PROFESSIONAL ENGLISH

Module-II
Components of Technical Writing

a. Vocabulary Building:
i. Select words
ii. Concept of word formation
iii. Word formation
iv. Root words from foreign languages & their use in English
b. Prefixes & Suffixes:
i. Derivatives
ii. Inflections &
iii. Compounding
c. Synonyms
d. Antonyms
e. Abbreviations
f. Homophones
g. One-word substitutes
h. Requisites of Sentences

WORD CONSTRUCTION

We have four methods of coining new words from the basic/ root words which are as follows:

1. Primary Derivational Method

2. Secondary Derivational Method
3. Compounding
4. Conversion

1. Primary Derivational Method

Under this method, we coin new words by changing internal structure of the basic words. We use no
prefixes or no suffixes to make the foresaid change. For example,
Man Men; Die Death
do deed; abide abode
prove proof; grieve grief
true truth; gay gaiety

1
 wit wise; heart hearty
shelf shelve; sheath sheathe
food feed; drop drip
brass braze; song sing
hot heat; cold cool

2. Secondary Derivational Method

When the words are formed by adding a syllable or letters to a basic word, either in the
beginning or at the end, or both, we obtain secondary derivatives. When so called syllable or
letters are fixed to the front of the root word, these are called prefixes. When the foresaid
syllable or letters are fixed to the back of the root word, they are called suffixes. Thus the
secondary derivational method employs two tools to coin new words which are given below-

1. Prefixes
2. Suffixes
PREFIX

1-Note: These prefixes are added to indicate the attitude of the object or person represented
by the basic word-
2-Note: these prefixes negate or reverse the meaning of the words-
Prefix Meaning Examples
( negative or
reversative)
a- on: in: at a-bed
(adv, ……)

un- not, opposite of, un-natural, un-lock, un-true, undo, untie, uncover
(adj, n, v, adv)
in- not, opposite of, do in-efficient, in-different, in-effective
im- (before ‘b, m, p’ im-moral, im-mortal, im-mature, im-pure, im-
the opposite of
il- ( before ‘l’) proper, im-balance,
ir- ( before ‘r’ ) non-, un-, il-legible, il-legal,
ir-regular, ir-religious, ir-rational
in: take within: take
(adj, n, adv,…)
into: get/take toward im-bed, im-bibe (drink, take into mind), im-
bosom,

2
-ment appoint-ment, creat-ion, selec-tion, arrange-ment, agree-ment,
amend-ment, amuse-ment, amaze-ment, conceal-ment, commit-
ment, judg-ment, move-ment, appease-ment, argu-ment,
announce-ment ,

-ion/-tion associat-ion, creat-ion, combina-tion, selec-tion, rejec-

tion,cultiva-tion, elec-tion, inven-tion, dicta-tion ,revela-tion,
collec-tion, narra-tion,

Suffix Examples
(Noun from Adjective)
-ity abil-ity, abund-ance, busi-ness, activ-ity ,civil-ity, equal-ity,
human-ity, local-ity, inferior-ity, mortal-ity,real-ity, rigid-
ity,stupid-ity, timid-ity

-ance abund-ance, brilli-ance, dist-ance, ignor-ance,

-ness busi-ness, bold-ness, good-ness, happi-ness, red-ness, rude-

ness, weak-ness, one-ness

3. Compounding Method

Compound words are formed by compounding two or more bases. The words formed by compounding
i.e. combining basic words, are treated as a unit. For example,

table + cloth = tablecloth

water + man = waterman
chair + man = chairman

Noun+ Noun hand-loom, story-book, maid-servant, milk-man, window-pane, rice-mill,

atom-bomb, lunch-box, lunch-time, flower-vase, rose-bud, bed-room

Noun + Adjectives Pitch-dark, snow-white, air-tight, life-long, parrot-green, sky-blue, blood-red,

world-wide, skin-deep, water-proof, sun-hot, ice-cold, water-tight,
Noun + Past Participle Home-made, care-worn, heart-felt, hen-pecked, air-borne, bed-ridden, book-
crammed,
Noun + Present Life-saving, mind-blowing, mind-bogging, heart-touching, time-saving, path-
Participle breaking, plot-making, story-telling

