LESSON 1: TECHNICAL WRITING 4.
Audience Recognition – Audience may either be:
What is 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.
• Technical writing is typically used for creating
manuals, technical instructions, analysis
reports, and product assembly guides.
Five Components of Writing
1. Development
2. Grammar
3. Organization
4. Style
5. Document Design
Five Traits of Technical Writing
1. Clarity – Answers who, what, when, where, why,
and how. Writing must be specific.
2. Conciseness – Uses short words and sentences
and avoids redundancy, prepositional phrases,
passive voice, and words with many syllables.
3. Accessible Document Design – Uses highlighting
techniques such as bullets, italics, headings, etc.
to draw attention to important information.
High tech peers, Low tech peers, and lay readers.
5. Accuracy – Must be grammatically,
mathematically, electronically, etc. correct.
LESSON 2:COMMUNICATION GRAMMATICAL ERRORS
SENTENCE FRAGMENTS
A Sentence Fragment is an incomplete grammatical unit
that is punctuated as a sentence. It lacks either a subject
or a verb or is a subordinate clause or phrase. Sentence
fragments are often introduced by relative pronouns
(who, whom, which, that) or subordinating conjunctions
(such as although, because, if, when, and while).
Ex. Fragment and quit his job.
Sentence He quit his job.
A Sentence must contain a finite verb; verbals (nonfinite)
do not function as verbs. The following sentence
fragments use verbals (providing, to work) that cannot
function as finite verbs.
Ex. Fragment Providing all employees with disability
insurance.
Sentence The company provides all employees with
disability insurance.
A Clause is a group of words that contains a subject and
a predicate and that functions as a sentence or as part of
a sentence. Every subject-predicate word group in a
sentence is a clause, and every sentence must contain at
least one independent clause; otherwise, it is a sentence
fragment.
A clause that could stand alone as a simple sentence is an
independent clause. (“The scaffolding fell when the rope
broke.”) A clause that could not stand alone if the rest of
the sentence were deleted is a dependent (or
subordinate) clause. (“I was at the St. Louis branch when
the decision was made.”)
Ex. Fragmented The recycling facility is located between
Millville and Darrtown. Both villages use it. [The two
thoughts are of approximately equal importance.]
Ex. Subordinated The recycling facility, which is located
between Millville and Darrtown, is used by both villages.
[One thought is subordinated to the other.]
Predicates The predicate is the part of a sentence that
makes an assertion about the subject and completes the
thought of the sentence.
▶ Bill has piloted the corporate jet.
The simple predicate is the verb and any helping verbs
(has piloted).
The complete predicate is the verb and any modifiers,
objects, or complements (has piloted the corporate jet).
A compound predicate consists of two or more verbs
with the same subject.
▶ The company tried but did not succeed in that field.
Such constructions help achieve conciseness in writing. A
predicate nominative is a noun construction that follows
a linking verb and renames the subject.
▶ She is my attorney. [noun]
▶ His excuse was that he had been sick. [noun clause]
RUN-ON SENTENCES
Sometimes called a fused sentence, is two or more
sentences without punctuation to separate them. The
term is also sometimes applied to a pair of independent
clauses separated by only a comma, although this
variation is usually called a comma splice.
Run-on sentences can be corrected, as shown in the
following examples.
Incorrect It was 500 miles to the facility, we arranged
to fly.
(1) [making two sentences] It was 500 miles to the
facility. We arranged to fly.
(2) [joining the two clauses with a semicolon] It was 500
miles to the facility; we arranged to fly. [semicolon]
(3) [joining the two clauses with a comma and a
coordinating conjunction] It was 500 miles to the facility,
so we arranged to fly.
(4) [subordinating one clause to the other] Because it
was 500 miles to the facility, we arranged to fly.
SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
Subject-verb agreement is not affected by intervening
phrases and clauses.
▶ One in 20 hard drives we receive from our suppliers is
faulty. [The verb, is, must agree in number with the
subject, one, not hard drives or suppliers.]
The same is true when nouns fall between a subject and
its verb.
▶ Only one of the emergency lights was functioning. [The
subject of the verb is one, not lights.]
▶ Each of the switches controls a separate circuit. [The
subject of the verb is each, not switches.]
Note that one and each are normally singular.
LESSON 3: SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT RULES
Subjects and verbs must agree in number.
1. If the subject is singular, the verb must be singular
too.
Example: She writes every day.
How do you recognize a singular or plural verb?
A singular verb is one that has an s added to it in the
present tense, such as writes, plays, runs, and uses forms
such as is, was, has, does. A plural verb does not have an
s added to it, such as write, play, run, and uses forms such
as are, were, have and do.
Exception: When using the singular "they," use plural
verb forms.
Example: The participant expressed satisfaction with
their job. They are currently in a managerial role at the
organization.
2. If the subject is plural, the verb must also be plural.
Example: They write every day.
Sometimes, however, it seems a bit more complicated
than this.
3. When the subject of the sentence is composed of two
or more nouns or pronouns connected by and, use a
