The Do’s and Don’ts in Technical Writing

Make sentences clear.

1.) Omit no key words

Faulty: The film container is your first step.

Correct:

Faulty: Before painting walls, place drop cloth in floors.

Correct:

2.) Avoid ambiguous phrases

Ambiguous:I can’t recommend this candidate too highly.

Correct:

Ambiguous: Our patients are enjoying the warm days while they last.
Correct:

3.) Avoid over-stuffing

Over-stuffed: A smoke-filled room causes not only teary eyes and runny nose but also alter
auditory and visual perception as well which is irritating but not associated with any serious disease
except for people with heart and lung ailments whoa re threatened with major problem from smoke.

Correct:

4.) Avoid unstacked modifiers

Faulty: Her job involves fault-analysis systems trouble-shooting handbook preparation.

Correct:

Faulty: Our vehicle air conditioner compression cut-off device will reduce fuel consumption by
5 percent.

Correct:

5.) Rearrange word order

Faulty: I expect a refund because of your error in my shipment.

Correct:

6.) Use the active voice

However, use the passive voice when:

a. The recipient is more prominent than the actor.

 The old man was brought to the hospital by ambulance.
 The hijacking story was broadcasts by all stations.

b. The actor or doer is unknown, not apparent or unimportant.

 The victim was badly beaten
 Parts of the plane were found as far as two miles form the crash site.

7.) Make sentences concise (brief)

Brief but vague: These structural supports are too heavy.

Brief but informative: These structural supports weigh 300 pounds, thereby exceeding our
specified load tolerance by 50 percent.

Avoid wordiness. Use fewer words.

Cluttered: At this point in time I would like to say…

Concise: We are now ready.

8.) Eliminate redundancy

At a rapid rate= rapidly

the majority of= most
has the ability to= can
due to the fact that= because
in this day and age= today
aware of the fact that= know
situated toward= near
on a personal basis= personally
in close proximity= near
take the place of= substitute

9.) Avoid “there” sentence openers

Weak: There are several reasons why Joe left the company.
Revised:

Weak: There is a danger of collapse in Number 2 mine shaft.

Revised:

10.)Avoid certain “it” sentence openers

Wordy: It was his negative attitude that caused him to be fired.

Improved:
Wordy: It gives me great pleasure to introduce our new colleague.
Improved:

11.)Delete needless “to be” construction

Wordy: She seems to be upset.

Right:

Wordy: I find some employees to be incompetent.

Right:

12.)Avoid excessive prepositions

Wordy: These are the recommendation of some of the members of the committee.

Revised:

Wordy: Dr. Karloff is a grouch sort of teacher.

Revised:

13.)Fight noun addiction

Wordy: His memo is a request that we conduct a study of the problem.

Revised:

14.)Make negative positive

Weak and wordy: I did not gain anything from this course.
Revisedlo0