TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION

Unit-3
TECHNICAL WRITING ,GRAMMAR &
EDITING
 Technical writing process
 Forms of Technical discourse

 Writing, drafts & Revising

 Editing Strategies to achieve appropriate

technical style
 Introduction to advanced technical
communication
 Letters

 E-mail writing, Resumes

 Job Application , Minutes of meeting

TECHNICAL WRITING PROCESS
 Technical writing can be defined as art of
presenting technical information in such a way
that the audience it is addressed to can
understand and use the information.

 It conveys specific information about a technical

subject to a specific audience for a specific
purpose.

 It is an art of delivering technical information to

a technical & non technical user in simple and
easy to understand way.
TECHNICAL WRITING PROCESS
 Markel, M defines technical writing as the
process of creating, designing, and transmitting
technical information so that people can
understand it easily and use it safely, effectively
& efficiently.

 Michael H. Markel defines it writing that

conveys specific information about a technical
subject to specific audience for a specific
purpose.
TECHNICAL WRITING PROCESS
 STEP 1 – PLAN. 'If you fail to plan, you plan to
fail. ...
 STEP 2 – STRUCTURE. ...

 STEP 3 – WRITE. ...

 STEP 4 – REVIEW. ...

 STEP 5 – PUBLISH
TECHNICAL WRITING PROCESS
FORMS OF TECHNICAL DISCOURSE

 Discourse types, also known as rhetorical modes,

are types of speaking and writing.
 There are five main types of discourse:

 Narrative

 Description

 Persuasive

 Argumentative

 Expository
FORMS OF TECHNICAL DISCOURSE (NARRATIVE)

 Narrative writing involves telling a story

(narrating).
 Narration involves several features, such as:

 Point of view (first person or third person)

 Setting

 Plot

 Conflict

 Resolution
FORMS OF TECHNICAL
DISCOURSE(DESCRIPTIVE)
 Descriptive writing features descriptive
words/phrases and sensory images.

 An effective piece of descriptive writing should

make the reader feel as if he or she is
experiencing what is being described.
FORMS OF TECHNICAL WRITING
(PERSUASIVE)
 The purpose of Persuasive writing/speaking is to
convince the readers/listeners to change their
mode of thinking or to persuade them to take a
specific action.

 Persuasive techniques are often used in:

Advertisements
 Argumentative writing
 Political campaigns

 Persuasion often appeals to emotion

FORMS OF TECHNICAL WRITING
(ARGUMENTATIVE)
 Argumentative writing/speaking is similar to
Persuasive writing/speaking. However, the
argument is put forward in a logical manner and
is often supported by facts.

 Persuasive techniques are often used in

Argument.
FORMS OF TECHNICAL WRITING
(EXPOSITORY)
 The purpose of Expository writing, or Exposition,
is to deliver information about an issue, subject,
method, or idea.

 Types of Expository Writing include:

 Analogy

 Analysis

 Cause and Effect

 Classification
WRITING , DRAFT & REVISING
 Prewriting is anything you do before you write a
draft of your document.
 It includes thinking, taking notes, talking to
others, brainstorming, outlining, and gathering
information.
 Prewriting is the first activity you engage in,
generating ideas is an activity that occurs
throughout the writing process.
 During prewriting a writer will choose a
manageable topic, identify a purpose and
audience, draft a sentence that expresses the
main idea of piece, gather information about the
topic, and begin to organize the information.
DRAFTING
 The second step of the writing process involves
drafting.
 During drafting, the writer puts his ideas into
complete thoughts, such as sentences and
paragraphs.
 The writer organizes his ideas in a way that
allows the reader to understand his message.
 During drafting, the writer will compose an
introduction to the piece and develop a conclusion
for the material.
 At the end of this step of the writing process, the
author will have completed a “rough draft.”
REVISING / EDITING

 Upon completion of a rough draft, the writer should

take on the first edit of his work.
 Editing is an on-going process, not a one time
event. When an author edits his work, he is checking
the piece for errors.
 These are typically errors in spelling, punctuation,
capitalization, and formatting (indenting of
paragraphs, etc.).
 Editing is a time to work on creating a polished piece
of writing .
 The author will edit before composing a final copy and
then use the same process to check over his final
product.
EDITING STRATEGIES TO ACHIEVE
APPROPRIATE TECHNICAL STYLE

 Technical writing and editing skills are highly

associated with each other.

