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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Avoid These
Technical Writing
Mistakes
Here’s how to
overcome a dozen
common problems,
including poor
organization,
inappropriateness
for the audience,
“technicalese,” long
sentences, big
words, inconsistent
usage, redundancy,
a poorly defined
topic, and
inadequate content.
Robert W. Bly,
The Center for Technical
Communication
he average engineer in industry
cannot write clear, lucid prose.
He or she may know the basics
— sentence structure, grammar,
punctuation, and exposition. However,
most engineers have just a few poor
stylistic habits that mar their technical
writing, making it dull and difficult to
read.
Why do engineers write so poorly?
Many feel that writing is time consuming,
unimportant, and unpleasant. Others lack
confidence in their ability to communicate, or simply don’t know how to get
started. A third group has the desire to
write well, but lacks the proper training.
This article discusses the 12 most
common problems in technical writing
and provides tips on how to recognize
them and how to solve them.
T
1. Poor organization
According to a survey of hundreds of
engineers who have attended my writing
seminars, poor organization is the number
one problem in engineering writing. As
one technical writer points out, “If the
reader believes the content has some importance to him, he can plow through a
report even if it is dull or has lengthy sentences and big words. But, if it’s poorly
organized — forget it. There’s no way to
make sense of what is written.”
Poor organization stems from poor
planning. A computer programmer who
would never think of writing a complex
program without first drawing a flow
chart would probably knock out a draft of
a user’s manual without making notes or
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING PROGRESS • JUNE 1998
an outline. In the same way, a builder
who requires detailed blueprints before
laying the first brick will write a letter
without really considering the message,
audience, or purpose.
Before you write, plan. Create a rough
outline that spells out the contents and organization of your paper or report. The
outline need not be formal. A simple list,
doodles, or rough notes will do. Use
whatever form suits you.
By the time you finish writing, some
things in the final draft might be different
from the outline. That’s okay. The outline
is a tool to aid in organization, not a commandment etched in stone. If you want to
change it as you go along, fine.
The outline helps you divide the writing project into many smaller, easy-tohandle pieces. The organization of these
parts depends on the type of document
you’re writing.
In general, it’s best to stick with standard formats. A laboratory report, for example, includes: an abstract; table of contents; summary; introduction; main body
(theory, apparatus and procedures, results, and discussions); conclusions and
recommendations; nomenclature; references; and appendices. An operating
manual includes: a summary; introduction; description of the equipment; instructions for routine operation, troubleshooting, maintenance, and emergency
operation; and an appendix containing a
parts list, spare-parts list, drawings, figures, and manufacturer’s literature.
If the format isn’t strictly defined by
the type of document you are writing, se-
©Copyright 1998 American Institute of Chemical Engineers. All rights reserved. Copying and downloading permitted with restrictions.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
lect the organizational scheme that
best fits the material. Some common
formats include:
• Order based on location. An article on the planets of the solar system might begin with Mercury (the
planet nearest the sun) and end with
Pluto (the planet farthest out).
• Order based on increasing difficulty. Computer manuals often start
with the easiest material and, as the
user masters basic principles, move
on to more complex operations.
• Alphabetical order. This is a
logical way to arrange a booklet on
vitamins (A, B-3, B-12, C, D, E, and
so on ) or a directory of company
employees.
• Chronological order. Here you
present the facts in the order in which
they happened. History books are
written this way, as are many case
histories, feature stories, and corporate biographies.
• Problem/solution. Another format appropriate to case histories and
many types of technical reports, the
problem/solution scheme begins with
“Here’s what the problem was” and
ends with “Here’s how we solved it.”
• Inverted pyramid. This is the
style used in newspapers, where the
lead paragraph summarizes the story
and the following paragraphs present
the facts in order of decreasing importance. You can use this format in
journal articles, letters, memos, and
reports.
• Deductive order. You can start
with a generalization, then support it
with particulars. Scientists use this
format in research papers that begin
with the findings and then state the
supporting evidence.
• Inductive order. Another approach is to begin with specific instances, and then lead the reader to
the idea or general principles the instances suggest. This is an excellent
way to approach trade journal feature
stories.
• List. The article you’re now
reading is a list article because it describes, in list form, the most common problems in technical writing. A
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING PROGRESS • JUNE 1998
technical list article might be titled
“Six Tips for Designing Wet Scrubbers” or “Seven Ways to Reduce Your
Plant’s Electric Bill.”
