INTRODUCTION TO TECHNICAL WRITING

4 MACRO SKILLS
- Listening - Reading
- Speaking - Writing

What is Technical Writing?

- A written communication about a scientific or technical subject
to a specific group of readers.Commonly addressed to a specific
reader, intelligent enough to grasp the specific information
given.
- It must be clear that w/o the technical terms, the writing ceases
to be technical writing.

How these documents or texts are written?

- Clear - well-structured
- Concise - comprehensive
- Accurate - formal

Examples of Technical Writing

- Reports - Memoranda/Memorandum
- Business letters - Proposals
- Brochures - Manuals
- Resumes - Handouts
- Research papers - Articles

Who usually reads or writes this type of text?

- Professionals - Researchers
- Consumers - students

Purpose of Technical Writing

- Provides information that leads to accomplishment of specific
tasks and the making of needed good decisions
- It analyzes events and its implication
- It persuades and influences decisions
Technical vs. Literary Writing

Technical Literary

Subject/Content Scientific/Technical Non-scientific

/Non-Technical

Purpose To Inform/persuade To Entertain

Language Literal/Denotative Figurative/Connotative

Writing style Impersonal Personal

Tone Serious/Heavy Light/Amusing

Point-of-view Usually 3rd person 1st or 3rd person

Objectivity Objective/Neutral Subjective/Biased

Format Formal Informal

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT RULES

Subject
- It is the part of a sentence that names whom or what the sentence
is about.

Verb
- It is a word that expresses action or a state of being and is
necessary to make a statement

RULE #1: A singular verb is usually used for units of time and
measurement.

Example: Two weeks is not enough to accomplish the research manuscript

★ Singular: How much? How big/small?

★ Plural: How many?
 ❖ REPLACING THE UNITS OF MEASUREMENT WITH A SINGULAR PRONOUN (IT,
THIS, THAT), USE A SINGULAR VERB. IF THE SENTENCE DOESN'T MAKE
SENSE WHEN YOU SUBSTITUTE A SINGULAR PRONOUN, USE A PLURAL VERB.

RULE #2: “The number” is singular verb; “A number” is plural verb

★ Example: The number of HIV-related cases is continuously

increasing in Southeast Asia

RULE #3: Adjectives preceded by "the" take a plural verb.

★ Example: The poor do not have money for both needs and luxuries

RULE #4: With percentages and fractions, the verb agrees with the
preceding noun.

★ Example: 30% of the new LRT 3 station has been built.

RULE #5: If one subject is singular & the other one is plural and
connected by the words NEITHER/NOR, we use the verb form of the
subject that is nearest to the verb.

★ Example: Neither LBM nor administration members care for Filipino

citizen's welfare.

RULE #6: Subjects and verbs must agree in the number

★ Example: The dogs bark at night. The dog barks at night.

RULE #7: Words between subjects and verbs don’t affect agreement like
appositives and prepositional phrases

★ Example: One of the school policies is to wear school ID daily.

RULE #8: Verbs will be placed before the subjects if sentences start
with HERE or THERE.

★ Example: Here are the papers you requested.

RULE #9: The verb is singular if two subjects joined by “and” refer to
the same thing or person.

★ Example: Cookies and cream is my favorite flavor.

RULE #10: The verb is singular if the words EVERY, EACH, and NO come
before the subject

★ Example: No man is an island.

RULE #11: Indefinite pronouns typically take singular verbs.*

★ Example: Everyone deserves a second chance.

RULE #12: *Except for pronouns MANY, SEVERAL, BOTH, SOME, FEW that
always take plural verbs

★ Example: Some people live for the fortune.

RULE #13: If two INFINITIVES or GERUNDS are connected by the

conjunction and, they take plural verb form

★ Example: Composing songs and playing guitars are great talents

RULE #14: COLLECTIVE NOUNS take the singular form of the verb

★ Example: The Senate discusses a new law

RULE #15: Titles of books, movies, songs, etc. are treated as singular
in form and take singular verbs as well.

★ Example: The Chainsmokers is the most popular duo of the year