plural verb.
Example: The doctoral student and the committee
members write every day.
4. When there is one subject and more than one verb,
the verbs throughout the sentence must agree with the
subject.
Example: Interviews are one way to collect data and
allow researchers to gain an in-depth understanding of
participants.
Example: An assumption is something that is generally
accepted as true and is an important consideration when
conducting a doctoral study.
5. When a phrase comes between the subject and the
verb, remember that the verb still agrees with the
subject, not the noun or pronoun in the phrase
following the subject of the sentence.
Example: The student, as well as the committee
members, is excited.
Example: The student with all the master’s degrees is
very motivated.
6. When two or more singular nouns or pronouns are
connected by "or" or "nor," use a singular verb.
Example: The chairperson or the CEO approves the
proposal before proceeding.
7. When a compound subject contains both a singular
and a plural noun or pronoun joined by "or" or "nor,"
the verb should agree with the part of the subject that
is closest to the verb. This is also called the rule of
proximity.
Example: The student or the committee members write
every day.
8. The words and phrases "each," "each one," "either,"
"neither," "everyone," "everybody," "anyone,"
"anybody," "nobody," "somebody," "someone," and
"no one" are singular and require a singular verb.
Example: Each of the participants was willing to be
recorded.
Example: Neither alternative hypothesis was accepted.
9. Noncount nouns take a singular verb.
Example: Education is the key to success.
Example: Diabetes affects many people around the
world.
10. Some countable nouns in English such as earnings,
goods, odds, surroundings, proceeds, contents, and
valuables only have a plural form and take a plural verb.
Example: The earnings for this quarter exceed
expectations.
Example: The proceeds from the sale go to support the
homeless population in the city.
11. In sentences beginning with "there is" or "there
are," the subject follows the verb. Since "there" is not
the subject, the verb agrees with what follows the verb.
Example: There is little administrative support.
PLURAL NOUN, PLURAL PRONOUN
When the subject of the sentence is plural, the pronoun
in the sentence becomes plural as well.
Example: When students arrive on the first day of school,
students need help finding the right classroom. (Since
"students" is plural, use a plural pronoun to replace it.
Revision: When students arrive on the first day of school,
they need help finding the right classroom.
Remember to find the true subject of the sentence to
determine if the pronoun should be singular or plural.
PRONOUN AMBIGUITY
Although pronouns are useful to help writers avoid
repetition, they should be used sparingly to keep the
meaning of the sentence clear. Take a look at this
sentence:
Example: When Jeff and Brian joined the team members,
they were scared.
Revision: When Jeff and Brian joined the team members,
the team members were scared.
MODIFIER BASICS
Modifiers are words, phrases, or clauses that expand,
limit, or make otherwise more specific the meaning of
other elements in a sentence. Although we can create
sentences without modifiers, we often need the detail
and clarification they provide.
WITHOUT MODIFIERS: Production decreased.
WITH MODIFIERS: Glucose production decreased rapidly.
MISPLACED MODIFIERS
When a modifier is ambiguously or illogically modifying a
word, we consider it a misplaced modifier.
Example: Dolger discovered an ancient Mayan civilization
using astronavigation.
● The modifier, "using astronavigation," is unclear in this
sentence. Does it modify "Dolger" or "civilization"? A
reader will wonder, "Was Dolger using astronavigation?
Or was the civilization he discovered using
astronavigation?"
DANGLING MODIFIERS
Phrases that do not clearly and logically refer to the
correct noun or pronoun are called dangling modifiers.
Dangling modifiers usually appear at the beginning of a
sentence as an introductory phrase.
DANGLING: While eating lunch, the computer
malfunctioned. [Who was eating lunch?]
CORRECT: While I was eating lunch, the computer
malfunctioned.
Dangling modifiers can appear at the end of the
sentence as well.
DANGLING: The program gains efficiency by eliminating
the superfluous coding. [Who eliminates the
superfluous coding?]
CORRECT: The program gains efficiency when you
eliminate the superfluous coding.
LESSON 4: BUILDING CLEAR, CONCISE SENTENCES
In grammar, voice indicates the relation of the subject to
the action of the verb. When the verb is in the active
voice, the subject acts; when it is in the passive voice,
the subject is acted upon.
ACTIVE: David Cohen wrote the newsletter article. [The
subject, David Cohen, performs the action; the verb,
wrote, describes the action.]
PASSIVE: The newsletter article was written by David
Cohen. [The subject, the newsletter article, is acted
upon; the verb, was written, describes the action.]
Using the Active Voice
Improving Clarity. The active voice improves clarity and
avoids confusion, especially in instructions and manuals.
PASSIVE: Sections B and C should be checked for errors.
[Are they already checked?]
ACTIVE: Check sections B and C for errors. [The
performer of the action, you, is understood: (You) Check
the sections.]
Using the Passive Voice
The passive voice is sometimes effective or even
necessary. Indeed, for reasons of tact and diplomacy,
you might need to use the passive voice to avoid an
implied accusation.
ACTIVE Your staff did not meet the quota last month.
PASSIVE The quota was not met last month.
USING PRECISE VERBS JARGON