 Effective editing will help make bad writing good

and good writing becomes even better.

 Experienced editing will catch both factual and

grammatical errors in copy before it is published.
EDITING STRATEGIES TO ACHIEVE
APPROPRIATE TECHNICAL STYLE

 To become an experienced editor, here are some

steps to improve your editing skills

 Step 1. Develop a mastery of the English

language
 Step 2. Know the purpose of the work you
are editing
 Step 3. Familiarize yourself with the
necessary style
 Step 4. Have the confidence to spot and fix
errors
EDITING STRATEGIES TO ACHIEVE
APPROPRIATE TECHNICAL STYLE

 Step 5. Give yourself time to do the job right

 Step 6. Read it through once for

comprehension

 Step 7. Re-read each sentence individually,

making corrections as needed

 Step 8. Review the work again by

paragraph or section

 Step 9. Run an electronic spell check

INTRODUCTION TO ADVANCED TECHNICAL
COMMUNICATION

 Technical communication is a means to

convey scientific, engineering, or other technical
information.

 Individuals in a variety of contexts and with

varied professional credentials engage in
technical communication.

 Technical communicators identify the audience

and their information needs , ensures that the
intended audience can understand the content
and retrieve the information they need
INTRODUCTION TO ADVANCED TECHNICAL
COMMUNICATION

 Technical communication is a professional task

performed by specialized employees or
consultants.
 For example, a professional writer may work
with a company to produce a user manual. Some
companies give considerable technical
communication responsibility to other technical
professionals—such as programmers, engineers,
and scientists. Often, a professional technical
writer edits such work to bring it up to modern
technical communication standards
IMPORTANCE OF TECHNICAL
COMMUNICATION
Through technical correspondence, employees
 Maintain good customer–client relations (follow-up letters).
 Ensure that work is accomplished on time (directive memos
or e-mail).
 Provide documentation that work has been completed
(progress reports).
 Generate income (sales letters, brochures, and fliers).
 Keep machinery working (user manuals)
 Ensure that correct equipment is purchased (technical
descriptions).
 Participate in teleconferences or videoconferences (oral
communication).
 Get a job (resumes).
 Define terminology (online help screens).
 Inform the world about a company’s products and services
(Internet Web sites and blogs)
LETTERS

 The exchange of written or printed

communication.

• Writing letters is considered to be an easy thing

to do.

• But very few write really good letters. • A good

letter should follow all the rules of good
conversation and good composition
SALIENT FEATURES OF LETTER
1) Simplicity -It must be kept in mind that the
writer of a letter is a person communicating
with another person. It is, therefore, the polite,
personal touch that proves to be more effective
than the stiff, detached style generally
associated with business correspondence .

2)Clarity of Goal -Both in thought and expression

we have to be clear in our correspondence. Every
letter is a reflection of the writer’s mind. He
should be therefore clear about what information
he is seeking or wishing to give.
SALIENT FEATURES OF LETTER
3)Courtesy: When we adopt the “you-attitude” for
mutual benefit it is natural that our tone
becomes courteous. It involves writing directly to
our reader, avoiding the outdated cold style and
also excluding elements of anger and preaching
that very often spoil communication.

4) Persuasion: Persuasion is the main function of

business communication. It is most evident in
effective business letters. The basic purpose of an
effective letter is to influence, or to sell an idea to
the reader(s).
SALIENT FEATURES OF LETTER
5) Sincerity: Sincerity means that our readers
must believe what we say. Words of exaggeration
like ‘extraordinary’, ‘sensational’, and
‘revolutionary’, ‘greatest’, ‘amazing’ etc. must be
avoided in letters.

