Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Technical Writing
Technical writing is a type of writing where the author is writing about a particular subject that requires
direction, instruction, or explanation. This style of writing has a very different purpose and different
characteristics than other writing styles such as creative writing, academic writing or business writing.
Likewise, Technical writing is a written communication about a scientific or technical subject to a specific
reader or group of readers for the purpose of giving certain information. It is also called scientific writing
because it deals with a topic in any sciences. These sciences are classified into biological, physical and
social.
WEEK 2
Basic Techniques of Technical Writing
Successful writers employ a variety of techniques in their writing. However, the kind of writing
dictates the techniques to be employed by the writer. For instance, if one does a brochure, he uses
description more than any other techniques; if he writes a fire incident report, he uses narration more than
any other. In description, classification, partitioning or analysis, causation (causal analysis) comparison,
contrast and interpretation.
Definition – Technical writing is replete with technical terms that need to be defined. It is a must to define
scientific terms to allow better comprehension. These difficult words may come in the form of known
words used in a in a differently new sense (as fly- over), new words for already known things and new
words for unknown things. New words does not necessarily mean newly coined words they are new in the
sense that they are encountered by the readers for the first time so they have to be defined.
When one defines he gives the meaning of a certain term. The writer may define a word in any of the
three ways:
a. Informal (word or phrase definition)
b. Formal (sentence definition)
c. Amplified (extended or expanded definition)An informal definition comes in the form of a word
or a phrase oftentimes called a synonym.
A formal or sentence definition, as its name suggests is in the form of a sentence with these three
elements; species is the term defined; genus is the class or kind to which the term belongs; differentia are
the distinguishing characteristics that make the term different from other terms of the same class.
The amplified (extended or expanded) definition comes in the form of additional sentences that
support a formal definition which becomes the topic sentence of a paragraph with definition as a method
of development.
This is done in any of the following ways:
1. function – use of the thing defined
2. location – placement/ position of the thing defined
3. physical description- physical traits, (color, size, shape, etc.) of the thing defined
4. further definition- definition of words in the formal definition of the thing defined
5. causation- causes or effects of the thing defined
6. comparison- similarities of the thing defined with another thing
7. contrast- differences of the thing defined
8. exemplification- concrete examples of the thing defined
9. etymology/word derivation- words from which the thing defined was derived
10. analysis- parts of the thing defined
11. basic principle-law or principle governing the thing defined; and
12. negation-negative statements about the thing defined.
1. Internal correspondence is a written communication between the employees, units, departments, and
branches of the same organization. Internal correspondence can either be formal or less formal. Routine
internal correspondence are usually less formal, such as quick instructions between a supervisor and a
staff, and these are normally in the form of email.
2. External correspondence takes place between different organizations, or between an organization
and their individual clients. This is a form of written communication made by a company to those who do
not belong to their organization.
3. Sales correspondence refers to sales related communications. It is not limited to just selling a product
or service, but it also includes other activities relating to sales. Sales correspondence include marketing
letters, offer and discount letters, sales proposals, invoices, statement of accounts, sales reports, order
confirmation, purchase orders, letters of authorization, collection letters, and such.
4. Personalized correspondence involved personal and emotional factors. Despite being labeled as
“personalized”, this type of correspondence can also be used for business purposes. Examples of
personalized correspondence include letters of gratitude, letters of favors or requests, appreciation notes,
letters of congratulations of commendation, and such.
5. Circulars are notices that are communicated to a large number of people within the organization. It is
also referred to as office instructions or announcements. Often, general announcements (such as
changes in contact information, details about meetings with shareholders, instructions about certain
protocols, etc) are being communicated via circulars.
STAGE 1: Planning
Planning your writing is the key to effective business writing. It will help you organize your thoughts,
shape your ideas, and develop the purpose of your material. Because planning enables you to write more
efficiently, it will save you time and frustration. It is important to clearly define the purpose for writing the
communication and to write it from the audience’s perspective
STAGE 2: Writing
Before you begin writing, creating a mental image of your target audience and writing the information as if
you were having a conversation with them.
