Lecture 01 - Writing Basics I

Writing Basics I
Week 01
ITE 1932: Technical Writing
Dr. Nisansa de Silva
Writing Basics I
ITE 1932 - Technical Writing
University of Moratuwa
Color Coding
• RED: - Very important points

• BLUE: - Need to be highlighted but not as important
• GREEN: - Used for terminology (terms)
• PURPLE: - Off topic but necessary
Writing Basics I
A Brief History of Humans
Writing Basics I
Image Source: https://www.englishwithsophia.com/human-history-timeline/

A Brief History of Writing
Writing Basics I
Image Sources:
https://www.britannica.com/topic/hieroglyph
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1048
https://www.dkfindout.com/us/more-find-out/special-events/how-is-book-made/
Writing Basics I
Image Sources:
Writing Basics I
Image Sources:
Writing Basics I
Image Sources:
Why Learn Technical Writing?
 Technical matters / ideas are communicated to your
audience mainly through writings.
Writing Basics I
 User Manuals
Writing Basics I
Image Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNB7VPwnjS4

 User Manuals
 Emails
Writing Basics I
 User Manuals
 Emails
 Technical Reports
Writing Basics I
 User Manuals
 Emails
Writing Basics I
 User Manuals
 Emails
 Research Papers
Writing Basics I
 User Manuals
 Emails
 Research Papers
Writing Basics I
 User Manuals
 Emails
 Research Papers
 CV / Résumé
Writing Basics I
 User Manuals
 Emails
 Research Papers
 CV / Résumé
 And many more …
Writing Basics I
 User Manuals
 Emails
 Research Papers
 CV / Résumé
 And many more …
 You need to communicate your idea clearly and
precisely to the target audience. And your audience Dr. Nisansa de Silva
should be interested in reading what you wrote. Writing Basics I
Planning
 Identify the audience
 E.g., Write about highly technical matters in a way that a
beginner or a non-specialist could understand.
Writing Basics I
Planning
Writing Basics I
Planning
Writing Basics I
Planning
Writing Basics I
Planning
 Understand the writing task / Purpose

 Understand the Question - Example
 Provide the best answer
Organize your thoughts and material ITE 1932: Technical Writing
 Outline your writing / document before start writing Dr. Nisansa de Silva
 You can make a simple list or even make a mind map
Writing Basics I
Understanding the Prompt
This question has multiple sub-parts. Please answer them on a separate piece
of paper:
1. What is the maximum airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?

2. How many bytes are there in a Gigabyte?
3. Who is credited as the world’s first programmer?
4. What is the meaning of life, the universe, and everything?
5. What part of computer is the Moore's law about?
6. If it hadn't been for Cotton-Eye Joe, what could have the narrator done a
long time ago?
7. What is the full name of HTML? Dr. Nisansa de Silva
8. How much wood would a woodchuck chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck Writing Basics I
wood?
9. Can man be defined as a featherless biped?
10. Thank you for reading the question. You only need to answer parts 2, 3, 5,
and 7. Ignore the rest.
 On an exam you will not have time to revise your

response if you realize too late that you have
misunderstood the prompt.
 Thus, given a question, the first thing is to think about

the prompt to make sure you understand what you are ITE 1932: Technical Writing
being asked to write.
Writing Basics I
(from Purdue OWL)
 Step 1 - Read the prompt carefully: This is not the time

to skim-read. It’s important that you read slowly and
carefully to make sure you understand exactly what is
being asked of you. Reading the prompt carefully will
get you on track early in the writing process.
E.g.,
Define Artificial General Intelligence and discuss AI-
Completeness in parallel to NP-Completeness in
algorithms. Dr. Nisansa de Silva
Writing Basics I
(from Purdue OWL)
 Step 2 - Underline key words: The prompt will contain

key words that will reveal the prompt’s topic. The
prompt will also communicate how you are expected to
write about the topic.
These key words might include action verbs that tell you
what to do and nouns that tell you what topics to cover.
Underlining these words will help you focus on them as
you plan your answer. ITE 1932: Technical Writing

E.g.,
Writing Basics I
algorithms.
(from Purdue OWL)
 Step 2 - Underline key words: The prompt will contain

key words that will reveal the prompt’s topic. The
prompt will also communicate how you are expected to
write about the topic.
These key words might include action verbs that tell you
what to do and nouns that tell you what topics to cover.
Underlining these words will help you focus on them as
you plan your answer. ITE 1932: Technical Writing

E.g.,
Writing Basics I
algorithms.
(from Purdue OWL)
 Step 3 - Restate the prompt in your words: The best way

to understand the prompt and commit it to memory is to
repeat it in your own words. Pretend that you are
explaining the prompt to yourself or another student.
Restating the prompt in your words will help you think
clearly about the prompt and absorb it.
E.g.,
Say what is Artificial General Intelligence.
Say what is AI-Completeness. Dr. Nisansa de Silva
Say what is NP-Completeness. Writing Basics I
Explain similarities and differences between AI-