3
Noun + Verb Day-dream, brow-beat, hood-wink, back-bite, hand-wash, water-mark
Adverb/prep + Verb Under-estimate, under-mine, over-take, fore-tell, up-hold,
Adjective + Verb White-wash, cold-shoulder, safe-guard, fulfill, dark-beat

Foreign words MEANING

infra dig below dignity
tete-a-tete personal interview/ person talk
status-quo-ante as it was before
vide supra see above
alma mater fostering mother university
bona fide in good faith
quondam former
éclat renown
sub rosa secretly
raison d’etre the most important reason to exist

SYNONYMS
Words Synonyms
Abandon Give up
Adequate Sufficient
Adept Expert
Admire Praise
Amaze Surprise
Audacious Brave
Alluring Charming
Antagonism Opposition
Adieu Good bye
Asunder Apart
Austere Moral
Agile Weak
Abjure Give up
Adjourn Break up
Bold Brave
Blithe joyous
Banish Exile
Bestial Brutish
Barren Infertile
Bane Curse
ANTONYMS
Absent Present

4
 Arrogant Polite
Abridge Enlarge
Backward Forward
Belief Disbelief
Chronic Acute
Contaminate Purify
Defence Offence
Diligent Lazy
Endanger Defend
Emerge Disappear
Extrovert Introvert
Expel Detain
Elastic Rigid
Establish Destroy
Emit Absorb
HOMOPHONES
Those words which are equal/same in sound & pronunciation but different in meaning are called
homophones.

Accede (v-agree): I can’t accede with you.

Exceed (v-surpass): None can surpass me.

Affect (v-to make effect): anger affects wisdom

Effect (n- positive impact): She is under my effect.

Adapt to (v-adjust to): It takes time to adapt to new environment.

Adept (adj-skilled) He is adept in politics.

Allusion (n- reference): This allusion is from Chetan Bhagat’s Two States.
Illusion (n-deception): This world is full of illusions.

Amiable (adj-sociable): Amiable people are liked by all.

Amicable (adj-friendly): My mother is very amicable to me.

One-word Substitution

1. One who is not sure about God's existence Agnostic

2. A person who deliberately sets fire to a building Arsonist
3. One who does a thing for pleasure and not as a profession Amateur
4. One who can use either hand with ease Ambidextrous

5
 5. One who makes an official examination of accounts Auditor
6. A person who believes in or tries to bring about a state of lawlessness Anarchist
7. A person who has changed his faith Apostate
8. One who does not believe in the existence of God Atheist
9. A person appointed by two parties to solve a dispute Arbitrator
10. One who leads an austere life Ascetic
11. One who does a thing for pleasure and not as a profession Amateur
12. One who can either hand with ease Ambidextrous
13. An unconventional style of living Bohemian
14. One who is bad in spellings Cacographer
15. One who feeds on human flesh Cannibal
16. A person who is blindly devoted to an idea/ A person displaying aggressive or exaggerated
patriotism Chauvinist
17. A critical judge of any art and craft Connoisseur
18. Persons living at the same time Contemporaries
19. One who is recovering health after illness Convalescent
20. A girl/woman who flirts with man Coquette
21. A person who regards the whole world as his country Cosmopolitan
22. One who is a centre of attraction Cynosure
23. One who sneers at the beliefs of others Cynic
24. A leader or orator who espoused the cause of the common people Demagogue
25. A person having a sophisticated charm Debonair
26. A leader who sways his followers by his oratory Demagogue
27. A dabbler (not serious) in art, science and literature Dilettante
28. One who is for pleasure of eating and drinking Epicure
29. One who often talks of his achievements Egotist
30. Someone who leaves one country to settle in another Emigrant
31. A man who is womanish in his habits Effeminate
32. One hard to please (very selective in his habits) Fastidious
33. One who runs away from justice Fugitive
34. One who is filled with excessive enthusiasm in religious matters Fanatic