You might want to ask yourself the following questions:
• What information do they need to make an informed decision?
• How much knowledge do they already have about the topic?
• What action would I like them to take after reading the information?
STAGE 3: Revising
The revising stage requires critical analysis of your work. It is the time to change things if necessary. For
instance, you may need to reorder paragraphs, delete sentences, add more details, or replace some
words with others.
To help with the revising process, ask yourself the following questions:
• Do the major pieces of the text belong? (Conciseness)
• Is the text in the most effective order? (Clarity)
• Do my sentences and paragraphs add anything of value to my message? (Conciseness)
• Are there any words and phrases that can be removed? (Clarity)
• Am I using long words when shorter ones will express the same thought just as well? (Credibility)
• Does what I’ve written make sense? (Clarity/Credibility)
• If I was a member of the target audience, would I read this? (Credibility)
It may also be helpful to ask someone else to read your material as others can sometimes see flaws that
we cannot see.
STAGE 4: Editing
It can be difficult for us to edit our own material for consistency, grammar, spelling, and punctuation. After
all, we wrote it and have probably read it at least a few times. So how can we catch those little mistakes?
You know, the ones that are glaring at us, but we still can’t see them. If possible, ask someone else to
edit your material. If you can’t recruit an editor, one trick is to set the material aside for at least a day
(more if possible). Then you can re-read it with a fresh eye and clear mind.
Developing business writing skills takes time and practice.
If you do not write frequently or if writing is not your best skill, it will take practice to become an effective
business writer. But in the end you will be able to communicate in writing with style, grace, and expertise.
WEEK 4
BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE
The term ”business letter” makes people nervous Many people with English as a second language
worry that their writing is not sophisticated enough for business writing. This is not the case. An effective
Letter in business uses short, simple sentences and straightforward vocabulary. The easier is the letter to
read, the better.
Letter writing can be made easier if the writer can identify beforehand the type of message he/she
needs to communicate. Messages can be grouped according to purpose:
1. To inform
2. To express
3. To request
4. To instruct
5. To persuade
The basic and miscellaneous parts are positioned below in a letter having a semi-block format.
RESUME
Resume is a summary of your personal data, your educational background and training, your
business or professional experience and qualifications, and your achievement highlights. Successful job
seekers invest great deal of time and talent in developing their resume to capture the essence of who
they are and to communicate their unique qualifications. Your resume should touch on all things which
influence your qualifications for a particular position or type of employment.
Essentially, your resume is an advertisement to prospective employers. It should be prepared with
as much care as a promotional campaign for a major new product. It should set you apart from other
candidates in the job market and sell the employer on your strongest qualifications.
COVER LETTER
A cover letter is a document sent with your resume to provide additional information on your skills
and experience. The letter provides detailed information on why you are qualified for the job you are
applying for.
A cover letter typically accompanies each resume you send out. Employers use cover letters as a
way to screen applicants for available jobs and to determine which candidates they would like to
interview. If an employer requires a cover letter, it will be listed in the job posting.
Types of Cover Letters
There are three general types of cover letters. Choose a type of letter that matches your reason for
writing.
• The application letter which responds to a known job opening
• The prospecting letter which inquires about possible positions
• The networking letter which requests information and assistance in your job search
When you are applying for a job that has been posted by a company that’s hiring, you will be using the
“application letter” style.
What to Include in your cover letter
A cover letter should complement, not duplicate, your resume. Its purpose is to interpret the data-
oriented, factual resume and add a personal touch to your application for employment
Each cover letter you write should be customized to include:
• Which job you’re applying for (include the job title in your opening paragraph)
• How you learned about the job (and a referral if you have one)
• Why you are qualified for the job (be specific)
• What you have to offer the employer, and why you want to work at this specific company (match your
skills to the job description, and read up on the organization’s mission, values and goals to mention in
your letter)
• Thank you for being considered for the job