2. Misreading the reader
When I admit to doing some direct-mail copywriting as part of my
consulting work, people turn up their
noses. “I always throw that junk in
the garbage,” they say. “Who would
ever buy something from a letter addressed to ‘Dear Occupant’?”
They’re right, of course. Written
communications are most effective
when they are targeted and personal.
Your writing should be built around
the needs, interests, and desires of the
reader.
With most technical documents —
articles, papers, manuals, reports,
brochures — you are writing for
many readers, not an individual. Even
though we don’t know the names of
our readers, we need to develop a picture of who they are — their job title,
education, industry, and interests:
• Job title. Engineers are interested in your compressor’s reliability
and performance, while the purchasing agent is more concerned with
cost. A person’s job influences his
perspective of your product, service,
or idea. Are you writing for plant engineers? Office managers? CEOs?
Machinists? Make the tone and content of your writing compatible with
the professional interests of your
readers.
• Education. Are your readers
PhDs or high-school dropouts? Are
they chemical engineers? Do they understand computer programming,
thermodynamics, physical chemistry,
and the calculus of variations? Write
simply enough so that even the least
technical of your readers can understand what you are saying.
• Industry. When engineers buy
a reverse-osmosis water purification
system for a chemical plant, they
want to know every technical detail
down to the last pipe, pump, fan,
and filter. Marine buyers, on the
other hand, have only two basic
questions: “What does it cost?” and
“How reliable is it?” Especially in
promotional writing, know what
features of your product appeal to
the specific markets.
• Level of interest. An engineer
who has responded to your ad is more
likely to be receptive to a sales call
than someone who the salesperson
calls on “cold turkey.” Is your reader
interested or disinterested? Friendly
or hostile? Receptive or resistant?
Understanding the reader’s state of
mind helps you tailor your message
to meet that person’s needs.
If you don’t know enough about
your reader, there are ways to find
out. If you are writing an article for a
trade journal, for example, get several
copies of the magazine and study it
before you write. If you are presenting a paper at a conference, look at
the conference brochure to get a feel
for the audience who will be attending your session. If you are contributing text to product descriptions, ask
the marketing or publications department about the format in which the
material will be published, how it
will be distributed, and who will be
reading it.
3. Writing in “technicalese”
Anyone who reads technical documents knows the danger of “technicalese” — the pompous, overblown
style that leaves your writing sounding as if it were written by a computer or a corporation instead of a
human being.
“Technicalese,” by my definition,
is language more complex than the
concepts it serves to communicate.
By loading up their writings with jargon, clichés, antiquated phrases, passive sentences, and an excess of adjectives, technicians and bureaucrats
hide behind a jumble of incomprehensible memos and reports.
To help you recognize “technicalese,” I’ve shown a few samples
from diverse sources in Table 1. Note
how the authors seem to be writing to
impress rather than to express. All of
these excerpts are real.
Table 1. Avoid “technicalese” such as this.
“Will you please advise me at your earliest convenience of the correct status of this product?” — Memo from an advertising manager
“All of the bonds in the above described account having been heretofore disposed of, we
are this day terminating same. We accordingly enclose herein check in the amount of
$30,050 same being your share realized therein, as per statement attached.” — Letter from
a stockbroker
“This procedure enables users to document data fields described in master files that were
parsed and analyzed by the program dictionary.” — Software user’s manual
Table 2. Use the active voice to make your
writing more direct and vigorous.
Passive Voice
Active Voice
Control of the bearing-oil supply is provided
by the shutoff valves.
Shutoff valves control the bearing-oil
supply.
Leaking of the seals is prevented by the
use of O-rings.
O-rings keep the seals from leaking.
Fuel-cost savings were realized through the
installation of thermal insulation.
The installation of thermal insulation
cut fuel costs.
How do you eliminate “technicalese” from your writing? Start by
avoiding jargon. Don’t use a technical term unless it communicates your
meaning precisely. Never write “mobile dentition” when “loose teeth”
will do just as well. When you avoid
jargon, your writing can be easily
read by novices and experienced professionals alike.
Use contractions. Avoid clichés
and antiquated phrases. Write simply.
