NAME: ROBILLOS, Kelly John C.

Score___________ /50 items

PRACTICE EXERCISES

THE LANGUAGE OF TECHNICAL WRITING

I. There are techniques for using the right language to produce effective technical
reports. Read and answer.

1. Practice conciseness- Conciseness means expressing oneself in the fewest number of words at the same time retaining
completeness in meaning through the following methods:

A. Shortening words/phrases

The following are some examples of wordy phrases. Write the missing shortened forms.

WORDY PHRASES SHORTENED FORMS WORDY PHRASES SHORTENED FORMS

afford an opportunity permit As soon as possible- by 8:00AM

a great number of times 1. many times At the present time 5. now
At a later date later Due to the fact that- because
Despite the fact that 2. although During the course of during
An additional another Enclosed please find enclosed
At a rapid rate fast Give consideration 6. consider
In the advent of before In order to purchase 7. to buy
Am in receipt of 3. have recieved In the final analysis finally
Arrive at an agreement 4. agree In the near future soon
As a consequence because With regard to 8. regarding
For the part of for In the amount of of
In the event that if In the proximity of near
In the first place first In accordance with According to
Prior to before Subsequent to after
With regard to after By means of by

B. Substituting long and complex words with short, simple words

LONG/COMPLEX WORDS SHORT/SIMPLE WORDS LONG/COMPLEX WORDS SHORT/SIMPLE WORDS

advantageous helpful Remittance pay

alleviate 9. ease Sufficient 11. enough
Approximately about Supersede replace
Demonstrate show Terminate 12. end
Discontinue 10. stop Transmit 13. send
Utilization use

C. Avoiding nominalizations or the use of “camouflaged or shun words” (words ending in -sion or -tion);
replace them with active words.

NOMINALIZATIONS ACTIVE WORDS NOMINALIZATIONS ACTIVE WORDS

Come to the conclusion conclude Take consideration consider

With the exemption of except for Assessment of assess
Make revisions 4. revise Cancellation of cancel
Implementation of 15. implement Classification of classify
Investigation of the 16. investigate Development of 17. develop
Utilization of Utilize or use
 D. Omitting cliches, hakneyed, trite, old-fashioned, worn-out expressions.

CLICHÉS FRESH/NATURAL CLICHÉS FRESH/NATURAL LANGUAGE

LANGUAGE

According to our records our records show By leaps and bounds very fast
At all times always Take pleasure are happy
As plain as day clear Thanking you in advance I shall appreciate
Attached hereto 18. attached This is to inform you (Say immediately about what you wish to
tell the reader)
Enclosed herewith enclosed We take this opportunity (state your intention immediately)
At your convenience By the end of With your kind permission permit
At an early date (Should specify the date) Of the above date (State the date; example: June 2)
Needless to say obviously

E. Avoiding redundancies or words that say the same meaning

DON’T SAY-- SAY--- DON’T SAY-- SAY---

During the year 2012 in 2012 Past experience experience
In the month of July 19. July Regular monthly status report monthly
The sum of 300 pesos 300 pesos Few in number few
Like for example Like OR for example This is the way how to This is the way or this is how
New invention 20. Invention I mean to say I mean OR I say
Collaborated together worked together Color green 21. green
Plan in advance plan The reason why why
True facts 22. facts

23 to 25

1. Please stay.
2. Here is Mr. Lee’s answer.

Supply the missing correct sentence.

3. Customers must surrender their receipts to the officer to get a refund.

26-34

2.Express your ideas in active voice rather than in passive voice. According to Vanhauss (2005), technical writing should be an
action-oriented style rather than be one with a great deal of hidden words.

Assignment: The sentences below are expressed in passive voice; transform them to an active voice. The first item is done for
you.

1. The letter was received by the sales staff.-- The sales staff received the letter.
2. The modern definition of technical writing was agreed by many experts. - Many experts agreed on the modern definition of
technical writing.
3. All the feasibility reports were already submitted by the researchers. - The researchers already submitted all the feasibility
reports.
4. The minutes of the meeting will be crafted by Jina. - Jina will craft the minutes of the meeting.
5. This progress report is written by my colleague.- My colleague wrote this progress report.

3. Use non-sexist instead of sexist language by expressing yourself in the following ways:

A. Using plural pronouns Instead of single pronoun:

Do not Say: Say:

1. The technician has to show his ID card to the guard. ……………..The technicians have to show their ID cards to the guard.
2. Each reporter should submit his monthly report on time.-All reporters should submit their monthly reports on time.
…….____________________________________________________________ .

