ri s ti

a cte
C h a r
o f
cs i c a l
c h n
Te r s
r i te
W
T technology-driven He keeps abreast with technological
advances.
E effectual He produces the desired results.
C curious He is desirous to learn about different things.
H honest He tells the truth and DOES NOT resort to plagiarism.
N neutral He is objective, impartial, and free from bias.
I intelligent He uses his wit.
C careful He takes pain in doing his work.
A active He displays tireless energy during the course of his
writing.
L logical He applies the principles of logic in his writing.

W writing workmanly he is skillful in technical writing.

R resourceful He makes use of primary and secondary sources
of information.
I interesting He arouses the interest of his readers.
T thorough He comes up with a complete work.
E ethical He conforms with the code of professional ethics.
R responsible He does his work well and without any prodding
from others.
 Principles
of
Technical Writing

Elizabeth D. Kapulong
Professor
AMV-College of Accountancy
 Principle #1
A writer must ALways have a purpose.

whether formal or informal, main

purpose is to provide or share
information with readers
the various ways to do this are:
1. Contrast or compare,
2. Define terms,
3. Expand definitions,
4. Describe processes or mechanisms, and
5. Give an effect and discuss its causes or explain the
causes that lead to an effect.
5
 Examples:

1. Generic drugs are not as expensive as branded

ones.
2. Computer assisted language learning (CALL) is an
approach in teaching languages especially to 2nd
language learners to make learning a language
easier for them.
3. Effect: Decline in English proficiency of Filipino
students.
Causes:
a) Students use English when they talk to their
teachers but
shift to Filipino when talking to peers.
b) Filipino is the medium of oral communication in
 Principle # 2
A technical, or a scientific paper, usually
follows any of the following general patterns:

1. Problem - Solution
Where did we come from? How did the universe begin? Humans
have asked these questions for as long as we have been able to think.
The search for these questions provides an example of the scientific
method.
In the 1940s, the Russian-American physicist George Gamow,
hypothesized that our universe burst into being billions of years ago in a
gigantic explosion or Big Bang. In its earliest moments, the universe
occupied a tiny volume and was unimaginably hot. The blistering fireball
of radiation mixed with microscopic particles of matter gradually cooled
enough for atoms to form.
Source: Chemistry 6th ed., R.
Chang
GENERAL PATTERNS
2.Topic-Restrictions-Illustrations topic at the beginning, followed by
a discussion of the parameters of the topic

METAL FROM THE SEA

Magnesium is a valuable, lightweight metal used as a

structural material as well as in alloys, in batteries,
and in chemical synthesis. Although magnesium is
plentiful in earths crust, it is cheaper to mine the
metal from seawater. Magnesium forms the second
most abundant element in the sea (after sodium);
there are about 1.3 g. of magnesium in a kilogram of
seawater. The process for obtaining magnesium from
seawater employs all three types of reactions
precipitation, acid-base, and redox.
Source: Chemistry 6th
 Principle #3
Technical writing uses simple, precise,
and formal language.

Information should be clear, logically

organized, and easy to understand
Achieve clarity and readability by using
a language that readers are familiar
with
Technical terms or special vocabulary
should be defined 5
Evaluate the following paragraph.
1. What is the purpose of the writer? What mode of
development is used?
2. What general pattern is used?
3. Does the paragraph conform with principle #3?

An effective leader exudes sincerity,

credibility, and confidence. These are
traits that are exceptionally efficacious
in making members of a group feel
equally respected and important. They
are also readily communicated through
the voice, facial expressions, eye
contact, and body movements. The
totality of these qualities and other
character and personality traits like
Principle #4
The subject matter may be anything that is related to
science, technology, business, humanities, or any
other useful and relevant issue or phenomenon.

What are the appropriate topics to explore?

No matter what you choose, remember that the
rule is: it should interest you and your target reader.
Dominant Patterns in Technical Writing

1. Definition
2. Description of a process
3. Classification
4. Analysis
5. Synthesis
 1. Definition

Formal
Business is an economic unit that controls
resources
and engages in buying and selling of goods or
services.

Business engages in buying and selling.

 Ways to expand formal definitions

1. Giving the uses or functions of a term

A business is an economic unit that controls resources and
engages in buying and selling of goods and services. Its
major concern is how best to use the resources.
2. The word business came from the Old English bisignes which
means careful, anxious, busy, occupied; bisigness ME ,state
of being much occupied or engaged, was replaced by
busyness. It means sense of a persons work, occupation;
sense o trade, commercial engagements.
3. Giving its causes and effects, advantages or disadvantages
When more businesses are put up and or expand, more
jobs are created, more people are hired as workers because
business plays a vital role in the society. However, since the
success of business is measured in terms of profit, the
higher the profit desired, the more risky the venture.
4. Illustrating or describing its appearance.
All businesses, from a simple one to the most complicated
one, have one thing in common: they need financial
information before making decisions.

5. Explaining what is it not.

Business is NOT a business when it is NOT profitable because
profit generates more resources or funds for the business.
With more funds, business expands.

6. Analyzing its parts.

A business may be organized and take one of the following
legal forms:
a sole proprietorship, a partnership, and a corporation.
(then, a separate definition for each appearance is given)

7. Classifying it.
A business is an economic unit.
8. Stating where it is from.
Business arrived about 5000 years ago, originating first
in the civilizations of Mesopotamia. The underlying
structures and fundamental operations of modern
business largely descend from those early beginnings.

9. Giving its collocations.

Business is collocated with man, trade, world,
government, industry, transaction, enterprise,
administration, financial, goal...

10. Giving examples.

Examples of business are: service business,
merchandising business, manufacturing business...