Use the active voice as much as
possible. In the active voice, action is
expressed directly: “John performed
the experiment.” In the passive voice,
the action is indirect: “The experiment was performed by John.”
When you use the active voice,
your writing will be more direct and
vigorous; your sentences, more concise. As you can see in the samples in
Table 2, the passive voice seems puny
and stiff by comparison.
4. Lengthy sentences
Lengthy sentences tire the reader
and make your writing hard to read.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING PROGRESS • JUNE 1998
A survey by Harvard professor D. H.
Menzel indicates that in technical papers, the sentences become difficult
to understand when they exceed 34
words in length.
One measure of writing clarity, the
Fog Index, takes into account sentence length and word length. Here’s
how it works:
First, determine the average sentence length in a short (100 to 200
words) writing sample. To do this, divide the number of words in the sample by the number of sentences. If
parts of a sentence are separated by a
semicolon (;), count each part as a
separate sentence.
Next, calculate the number of big
words (words with three or more syllables) per 100 words of sample. Do
not include capitalized words, combinations of short words (butterfly,
moreover), or words that are three
syllables because of the suffixes -ed
or -es (accepted, responses).
Finally, add the average sentence
length to the number of big words per
100 words and multiply by 0.4. This
gives you the Fog Index for the sample.
The Fog Index corresponds to the
years of schooling the reader needs to
be able to read and understand the
sample. A score of 8 or 9 indicates
high-school level; 13, a college freshman; 17, a college graduate.
Popular magazines have Fog Indexes ranging from 8 to 13. Technical
journals should rate no higher than 17.
Obviously, the higher the Fog
Index, the more difficult the writing is
to read. In his book “Gene Control in
the Living Cell” (Basic Books), J. A.
V. Butler leads off with a single 79word sentence: “In this book I have attempted an accurate but at the same
time readable account of recent work
on the subject of how gene controls
operate, a large subject which is rapidly acquiring a central position in the
biology of today and which will inevitably become even more prominent
in the future, in the efforts of scientists
of numerous different specialists to explain how a single organism can contain cells of many different kinds developed from a common origin.”
With 17 big words, this sample has
a Fog Index of 40 — equivalent to a
reading level of 28 years of college
education! Obviously, this sentence is
way too long. Here’s a rewrite I came
up with: “This book is about how
gene controls operate — a subject of
growing importance in modern biology.” This gets the message across with
a Fog Index of only 14.
Give your writing the Fog Index
test. If you score in the upper teens or
higher, it’s time to trim sentence
length. Go over your text, and break
long sentences into two or more separate sentences. To further reduce average sentence length and add variety
to your writing, you can occasionally
use an extremely short sentence or
sentence fragments. Like this one.
Short sentences are easier to grasp
than long ones. A good guide for
keeping sentence length under control
is to write sentences that can be spoken aloud without losing your breath.
(Do not take a deep breath before
doing this test.)
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
5. Big words
Engineers sometimes prefer to
use big, important-sounding words
instead of short, simple words. This
is a mistake; fancy language just
frustrates the reader. Write in plain,
ordinary English and your readers
will love you for it.
Table 3 lists a few big words that
occur often in technical literature,
along with shorter and preferable,
substitutions.
Chemical engineering has a special language all its own. Technical
terms are a helpful shorthand when
you’re communicating within the
profession, but they may confuse
readers who do not share your special background.
Take the word “yield,” for example. To a chemical engineer, yield is
a measure of how much product a
reaction produces. But, to car
drivers, yield means slowing down
(and stopping, if necessary) at an
intersection.
Other words that have special
meaning to chemical engineers but
have a different definition in everyday use include: vacuum, pressure,
batch, bypass, recycle, concentration, mole, purge, saturation, and
catalyst.
Use legitimate technical terms
when they communicate your ideas
precisely, but avoid using jargon just
because the words sound impressive.
Do not write that material is “gravimetrically conveyed” when it is simply dumped.
Technical readers are interested in
detailed information — facts, figures, conclusions, and recommendations. Do not be content to say
something is good, bad, fast, or slow
when you can say how good, how
bad, how fast, or how slow. Be specific whenever possible, as shown in
Table 4.
