Tech Writing Tech Writing

2009 2009
Technical Writing for
Graduate Students What is Technical Writing?
† Instructor: Sam Yang, PhD † Technical writing, a form of technical
communication, is a style of formal writing used in
† Office: MDE 712; Tel: 5412 fields as diverse as computer hardware and software,
chemistry, the aerospace industry, robotics, finance,
† E-mail: samyang@cc.kuas.edu.tw consumer electronics, and biotechnology. Technical
writers explain technology and related ideas to
† Teaching Assistant: Ms. Esther Tung technical and nontechnical audiences. This could mean,
for example, telling a programmer how to use a
† Grade Policy: software library or telling a consumer how to operate
a television remote control. (From Wikipedia web)
Home Assignment: 40% † Taking complicated subject matter and transforming it
Midterm: 30%; Final Exam: 30% into easy-to-understand information for the reader

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Where we need to present technical
Purpose of the Course writing?
† To develop technical communication skills- † Research reports
art and science of making complex technical
† Research papers or articles
information accessible, usable, and relevant
to a variety of readers or audiences in † Proposals
diverse fields. † Web pages
† To be able to write a correct, clear, and † Conferences, meetings
concise sentence, paragraph, and essay.
† to write scientific and technical articles in a
† Lectures
way that is clear and easy to understand. † Posters

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Technical Writing :Outline Typical Sections of a Research Paper

1. Basic English Grammar (12 hours) Abstract

2. Technical writing in English articles

Introduction
† Structure of technical paper (1hr)
† Topic (1hr)
† Abstract (4hr) Method

† Introduction (4hr)
† Modeling or Method (4hr) Results and
Discussion
† Results and Discussion (4hr)
† Conclusion (2hr)
Conclusion
† Acknowledgement (1hr)
† References (1hr) 3 6

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 Tech Writing Tech Writing
2009 2009
What characteristics are required Types of Verb:
for technical documents?
† Accuracy: is factual, correct, free from bias. Types of Verb:
† Clarity: is easily understood by the intended
audience without ambiguities. 1. Complete Intransitive Verbs
† Consistency: is smooth through the document
† Conciseness: is clear and complete without
2. Incomplete Intransitive Verbs
excess or redundant verbiage 3. Complete Transitive Verbs
† Usefulness
† Organization 4. Grant Transitive Verbs
† Style
† Format: technical conventions.
5. Incomplete Transitive Verbs
† Grammar, Spelling, and Punctuation
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Part 1:Basic English Grammar
(12 hours) Complete Intransitive Verbs
„ Five basic sentence patterns † Arrive bark come cough cry
„ Four sentence structures † dance dive fly float go grow
„ Absolute phrase or Participle
† hesitate jump laugh leave listen
construction
„ Sentence combining † live rain rely run scream sing sit
† sleep smile squeal stand stay
† surf swim talk think travel wait
† walk work yawn yell

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2009 2009

Unit 1: Complete sentence Incomplete Intransitive Verbs

† What Is A Sentence? † Be Verb: am is are was were
† What does it take to make a † Linking Verbs:
sentence? A sentence has (at
Appear feel look smell sound taste
least) three things:
1. a subject: what we are talking about, † Other verbs: become get grow
usually a noun or pronoun prove remain seem stay turn
2. a verb: tells that the subject does
something or is something, and
3. a characteristic: can stand alone, can
be independent.
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2009 2009
Grant Transitive Verbs
２．S+Vi+SC
1. S + V + DO + to + IO 1. Basic English grammar is crucial
† bring give hand lend pass pay (or essential) in technical English
sell send show take tell wish writing.
2. S + V + DO + for + IO 2. This point seems compatible with
† buy choose cook get leave make that in earlier studies.
order play prepare prescribe
save spare

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Five basic sentence patterns
３．S+Vt+O:
1. S+Vi : 1. Motivation places emphasis on the
2. S+Vi+SC : individual decisions.
3. S+Vt+O: 2. We conducted an experiment.
4. S+Vt+IO+DO : 3. Solar energy has drawn increasing
5. S+Vt+O+OC : interest in recent years.

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2009 2009
１． S+Vi ４．S+Vt+IO (people)+DO
(things)
1. The output grows. 1. The equation gave you a good reason.
2. The total income increases. =The equation gave a good reason to
3. The gain of this product decays. you.
2. John bought me an experimental
facility.
= John bought an experimental facility
for me.

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 Tech Writing Tech Writing
2009 Exercise: please analyze and indicate the 2009
types of following sentences.
５．S+Vt+O+OC
1. The researcher found out how to make 2. The government should give the
this material of great value. people from fear.
Note: of great value as object compliment
† Subject ? Verb? Others?
2. The study considered the inertial force
(to be) negligible (=ignored=neglected). † S: government; V: should give;
Note: (to be) negligible or IO: people; DO: from fear.
ignored=neglected as object † Which type?
compliment
† Type 4: S+V+IO+DO

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Unit 2:
Review of five basic sentences Four Sentence Structures
1. S+Vi : (complete intransitive verb) † Varying sentence structures is
2. S+Vi+SC :(incomplete intransitive verb) crucial in technical writing.
3. S+Vt+O: (complete transitive verb)
4. S+Vt+IO+DO: (grant transitive verb)
5. S+Vt+O+OC : (incomplete transitive verb)

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Tech Writing Tech Writing

Exercise: please analyze and indicate the 2009 2009
types of following sentences.
How to vary sentence structure?