Q. What type of words and phrases are to be used in technical English?

Ans. Using the right words in the right context is one of the essential elements of effective writing. The
following guidelines will help to achieve clarity and economy in writing:
1. Use familiar words: simple writing is the key to effective communication. The following
examples show how sentence can be simplified using familiar expressions.
Original: Antiquated machinery was utilized for experimentation.
Revised: Old machinery was used for the test.
2. Use concrete and specific words: good business communication is marked b words that have
clear meanings. The following example can e understood better.
Original: The Company suffered a tremendous loss in 1997.
Revised: The Company suffered a 70/ loss in 1997.

6
 3. Avoid Clichés: clichés are overused words and phrases that have lost their appeal. Nobody likes
to hear stale, old-fashioned phrases that add little or no meaning to what we say.
Original: The engineers left no stones unturned to construct the bridge in time.
Revised: The engineers worked very hard to construct the bridge in time.
4. Avoid excessive use of jargons: jargon is defined as words or expressions that are used by a
particular profession or group of people, and are difficult for others to understand.
Original: You can fill this entry per diem.
Revised: You can fill this entry daily.
5. Avoid foreign words and phrases: Sender should make sure that the words which he is sharing
must be understood by the receiver. So it is better to use mutually known foreign words to avoid
any misunderstanding.
6. Avoid redundancy and circumlocution: we need to avoid the use of unnecessary words or
needless repetition of an idea. This makes the writing redundant. Once unnecessary words are
removed, the idea stands out clearly and effectively.

Q. What do you understand by sentence construction?

Ans: The following guidelines should be followed to construct sentence with greater quality and
effectiveness.
1. Short Sentence: Simplicity in writing can be achieved mainly by writing short sentences.
Shorter sentences convey meaning better than longer ones. If too many ideas stuffed into a
sentence, the meaning is lost and the reader is left confused.
2. Break the sentence: when a sentence is loaded with a lot of information, it becomes very
difficult to understand the meaning. In this situation a sentence can be split into two or three
shorter sentences to bring in clarity.
3. Economy with words: a briefly worded sentence saves the time of the reader apart from being
clearer and more interesting.
4. Avoid pleonasm or redundant phrases (needless words): to write with simplicity and clarity,
avoid using excess words that do not contribute any meaning to the sentence.
5. Avoid roundabout expression: we should always try to write to the point to avoid any
misunderstanding. Roundabout expression kills time for sender as well receiver.
6. Avoid needless redundancy: repetition of a word or idea unnecessarily lengthens the sentence,
without adding to the meaning. Most of the time, it serves no purpose at all. Redundant words
also add up to the sentence length.
7. Avoid ambiguous sentence: ambiguity is a hindrance to clarity, which in turn results in
misunderstanding. Faulty construction of sentence gives rise to ambiguity. for clear
understanding clear expression is also required.

Question Bank

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS

7
1. What is synonym of ‘candid’?
a. silly b. childish, c frank and outspoken, d adjusting
2. Make noun of the word ‘tell’
a say b. state c. tale d. describe
3. Which of the following is true for momentous?
a. momentary b. short lived c. trivial d. short timed
4. Basic requirements of a good paragraph are:
a. emotion b. logic c. style, d. unity, coherence and emphasis
5. Inductive method of writing follows following pattern:
a. general statements to particular statements
b. particular statements to general statements
c. ambiguous statements to clear statements
d. none of the above
6. The repetition of structure in a sentence is the technique called:
a. inductive order
b. deductive order
c. chronological order
d. parallel construction
7. To achieve coherence in a paragraph which parts of speech is used:
a. noun b. Pronoun c. verb d. adverb
8. The logical relationship between the elements and the construction is:
a. brevity b. clarity c. precision d. coherence
9. Which one of these is not a feature of paragraph?
a. clarity b. coherence c. lengthy d. result-oriented

