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Ch 3 - Coggle Diagram
Ch 3
Technical prose
SVO in English
SOV in Hindi
Subject and its verb must be closer together
If not, we'll get distracted
Readers suspend interpretation until after they've read both the subject and the verb.
More transitional words
Simplify the statement
Nominalization
Emphasize: Emphasis
Determined: Determination
Place old information that links back in the subject position, and put new information that you want readers to attend to at the point of emphasis.
The last few words must have significance.
Don't use hedging
Conveys uncertainty
Do not "hedge" when writing technical documents like CVs.
Modal verbs
an auxiliary verb that expresses necessity or possibility. English modal verbs include must, shall, will, should, would, can, could, may, and might.
Active voice
Present tense
Use verbs rather than nominalizations to express action in your sentences.
Plain language is a movement among business, professional, technical, and government writers that seeks to communicate information to readers as clearly and comprehensibly as possible.
Definitions
Negative Definitions
That is, describe what the term or concept is NOT to highlight what it is.
. In this way, a mummy is different from a skeleton or fossil.
A mummy is the body of a person or animal in which some of the soft tissue, such as the organs or skin, does not decay.
Definition of Parts
A third technique for developing an extended definition is to describe the parts of a term or concept.
History
history or background for the term or concept. For example, describe who invented the device or machine
Etymology: Origin
Explaining the etymology of a word is sometimes a useful tactic for elaborating an extended definition. By exploring the origin of the meaning of the term, you can help readers to understand its nuances.
Examples
Giving one or a series of examples is another way to make a concept or term clearer to readers.
Cause and effect
Another way to describe or define a term or concept is to use cause and effect to explain a process or procedure.
Analogy
Another effective way to explain a complex concept is to use a comparison or an analogy—that is, to compare the new idea to an ordinary or well-known concept or thing.
Writing a TD
State the purpose of your document
Find out who your audience
If you have a mixed audience, address each group separately
Put the central point at the start and only include background information as necessary toward the end.
Address the reader directly and use “you.”
Pointers for writing
Context
Structure
Readability
Jargon
Limit jargon to encourage readability
Homework: Write a simple definition for one of the following terms. Compare the definition you have written with that written by another student for the same term next class.
Database
A database stores information in compartments.
What is a technical proposal
How to write a at TP?