Completeness and NP-Completeness.
Note:
Go through following slides and answer the quiz 1

uploaded in Moodle
Writing Basics I
Avoid Jargon
 Audience familiarity with the topic determines
appropriate use of jargon.
 Jargon Driven:
Most refractory coatings to date exhibit a lack of
reliability when subject to the impingement of
entrained particulate matter in the propellant stream
under extended firing durations.
 Jargon Free:
The exhaust gas eventually damages the coating of
most existing ceramics. Writing Basics I
Define Unfamiliar Terms
 DNS is a hierarchical distributed naming system for

computers, services, or any resource connected to the
Internet or a private network.
VS
 The Domain Name System (DNS) is a hierarchical
distributed naming system for computers, services, or
any resource connected to the Internet or a private
network. Dr. Nisansa de Silva
Writing Basics I
Define Unfamiliar Terms
Writing Basics I
Most Important First
 Place key information in the main clause
 Despite making several errors in the first half,

‘Batch 14 team’ won the game.
VS
 ‘Batch 14 team’ won the game, despite making ITE 1932: Technical Writing
several errors in the first half. Dr. Nisansa de Silva
Writing Basics I
Use Correct Amount of Information
 Social networks are becoming so popular these days
with enormous number of active users
 Facebook currently has nearly 2.85 billion active users.
 WhatsApp has 800 million.
 Twitter has 360 million.
Writing Basics I
Needless Words
Writing Basics I
Image Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/memes/comments/bbcsvq/text_email_essay/

Needless Words
 Students have never done this before.
 Project is currently underway, and allocated budget seems
insufficient.
 Feel something is wrong with the above two sentences?
 The words never done and before are giving redundant meaning.
 The words currently and underway are giving redundant meaning.
(Already) existing Never (before)
At (the) present (time) None (at all) ITE 1932: Technical Writing
(Basic) fundamentals Period (of time) Dr. Nisansa de Silva
(Continue to ) remain (separate) entities Writing Basics I
(Currently) underway (still) persists
Mix (together) (finally) concluded

Excess words
Made arrangements for arranged
Made the decision decided
Made the measurement of measured ITE 1932: Technical Writing

Performed the development of developed Writing Basics I
 Try to avoid excess words whenever possible

Excess words
“So avoid using the word 'very' because it's lazy. A man is
not very tired, he is exhausted. Don't use very sad, use
morose. ”
- Dead Poets Society (1989)
Writing Basics I
Image Source: https://www.moviefone.com/2019/06/02/dead-poets-society-robin-williams-trivia/

References
 Slides modified from “Writing Basics I” by Hiroshi de
Silva.
Writing Basics I

Lecture 01 - Writing Basics I

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Lecture 01 - Writing Basics I

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Writing Basics I

Dr. Nisansa de Silva

• RED: - Very important points

ITE 1932: Technical Writing

Dr. Nisansa de Silva

ITE 1932: Technical Writing

Dr. Nisansa de Silva

Image Source: https://www.englishwithsophia.com/human-history-timeline/

ITE 1932: Technical Writing

Dr. Nisansa de Silva

ITE 1932: Technical Writing

Dr. Nisansa de Silva

ITE 1932: Technical Writing

Dr. Nisansa de Silva

ITE 1932: Technical Writing

Dr. Nisansa de Silva

ITE 1932: Technical Writing

Dr. Nisansa de Silva

ITE 1932: Technical Writing

Dr. Nisansa de Silva

Image Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNB7VPwnjS4

ITE 1932: Technical Writing

Dr. Nisansa de Silva

ITE 1932: Technical Writing

Dr. Nisansa de Silva

ITE 1932: Technical Writing

Dr. Nisansa de Silva

ITE 1932: Technical Writing

Dr. Nisansa de Silva

ITE 1932: Technical Writing

Dr. Nisansa de Silva

ITE 1932: Technical Writing

Dr. Nisansa de Silva

Dr. Nisansa de Silva

ITE 1932: Technical Writing

Dr. Nisansa de Silva

ITE 1932: Technical Writing

Dr. Nisansa de Silva

ITE 1932: Technical Writing

Dr. Nisansa de Silva

ITE 1932: Technical Writing

Dr. Nisansa de Silva

 Understand the writing task / Purpose

Organize your thoughts and material ITE 1932: Technical Writing

1. What is the maximum airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?

 On an exam you will not have time to revise your

 Thus, given a question, the first thing is to think about

 Step 1 - Read the prompt carefully: This is not the time

 Step 2 - Underline key words: The prompt will contain

Dr. Nisansa de Silva

 Step 2 - Underline key words: The prompt will contain

Dr. Nisansa de Silva

 Step 3 - Restate the prompt in your words: The best way

Say what is NP-Completeness. Writing Basics I

Explain similarities and differences between AI-

Go through following slides and answer the quiz 1

Dr. Nisansa de Silva

 DNS is a hierarchical distributed naming system for

ITE 1932: Technical Writing

Dr. Nisansa de Silva

 Place key information in the main clause

 Despite making several errors in the first half,

several errors in the first half. Dr. Nisansa de Silva

ITE 1932: Technical Writing