B.Using 2nd person point of view

Do not Say: Say:

1. She presented her proposal report on time. ………………………. Present your proposal report on time.
2. The customer showed his receipt to the guard. ………………….. You showed your receipt to the guard.

C. Using expressions like He or She-him or her. Avoind using a slash mark like, He/She- him/her. Others, however, find He
or She- him or her wordy, hence, they prefer using the plural form- their, or the 2 nd person point of view- you.

Do not Say: Say:

1. The customer explained her point of view to the manager. … The customer explained their point of view to the manager.
2. The x-ray technician affixed his signature to the document. … The x-ray technician affixed their signature to the document.
3. She is willing to pay any amount for his choice. … They are willing to pay any amount for their choice..

35-50
4. Avoid using words that explicitly favor one gender:

DO NOT SAY: SAY:

Businessman business person
Chairman chairperson/ Chair
Craftsman artist, artisan, crafts person
Layman layperson
Manpower workforce
policeman Police Officer
Salesman salesperson
Congressman congress person/legislator
Spokesman spokes person
Security man security person
Mankind Humanity
Milkman milk person
Repairman repair person
Fireman firefighter
Sportsman sportsperson
Camera man camera operator
Career girl artist, designer

4. Avoid using jargon, gobbledygook, horse-and-buggy, or verbal dead words

Those expressions are long, pretentious, and high-sounding, words that have no significant or necessary place in the
sentence. Appearing complex, they work to hide the true meaning of the term or make the writer sound learned or
professional. Eliminate these vague expressions by substituting them with simple and easier terms. One good rule of
thumb in technical writing is: WRITE TO EXPRESS, NOT TO IMPRESS. This means that you have to write the way you speak
or use a conversational or casual language you often use in your day-to-day interactions with people.(Guffey, 2005)

Jargons are technical terms commonly used by people belonging to the same field of profession. Exclusively used by a
specific set of persons like the lawyers, the physicians, the engineers, or the businessmen, these terms do not sound familiar
or understandable to ordinary persons in society. Seemingly , the use of these terms works to exclude laypersons from
knowing what are happening in a company of experts or specialists or of people belonging to one field of profession.

Examples:
Legal profession- habeas corpus, subpoena, status quo,preliminary injunction, corpus delicti
Business world- rebate, assets and liabilities, amortization, mortgage, balance sheet, investment
Medical world- stethoscope, hypertension, differential diagnosis, formaldehyde, silver nitrate, metrectomy
Computer world- user-friendly, on-line adapter, debug, open-shop, quick-access storage, scramble time
Teaching profession-lesson plan, grade sheet, intrinsic motivation, systemic-functional grammar, communicative
competence

6. Give careful attention to words and phrases that are commonly misused and misspelled
Examples:
A. Accept- to take something seriously
Except- to exclude (include, exclude, implore) a rule or statement from a list (pick the correct word)

B. Adapt- to adjust or to be in harmony with someone

Adopt- to take something as one’s own.

C.Affect- a verb used to mean having an influence on another person or thing

Effect- a result coming from a cause
D. Already - previously
All ready- state of being fit or balanced for an immediate action or use

E. Between-a preposition for only two persons, things, or places

Among- a preposition for more than two persons, things, or places.

F. Counsel- a person serving a s a legal adviser

Council- a group of people who make decisions.

G. Credible–believable
Creditable- quite good, more than just satisfactory

H. Dessert (noun) sweet food served at the end of a meal

Dessert (Noun)- a large area of land with not enough vegetation
Desert (verb) - to abandon

I. Differ from- not the same in observation

Differ with- not the same in opinion

J. Emigrant -a person going out of the country

Immigrant- a person going into a country not his own

K. Lie- an intransitive verb which means to be in a reclining or horizontal position

Lay- a transitive verbs which means to place

L. Loose- (adjective) not fastened or firmly fixed

Lose-(verb) to fail to see something; to become unable to find

M. Practical- capable of being applied or put into practice.

Practicable- can be practiced or applied (for things only)

N. principal- main chief or first of importance

Principle- a fundamental truth or belief.

O. Respectfully- giving full respect or consideration to someone

Respectably-doing something that will earn other people’s respect
Respectively- in the order mentioned.