GE ELEC 4:

INTRODUC
TION TO
TECHNICAL
WRITING
Prepared by: JENNIFER V. YERO
Instructor, CIT
 LEARNING
OBJECTIVES

Define and Differentiate Enumerate the

characterize technical components of
technical writing from effective
writing. other forms of writing.
writing.
“All good writing begins
with terrible efforts. You
need to start
somewhere.”

-Anne Lamott
 What is Technical
Writing?
Technical writing is communication
written for and about business and
industry, focusing on products and
services: how to manufacture them,
market them, manage them, deliver
them, and use them (Gerson, n.d.).
 What is Technical
Writing?
Some examples of technically
written works include memos, e-
mails, reports, instruction manuals,
brochures and fliers and others.
What makes technical writing
different from essay writing is that,
the document needs to be precise
and easily understood.
 What is Technical
Writing?
Technical writing is not literature;
it’s neither prose which
recounts the fictional tales of
characters; nor poetry which
expresses deeply felt universal
emotions through similes and
metaphors.
 Technical Writing is…
 An instruction manual for
repairing a machinery
 A memo listing meeting agenda
 A letter from vendor to a client
 A brochure that offers products
and services
What Technical Writing
Is Not
 How does
technical writing
differ from other
types of writing?
Products of
Technical
Writing
 1. Business Letters
A business letter is a type of
written communication. It is written
using a formal language and follows a
formal elements of letter. People
usually write letter to communicate
with companies, organizations or
individuals with the purpose of
applying for a job, making requests,
seeking appointment, etc.
 2. Contract
 A contract is a written agreement between
two people under mutually agreed terms.
 3. Memo
 A memo is a type of written communication used
primarily in business and organizational settings. It is
used to convey information, make requests, or
provide updates.
 4. Graphic Aids
 Graphic aids are drawings, sketches and
illustrations that aid the readers in understanding
the presented data.
 5. Instructional
Manuals
 Instructional manuals are written to guide the
readers on how to assemble, maintain, and
operate an apparatus, machine or gadget.
 What a Technical
Writer Does
What does a technical writer do? The list
below gives some of the tasks which he
does:
 He writes technical and software
manuals, handbooks, technical guides.
 He provides online help.
 He produces Instruction manuals and
other supporting documents to
communicate complex and technical
 What a Technical
Writer
 He Does
develops, gathers, and disseminates technical
information among customers, designers and
manufacturers.
 He produces documentation of a product or
service, either in written, illustrated, or a
combination of both formats.
 What a Technical
Writer
 He Does
works in a wide range of industries like
software, Internet, ecommerce, networking,
telecommunications, bioengineering,
semiconductor, aerospace, hard science,
medicine, automobile, government, heavy
equipment, the armed forces, and manufacturing.
 Why You Need to Learn How to
Write Technical Documents
 Perhaps, you are even wondering why you are
enrolled in this subject and what use it will serve
you. You do much of technical writing once you
are employed. In fact, even before you get
employed, your chances of getting a job relies
much on a technically written document: your
application letter.
 5
Componen
ts of
 Five Components of Writing

1. Development
Any form of writing observes
development techniques. The technical
writer adopts these techniques when
writing memos, letters, and reports.
 Five Components of Writing

2. Grammar
Grammar is important in essays. This importance
increases in technical writing as the written output is
shorter. In a letter or a memo, errors in grammar can
be easily pointed out than having them in longer
essays. This makes grammar an essential component
in technical writing.
 Five Components of Writing

3. Organization
Paragraphs are shorter in technical writing. More
often, two to three sentences compose a technical
paper such as a letter or a memo. Unlike essays which
regard the topic sentence and the transition between
and within paragraphs as important, technical writing
does not.
 Five Components of Writing

4. Style
Style refers to word usage, sentence structure, and
paragraph length. Technical writing demands short,
denotative words, short and simple sentences, as well
as short paragraphs with information clarified through
graphics.
 Five Components of Writing

4. Style
The readers of technical writing do not have time,
nor necessarily an interest in the subject matter. Thus,
to help them accomplish the task as quickly and as
efficiently as possible, they should read a paper with a
writing style that is concise - short words, short
sentences, and short paragraphs.
 Five Components of Writing

5. Document Design
Document Design. This refers to the physical layout
of the correspondence. It covers highlighting
techniques and graphics for visual appeal to help the
reader access and understand data.
 5 IMPORTANT
PRINCIPLES in
GOOD TECHNICAL
WRITING
 1. Audience

 Always have in mind a specific reader,

real or imaginary, when you are writing a
report. Always assume that he is
intelligent, but uninformed.
 2. Purpose

 Before you start to write, always decide

what the exact purpose of your report is
and make sure that every paragraph,
every sentence should make a clear
contribution to that purpose.
 3. Use simple language

 Use that is simple. concrete, and familiar.

 4. Inform your audience

 At the beginning and end of every section of your

report, check your writing according to this
principle: "First you tell the reader what you're
going to tell him, then you tell him what you've
told him."
 5. Make your report attractive.
 Essay
Directions: In a not less than 150 words, answer the
following questions:
1. Based from what you have learned
during the discussion, how will you
differentiate technical writing from
other forms of writing?
2. What things should you consider
before writing?
3. What products of technical writing
have you already done so far? How did