1.The sweater kept me warm last winter. One can use a variety of sentence
structures in technical writing. There are
† Subject ? Verb? Others? four types of sentences we will study in this
† S: sweater; V: kept; O: me; OC: warm lesson:
“last winter” is an adverb modifier.
- Simple Sentence
† Which type? - Compound Sentence
† Type 5: S+V+O+OC - Complex Sentence
- Compound-complex Sentence

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 Tech Writing Tech Writing
2009 2009

The Simple Sentence Using a Semicolon “ ;”

A simple sentence has one independent Doctors are concerned about the rising death
clause (one subject and a verb): rate from asthma; they are unsure of its cause.

Technical writing is essential in graduate semicolon

school.
Independent Independent
Clause Clause
Subject
Verb

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Tech Writing Tech Writing

Compound Sentence 2009 2009
A compound sentence consists of two independent
clauses that are joined together Using a Coordinating Conjunction
Independent Clause ,
Independent coordinating conjunction Independent Clause
Clause

The Taguchi method deals with a one- Fossil fuels are non-renewable ,
dimensional problem, but TOPSIS handles
multi-dimensional problems. so we need to find alternative
energy sources.
Independent
Clause
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FANBOYS
Compound Sentence A good way to remember them is…
One can make a compound sentence by joining two logically
related independent clauses by using…
†For Æ F
†And Æ A
† - a semicolon “;”
† - a coordinating conjunction Combines sentences †Nor Æ N
containing ideas of equal importance
e.g., and, or, but, so,….
†But Æ B
† - a transition †Or Æ O
1.independent clause ;however, independent clause
2. independent clause;therefore, independent clause †Yet Æ Y
3. independent clause;moreover, independent clause
†So Æ S

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2009 2009

Coordinating Conjunctions Complex Sentences

Logical Relationship Coordinating A complex sentence contains at least
Conjunction one independent clause and one
Addition And dependent clause.
Contrast But, yet † John can not set up his computer
because the wall has no outlet.
Choice Or, nor Use a comma after a dependent
Cause For clause if it begins the sentence.
† Because the wall has no outlet, John
Result So can not set up his computer.
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Rules!
Complex Sentences
1. Use a comma only when the † A complex sentence contains one main (or
coordinating conjunction joins two independent) clause and one or more
dependent (or subordinate) clauses.
independent clauses.
e.g.,
2. Do NOT use a comma every time you
use the words and, or, but, nor, for, When I walked to school, I met one of my
so, yet. old friends.
† Dependent clauses can function in the
sentence as nouns, adjectives or adverbs.

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Using a Transition Complex Sentence-Noun Clauses

Independent Clause ; transition ,
Independent Clause
† The theoretical result seems
reasonable ; however, it does not
provide the experimental proof.
† Other transitions: In contrast;
On the contrary; On the other hand
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† Noun clauses function as nouns in the
sentence and can be used as subjects, objects,
predicate nominatives, and objects of
prepositions. e.g.,
What is most important to him is his family.
(subject)
That critic writes that Einstein is one of the best
scientists in physic. (object)
You will be what you think. (predicate
nominative)
She is very suspicious about what he said.
(object of preposition about)
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2009 Compound-Complex 2009

Complex Sentence-Adjective clauses Sentence

Subordinating
† Adjective clauses start with a relative Conjunction
pronoun such as who, which, or that and Since we wanted to join conference,
function as adjectives. The pronoun refers
to a noun which usually precedes it
directly. e.g., Part that cannot stand alone
The lady who bought the red dress is my
aunt. my students and I went to Chin-Hwa Univ.,
That camera, which is my favorite, was
expensive. Coordinating Subject Predicate
The problem that I solved was a difficult Conjunction
one.
and we drove all day.
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Tech Writing Tech Writing

2009
Complex Sentence-Adverb clause
† Adverb clauses function as adverbs in the
sentence, modifying verbs, adjectives, or
adverbs. They may tell how, why, when,
where, etc. Subordinating Conjunctions used
include although, after, if, because, while,
since, whether, etc. e.g.,
When I arrived at the University, classes had
already started.
John is happy because he received a good
grade on his history midterm.
Although Johnson is intelligent, he doesn't
work very hard.
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2009
Exercise and skill of sentence
combining
† Please combine the following two sentences
by direction.
1.The sweater kept me warm.
2. It was made of heavy wool.
† For: (combined into a compound sentence)
† The sweater kept me warm, for it was made
of heavy wool.
† Because: (combined into a complex
sentence)
† Because the sweater was made of heavy
wool, it kept me warm.
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Sentence combining (To be
Compound-Complex Sentence continued)
¾ A compound-complex sentence contains at † Adjective clause: using “which”
least two coordinate independent clauses † The sweater, which was made of
and one or more dependent clauses (joined heavy wool, kept me warm.
to one of the independent clauses by a † Participial phrase:
subordinating conjunction). † Being made of heavy wool, the
sweater kept me warm.
¾ This type of sentence contains more than
† Prepositional phrase:
one part that can stand alone, and at least
† The sweater of heavy wool kept me
one that cannot
warm.
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