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Style advice for technical writing

Style advice for technical writing. Dr. Arnett WRIT 3140. Advice from plainlanguage.gov analyze your audience(s) address separate audiences… separately. http://skinnydip.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/hipster.jpg. http://unrealitymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/the-golden-girls.jpg.

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Style advice for technical writing

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  1. Style advice for technical writing Dr. ArnettWRIT 3140

  2. Advice from plainlanguage.gov • analyze your audience(s) • address separate audiences… separately

  3. http://skinnydip.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/hipster.jpg

  4. http://unrealitymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/the-golden-girls.jpghttp://unrealitymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/the-golden-girls.jpg

  5. Advice from plainlanguage.gov • analyze your audience(s) • address separate audiences… separately • get to the point quickly • state the purpose, state the main point, and omit background info

  6. http://www.nassaulibrary.org/centreblog/girl_reading_in_chair_hg_wht.gifhttp://www.nassaulibrary.org/centreblog/girl_reading_in_chair_hg_wht.gif

  7. Advice from plainlanguage.gov • analyze your audience(s) • address separate audiences… separately • get to the point quickly • state the purpose, state the main point, and omit background info • use “you” / imperative voice

  8. Advice from plainlanguage.gov • analyze your audience(s) • address separate audiences… separately • get to the point quickly • state the purpose, state the main point, and omit background info • use “you” / imperative voice • use active voice and active verbs

  9. Specific advice on language use (prepare to take notes)

  10. Create“end focus.”

  11. The Ford Pinto is a deeply flawed car from the 1970s. It had an unreinforced gas tank filler neck. If a rear-end collision occurred, it would rupture. Spilled gas would cause a fire.

  12. The Ford Pinto is a deeply flawed car from the 1970s. It had an unreinforced gas tank filler neck. If a rear-end collision occurred, it would rupture. Spilled gas would cause a fire. lack of end focus

  13. The Ford Pinto is a deeply flawed car from the 1970s. It had an unreinforced gas tank filler neck. If a rear-end collision occurred, it would rupture. Spilled gas would cause a fire. lack of end focus

  14. The Ford Pinto is a deeply flawed car from the 1970s. This car’s flaw was its unreinforced gas tank filler neck. If a rear-end collision occurred, it would rupture. Spilled gas would cause a fire. lack of end focus partially fixed

  15. The Ford Pinto is a deeply flawed car from the 1970s. This car’s flaw was its unreinforced gas tank filler neck. If a rear-end collision occurred, it would rupture. Spilled gas would cause a fire. lack of end focus partially fixed

  16. The Ford Pinto is a deeply flawed car from the 1970s. This car’s flaw was its unreinforced gas tank filler neck. If a rear-end collision occurred, this weak neck would rupture. Spilled gas would cause a fire. lack of end focus partially fixed

  17. The Ford Pinto is a deeply flawed car from the 1970s. This car’s flaw was its unreinforced gas tank filler neck. If a rear-end collision occurred, this weak neck would rupture. Spilled gas would cause a fire. lack of end focus partially fixed

  18. The Ford Pinto is a deeply flawed car from the 1970s. This car’s flaw was its unreinforced gas tank filler neck. If a rear-end collision occurred, this weak neck would rupture, spill gas, and start a fire. lack of end focus fixed

  19. Avoid nonsense antecedents. antecedent = the thing a pronoun refers to pronoun = a word that substitutes for a noun

  20. When the user presses Alt+F4, it will shut down.

  21. When the user presses Alt+F4, it will shut down.

  22. When the user presses Alt+F4, it will shut down. nonsense antecedent

  23. When the user presses Alt+F4, the computer will shut down. nonsense antecedent fixed

  24. Specify pronoun antecedents.

  25. The Norton Antivirus website updates your virus protection software automatically, once a week. This protects your computer from new viruses.

  26. The Norton Antivirus website updates your virus protection software automatically, once a week. This protects your computer from new viruses. vague pronoun reference

  27. The Norton Antivirus website updates your virus protection software automatically, once a week. This update protects your computer from new viruses. vague pronoun reference fixed

  28. Match pronoun cases. case = the form of a word that shows its relationship to other words in the sentence singular/plural (I, he, we, they) subjective/objective/possessive (I, me, mine) relative (that, which) interrogative (who, whose, whom) indefinite (everybody, nobody)

  29. It’s common for a 26-year-old to be more mature than they were at 19.

  30. It’s common for a 26-year-old to be more mature than they were at 19.

  31. It’s common for a 26-year-old to be more mature than they were at 19. pronoun case mismatch

  32. It’s common for 26-year-olds to be more mature than they were at 19. It’s common for a 26-year-old to be more mature than she was at 19. pronoun case mismatch fixed

  33. Jimmy and me should have the job done in ten minutes.

  34. Jimmy and me should have the job done in ten minutes.

  35. Jimmy and me should have the job done in ten minutes. pronoun case mismatch

  36. Jimmy and I should have the job done in ten minutes. pronoun case mismatch fixed

  37. Cut down noun strings. noun string = a collection of nouns, one after the other

  38. Underground mine worker safety protection procedures development is an important task.

  39. Underground mine worker safety protection procedures development is an important task.

  40. Underground mine worker safety protection procedures development is an important task.

  41. Underground mine worker safety protection procedures development is an important task.

  42. Underground mine worker safety protection procedures development is an important task.

  43. Underground mine worker safety protection procedures development is an important task.

  44. Underground mine worker safety protection procedures development is an important task.

  45. Underground mine worker safety protection procedures development is an important task.

  46. Underground mine worker safety protection procedures development is an important task. noun string

  47. Developing safety procedures for underground mine workers is an important task. noun string fixed

  48. Change nominalizations into nouns or verbs. nominalization = a verb, adjective, or other part of speech that’s been turned into a noun -tion, -ure, -ability, -ness, -ity, -ance, -ence, -ing, -ment

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