The key to success in technical
writing is to keep it simple. Write to
express — not to impress. A relaxed,
conversational style can add vigor
and clarity to your work, as illustrated in Table 5.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING PROGRESS • JUNE 1998
6. Writer’s block
Writer’s block isn’t just for professional writers; it can afflict engineers
and managers, too. Writer’s block is
the inability to start putting words on
paper or computer, and it stems from
anxiety and fear of writing.
When technical people write,
they’re afraid to make mistakes, and
so they edit themselves word by
word, inhibiting the natural flow of
ideas and sentences. Professional
writers know that writing is a process
consisting of numerous drafts,
rewrites, deletions, and revisions.
Rarely does a writer produce a perfect manuscript on the first try.
Here are a few tips to help you
overcome writer’s block:
• Break the writing up into short
sections, and write one section at a
time. Tackling many little writing assignments seems less formidable a
Table 3. Use short words
instead of long ones.
Big Word
Shorter Alternative
Terminate
End
Utilize
Use
Incombustible
Fireproof
Substantiate
Prove
Eliminate
Get rid of
task than taking on a large project all
at once. This also benefits the reader.
Writing is most readable when it
deals with one simple idea rather than
multiple complex ideas. Your entire
paper can’t be simple or restricted to
one idea, but each section of it can.
• Write the easy sections first. If
you can’t get a handle on the main argument of your report or paper, begin
Table 4. Be as specific as possible in technical descriptions.
General
Specific
A tall spray dryer
A 40-ft-tall spray dryer
Plant
Petroleum refinery
Unit
Evaporator
Unfavorable weather conditions
Rain
Structural degradation
A leaky roof
High performance
95% efficiency
Table 5. Keep it simple by using an
informal conversational style.
Formal Technical Style
Informal Conversational Style
The data provided by direct examination of
samples under the lens of the microscope
are insufficient for the purpose of making a
proper identification of the components of
the substance.
We can’t tell what it is made of by
looking at it under the microscope.
We have found during conversations with
customers that even the most experienced
of extruder specialists have a tendency to
avoid the extrusion of silicone profiles
or hoses.
Our customers tell us that experienced
extruder specialists avoid extruding
silicone profiles or hoses.
The corporation terminated the employment
of Mr. Joseph Smith.
Joe was fired.
with something routine, such as the
section on “Apparatus” or “Procedures.” This will get you started and
help build momentum.
• Write abstracts, introductions,
and summaries last. Although they
come first in the final document, it
doesn’t make sense to try to sum up a
paper that hasn’t been written yet.
• Avoid grammar-book rules that
inhibit writers. One such rule says
every paragraph must begin with a
topic sentence (a first sentence that
states the central idea of the paragraph). By insisting on topic sentences,
teachers and editors throw up a block
that prevents students and engineers
from putting their thoughts on paper.
Professional writers don’t worry about
topic sentences (or sentence diagrams
or ending a sentence with a preposition). Neither should you.
• Sleep on it. Put your manuscript
away and come back to it the next
morning — or even several days
later. Refreshed, you’ll be able to edit
and rewrite effectively and easily.
7. Poorly defined topic
Effective writing begins with a
clear definition of the specific topic
you want to write about. The big mistake many engineers make is to tackle
a topic that’s too broad. For example,
the title “Project Management” is too
all-encompassing for a technical
paper. You could write a whole book
on the subject. But, by narrowing the
scope, say, with the title “Managing
Chemical Plant Construction Projects
With Budgets Under $500,000,” you
get a clearer definition and a moremanageable topic.
It’s also important to know the
purpose of the document. You may
say, “To give technical information.”
But, think again. Do you want the
reader to buy a product? Change
methods of working? Look for the
underlying purpose beyond the mere
transmission of facts.
8. Inadequate content
You’ve defined your topic, audience, and purpose. The next step is
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING PROGRESS • JUNE 1998
to do some homework, and to gather
information on the topic at hand.
Most engineers I know don’t do
this. When they’re writing a tradejournal article, for example, their attitude is, “I’m the expert here. So
I’ll just rely on my own experience
and know-how.”
That’s a mistake. Even though
you’re an expert, your knowledge
may be limited, your viewpoint lopsided. Gathering information from
other sources helps round out your
knowledge or, at the very least, verify
your own thinking. And there’s another benefit: backing up your claims
with facts is a real credibility builder.
Once you’ve crammed a file folder
full of reprints and clippings, take
notes on index cards or a computer.