10. A representation of a single idea , explained in a group of sentence is called:

a. paragraph b. homophones c. synonyms d. antonyms

11. While writing the letters, memos or e-mail which kinds of sentence are used?
a. simple sentence
b. complex sentence
c. compound sentence
d. conditional sentence
12. A sentence with one main clause and one or more sub-ordinate clauses is called:
a. simple sentence
b. complex sentence
c. compound sentence
d. compound complex sentence
14. Which one of theses is not a property of a fragmented sentence?
a. it does not convey the complete meaning.
b. is confusing for the reader.
c. is used to introduce independent clause
d. start with linking words.
15. Sentences that expound and explain ideas are called.
a. descriptive sentences
b. narrative sentences

8
 c. expository sentences
d. argumentative sentence
16. make verb of the word ‘blood’.
a. bloody
b. blooding
c. bleed
d. none of the above
17.make noun of the word ‘tell’.
a. say b. stare c. reveal d. describe
18. make noun of the word ‘revive’.
a. revival b. rely c. reveal d. real
19. make adjective of the noun ‘atom’.
a. atomy b. atom bomb c. atomic d. atone
20. make new words as directed:
a. abide (noun)
b. homely (adj)
c. young (noun)
d. bliss (verb)
21. which of the following is true:
‘momentous’ means
a. momentary b. short lived c. of great importance d. trivial
22. which of the following is false :
‘negligent’ means
a. careless b. ignoring c. insincere d. careful
23. what is the meaning of ‘adeptness’?
a. cunningness b. cleverness c. dexterity d. adjustment

FILL IN THE BLANKS

1 The ……often pay attention to linear method.
2 Writing any….. message involves writing paragraphs.
3 The linear method also contributes to the ………of a paragraph.
4 A careful ……should be adopted to ensure proper length, unity and coherence of ideas.
5 Any writing that does not have……….directs the reader.
6 Unity is the ……..of unite ness.
7 ……..and……..should be avoided in a paragraph.
8 We should avoid ……….expressions in a paragraph.
9 A……………….can be defined as a distinct section of a piece of writing.
10 In an inductive method, an author moves from a ………statement to …….statement.
11 A dialogue is a …….between two parties.
12 A pronoun is used as a ……………for a noun.
13 ……..is a group of sentences or a single sentence that forms a unit.
14 A paragraph is constructed around a ……idea.
15 The inductive method and the deductive method can be described as the ….. of each other.
16 The line of order often ……. matter into separate units.
17 The……is better known as brain storming.
18 A topic sentence is the part of the paragraph which sates its main idea…..and …..

9
 19 ……..is required to impart prominence to the most important part of an argument.
20 ……means expressing the meaning of a passage in our own words.
21 Repetition of certain words gives ……. To a paragraph.
TRUE OR FALSE
1 The dead body of an animal is known as carcass.
2 Teetotaler is one who does not drink wine.
3 To come to a country to settle there is called immigration
4 A play with happy ending is called a tragedy.
5 One who loves others is called altruist.
6 One who studies things of past is called drover.
7 Iconoclast is one who breaks images.
8 One who hates woman is known as misogynist.
9 A child born after the death of his father is called posthumous.
10 The practice of marrying one person at a time is known as chronicle.
11 A person who eats too much is called glutton.
12 Sot is used for habitual drunkard.
13 Somnambulist is one who walks in sleep.
14 A person who looks at the bright side of life is called optimist.
15 A list of books is known a vocabulary.
16 Eclipse of the sun is called as lunar.
17 ‘Ultra-‘means above and over, higher in degree.
18 A disease which spreads by contact is known as infectious.
19 A word similar in meaning is called antonym.
20 The word ‘coherence’ literally means ‘consistency’ especially of speech, though, ideas and
reasoning.
Direction: give the meaning of the following homophones and use them in the sentences of
your own:
1. plain plane
2. elicit illicit
3. descent dissent
4. cession session
5. continuation continuance (2008-2009)
Direction: give the meaning of the following homophones and use them in the sentences of
your own:

1. stationery stationary
2. president precedent
3. emigrant immigrant
4. refuse refuge
5. diverse divers (MCA 2008-2009)

10