a citation, other punctuation marks appear

outside the closing quotation mark unless they’re part
of the original quote.

Commas always go inside the closing quotation mark.

 Miscellaneous Issues
Use periods with vertical list items that form complete sentences;
otherwise, use no punctuation at all.

This report discusses the following major points:

(a) the history of NASA's space program

(b) the environment of NASA at the time of the disaster
(c) the technical flaws that caused the destruction of the Space Shuttle
Columbia
(d) the investigations and hearings of the disaster
(e) the socio-economic consequences resulting directly from the disaster
(f) the disaster’s impact on future space programs
 Punctuation Exercises

Decide which, if any, punctuation marks are

needed on the following slides.

(from https://owl.english.purdue.edu/exercises/3/)
Several countries participated in the airlift Italy,
Belgium, France, and Luxembourg.

Several countries participated in the airlift:

Italy, Belgium, France, and Luxembourg.
Nice is a word with many meanings and some
of them are contradictory.

Nice is a word with many meanings, and some

of them are contradictory.
The contractor testified that the house was
completed and that the work had been done
properly.

No additional punctuation needed.

The men in question Harold Keene, Jim
Peterson, and Gerald Greene deserve awards.

The men in question – Harold Keene, Jim

Peterson, and Gerald Greene – deserve awards.

You could also use parentheses here.

The computer could perform millions of
operations in a split second however, it could
not think spontaneously.

The computer could perform millions of

operations in a split second; however, it could
not think spontaneously.

You could also use a period here.

As a celestial goddess she regulated the course
of the heavenly bodies and controlled the
alternating seasons.

As a celestial goddess, she regulated the course

of the heavenly bodies and controlled the
alternating seasons.
His work may be almost totally forgotten but he
would certainly be surprised to see how much
current scholarship simply echoes his ideas.

His work may be almost totally forgotten, but

he would certainly be surprised to see how
much current scholarship simply echoes his
ideas.
He left the scene of the accident and tried to
forget that it had happened.

No additional punctuation needed.

The office was closed consequently, I could not
pay my bill.

The office was closed; consequently, I could not

pay my bill.

You could also use a period here.

 The design specifications require a three
horsepower pump.

The design specifications require a three-horsepower

pump.
Gracefully lightly and daintily the ballerina
moved across the stage.

Gracefully, lightly, and daintily, the ballerina

moved across the stage.
dr.nadeem@ieee.org

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