Not only does note-taking put the key
facts at your fingertips in condensed
form, but reprocessing the research
information through your fingers and
brain puts you in closer touch with
your material.
9. Stopping after
the first draft
Once you gather facts and decide
how to organize the piece, the next
step is to sit down and write. When
you do, keep in mind that the secret
to successful writing is rewriting.
You don’t have to get it right on
the first draft. The pros rarely do. E.
B. White, essayist and co-author of
the writer’s resource book “The Elements of Style,” was said to have
rewritten every piece nine times.
Maybe you don’t need nine drafts,
but you probably need more than
one. Use a simple three-step procedure that I call SPP — Spit, Prune,
and Polish.
When you sit down to write, just
spit it out. Don’t worry about how it
sounds, or whether the grammar’s
right, or if it fits your outline. Just let
the words flow. If you make a mistake, leave it. You can always go back
and fix it later. Some engineers find it
helpful to talk into a tape recorder or
dictate to an assistant. If you can type
and have a personal computer, great.
Some old-fashioned folks even
use typewriters or pen and paper.
In the next step, pruning, print out
your first draft (double-spaced, for
easy editing) and give it major
surgery. Take a red pen to the draft
and cut all unnecessary words and
phrases. Rewrite any awkward passages to make them smoother, but if
you get stuck, leave it and go on;
come back to it later. Use your word
processing program’s cut-and-paste
feature to cut the draft apart and reorganize to fit your outline or to improve on that outline. Then, print out
a clean draft. Repeat the pruning
step, if necessary, as many times as
you want.
In the final stage, polish your
manuscript by checking such points as
equations, units of measure, references, grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Again, use the red pen and then
print out a fresh copy with corrections.
10. Inconsistent usage
“A foolish consistency,” wrote
Ralph Waldo Emerson, “is the hobgoblin of little minds.” This may be
so. But, on the other hand, inconsistencies in technical writing will confuse your readers and convince them
that your scientific work and reasoning are as sloppy and unorganized as
your prose.
Good technical writers strive for
consistency in the use of numbers,
hyphens, units of measure, punctuation, equations, grammar, symbols,
capitalization, technical terms, and
abbreviations.
For example, many writers are inconsistent in the use of hyphens. A
common rule is: two words that form
an adjective are hyphenated. Thus,
write: first-order reaction, fluidizedbed combustion, high-sulfur coal,
space-time continuum.
“The U.S. Government Printing
Office Style Manual,” Strunk and
White’s “The Elements of Style,” and
your organization’s writing manual
can guide you in the basics of grammar, punctuation, abbreviation and
capitalization.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
11. Dull, wordy prose
Technical professionals are busy
people. Make your writing less timeconsuming for them to read by
telling the whole story in the fewest
possible words.
How can you make your writing
more concise? One way is to avoid
redundancies — a needless form of
wordiness in which a modifier repeats
an idea already contained within the
word being modified.
For example, a recent trade ad described a product as a “new innovation.” Could there be such a thing as
an old innovation? The ad also said
the product was “very unique.”
Unique means “one of a kind,” so it is
impossible for anything to be very
unique.
By now, you probably get the picture. Some other redundancies that
have come up in technical literature
are listed in Table 6, along with the
correct way to rewrite them.
Many technical writers are fond of
overblown expressions such as “the
fact that,” “it is well known that,” and
“it is the purpose of this writer to
show that.” These take up space, but
add little to meaning or clarity.
The list in Table 7 includes some
of the wordy phrases that appear frequently in technical literature. The
column on the right offers suggested
substitutes.
12. Poor page layout
To enhance readability, break your
writing up into short sections. Long,
unbroken blocks of text are stumbling
blocks that intimidate and bore readers. Breaking your writing up into
short sections and short paragraphs
— as in this article — makes it easier
to read.
Use visuals. Drawings, graphs, and
other visuals can reinforce your text. In
fact, pictures often communicate better
than words; we remember 10% of
what we read, but 30% of what we see.
Visuals can make your technical
communications more effective. Table
8 summarizes the different types of
graphics and what they can show.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING PROGRESS • JUNE 1998
Table 7. Substitute simple
words for wordy phrases.
Table 6. Avoid redundancy.