Choosing precise verbs is another way to make your Jargon is a specialized slang that is unique to an
writing more concise. A verb is a word or group of words occupational or professional group. For example. “the
indicating the action or state of being of the subject in a attending” is slang used by medical professionals to
sentence. refer to “the attending physician” in a hospital.

Verbs tell the reader that something exists, acts in a

certain way, or has certain features.
AVOIDING EUPHEMISIM, CLICHES, AND SLANG
Consider the sentence, "The team made slow progress
Euphemisms are innocuous words or expressions used I
through the testing stage, and resource costs were
place of one that is deemed offensive or suggests
beginning to rise." The string "made slow progress" can
something unpleasant.
be replaced by "progressed slowly" and the string
"were beginning to rise" can be replaced by one word – Example. If someone was recently fired, they may say
"rose." they were let go by the management or in between
jobs.

LESSON 5: ELIMINATING DEADWOOD Cliches or Trite Language

Cliches are expressions that have been used for so long

WHAT IS DEADWOOD IN WRITING?
they are no longer fresh but come to mind easily
Deadwood is the unnecessary difficult and long phrases because they are familiar
and words that are in writing.
Slang is an informal vocabulary composed of figures of
How do you avoid deadwood phrases? speech and colorful words used in humorous or
extravagant ways. It may be a familiar word used in a
1. Use active verbs
new way (chill meaning “relax”) or it may be a new
2. Choose simple words
word (selfie meaning “an informal photograph of
3. Remove empty phrases.
oneself).
4. Avoid converting verbs into nouns
5. Use specific nouns
6. Remove descriptors like “who/that/which/was”
TRANSITIONAL MARKERS
7. Skip empty openers
Also called transitional words are like bridges between
parts of your essay. They link sentences and paragraphs
ELIMINATING REDUNDANCIES AND WORDINESS together smoothly so there are no abrupt jumps or
breaks between ideas
How can I prevent redundancy and wordiness?
Example. After, Finally, At last, Besides, Further, etc.
1. Less is more when it comes to writing
2. Be mindful or abbreviations
3. Avoid double negatives
4. Be careful of pleonasms (use of more words
than necessary to convey a meaning)
5. Use your intensifiers properly
6. Intensifiers such as “severely” or “extremely”
should be used sparingly