6)Positive Language: Use of positive language

becomes all the more important in a business
letter.Positive words stir up positive feelings.
That is why it is advisable to avoid using
negative words like ‘failure’, ‘refuse’, ‘sorry’, ‘no’,
‘do not’, ‘mistake’, ‘loss’, damage’,etc.
SALIENT FEATURES OF LETTER
7)Coherence: Effective letters present information
in logical order by careful use of linking devices,
use of pronouns that are reference words, and
repetition of key words.

8)Tactful Approach: An effective letter is a

tactfully planned letter. The writer has to decide
how best to approach the problem or to convey
the bad news.
TYPES OF BUSINESS LETTERS
•Acceptance Letter (yes/ legal) business letter,
•Acknowledgement Letter (Receipt)
•Adjustment Letter (a legal document / addresses a
complaint or claim)
•Application Letter (request job )
•Complaint Letter (a legal document)
•Cover Letter (accompanies resume information to
include ) or order)
•Inquiry Letter (posing a question)
•Order Letter (request letter)
•Refusal Letter (reject an offer)
•Response Letter (answers inquiry)
•Sales Letter (marketing)
PARTS OF BUSINESS LETTER
Heading (sender’s return address and date)
Inside Address (recipient’s address)
Salutation (greeting)
Body (paragraphs)
Complimentary Close
Signature Line (with or without title)
Enclosure (optional)
cc notation (copies sent to others)
Sender/typist initials (optional)
LETTER FORMAT
 Full Block Format

 Semi Block Format

RESUME WRITING

Paints a positive and factual picture of YOU.

Sets a positive tone for the interview.
Guides the interviewer in what to ask.
Influences others who approve the hiring.
TEN STEPS TO A GOOD RESUME
Choose a job target (also called a “job objective”).
An actual job title works best.
Find out what skills, knowledge, and experience
are needed to do that target job.
Make a list of your 3 or 4 strongest skills,
abilities, knowledge that make you a good
candidate for that target job.
For each key skill, think of several
accomplishments from your past work history
that illustrate that skill.
Describe each accomplishment in a simple action
statement that emphasizes results
TEN STEPS TO A GOOD RESUME
Make a list of the primary jobs you’ve held in
chronological order. Include unpaid work that
fills a gap.
Make a list of your training and education that is
related to the new job you want.
Choose a resume format that fits your situation—
either chronological or functional.
Arrange your action statements on your resume
according to the format you choose.
Summarize your key points at or near the top of
your resume in about five short lines.
JOB APPLICATION
 The job or employment application is the official
form that employers ask all applicants for a
position to fill out.

 The job application (see a variety of sample job

applications provides a consistent format with
the same questions that must be answered by
each person who applies for an open position.

 The job application is a legally defensible listing

of your job applicant’s employment history,
educational background, degrees, qualifications,
references, and more
MINUTES OF MEETING
 Minutes of Meeting describe specify what was
discussed and decided in a meeting.
 permanent record of the meeting for future
reference.
 Include an overview of the structure of the
meeting.
 Note down in a concise way the matters thatare
being dealt with and decided on during ameeting
and to produce the minutes of themeeting to
every one
F ORMS OF RECORDING M INUTES

Video Recording
Audio Recording
Hand Recording
T HE B ODY O F THE MINUTES
Name of the organization
Date and time the meeting
Those present and those who could not attend
A list of the agenda items/topics
Summary of discussion for each agenda item
The actions people committed to
Summary of any decisions made
E SSENTIALS OF TAKING THE
MINUTES
Record simple short statements which capture
decisions passed and actions agreed upon under
each of the agenda headings
Keep it brief & to the point
Circulate within a week
Impersonal tone
Reported speech