Redundant
Concise
Advance plan
Plan
Wordy Phrase
Actual experience
Experience
During the course of During
Two cubic feet
in volume
Two cubic
feet
In the form of
As
In many cases
Often
Cylindrical in shape
Cylindrical
In the event of
If
Uniformly
homogeneous
Homogeneous
Exhibits the ability to Can
Suggested Substitute
Table 8. Use graphics effectively.
Type of Visual
What it Illustrates
Photograph or illustration
What something looks like
Map
Where something is located
Exploded view
How something is put together
Schematic diagram
How something is organized
Graph
How much there is (quantity); How one parameter varies
as a function of another
Pie chart
Proportions and percentages
Bar chart
Comparisons between quantities
Table
A body of related data
Mass and energy balances
What goes in and what comes out
Closing thoughts
These tips should help eliminate
some of the fear and anxiety you may
have about writing, as well as make the
whole task easier and more productive.
Finally, keep in mind that success
in writing — or any form of communication — is largely a matter of attitude: If you don’t think writing is important enough to take the time to do
R. W. BLY is the director of The Center for
Technical Communication (201/385-1220), a
Dumont, NJ-based consulting firm that helps
engineers, managers, and other corporate
employees improve their technical and business
writing skills. He has presented writing and
communication seminars for numerous clients,
including Foxboro, IBM, Cardiac Pacemakers,
Metrum Instrumentation, Medical Economics,
U.S. Army, Arco Chemical, and Thoroughbred
Software. He holds a BS in chemical
engineering from the Univ. of Rochester. He has
written more than 100 articles and 35 books,
including “The Elements of Technical Writing”
(Macmillan) and “The Ultimate Unauthorized
Star Trek Quiz Book” (HarperCollins).
it right, and you don’t really care
about improving, you probably
won’t. However, if you believe that
writing is important and you want to
CEP
improve, you will.
Further Reading
Blake, G., and R. Bly, “The Elements of
Business Writing,” Macmillan, New York
(1991).
Blake, G., and R. Bly, “The Elements of
Technical Writing,” Macmillan, New
York (1993).
Dodd, J. S., ed., “The ACS Style Guide,”
American Chemical Society, Washington,
DC (1986).
Goldstein, N., ed., “The Associated Press
Stylebook and Libel Manual,” The Associated Press, New York (1993).
Shertzer, M., “The Elements of Grammar,”
Macmillan, New York (1986).
Vincler, J. E., and N. H. Vincler, “Engineering Your Writing Success,” Professional
Publications, Inc., Belmont, CA (1996).
Dr. J. Doe, CTO
OneTenA, Incorporated
Address
[email protected]
(xxx) xxx-xxxx
Month Date, Year
To:
RE:
Objective:
Respond by:
OneTenA Process Development Team
Assignment No. 1
To develop practice in professional writing.
Month Date, Year
Dear New Hires,
OneTenA, Inc. is a technical consulting company in Santa Barbara, CA that uses thermodynamic
models to optimize novel chemical compounds, production processes, and technologies. We are
currently exploring a business opportunity in the automotive sector. In 2010, Jaguar revealed the CX75 hybrid-electric concept vehicle that relies on a lithium ion battery pack to produce a travel range
up to 65 miles, suitable for every-day use. The C-X75 also contains two fuel-flexible micro gas turbines
that activate on longer trips to recharge the batteries in real time, extending the range to 500 miles.
Though the C-X75 was cancelled due to its significant cost, Management believes that the hybrid
electric/micro gas turbine technology remains of interest to the automotive industry for its ability to
address consumer range anxiety in a fuel-flexible manner. Optimization of the design to improve
efficiency and economics will potentially provide a basis to broaden this technology.
One of our internal teams has now developed a techno-economic analysis (TEA) of this system. The
team’s executive summary for their process is attached. However, Management is concerned that the
technical writing should be significantly improved before we share it with our outside investors.
As your first assignment with the company, we would like you to critically evaluate the executive
summary as an outsider to the original team that brings a fresh perspective. Please prepare a memo
to Management that addresses the following specific points:
•
•
Suggest three major stylistic weaknesses in the summary and how they can be corrected, so
that we can advise preparation of future such reports.
Rewrite the summary to adhere to our company’s high standards.
Read the article Avoid these Technical Writing Mistakes before you prepare your memo, and use the
guidelines to direct your assessment. You are free to reference this article in your memo. Please also
take note of corporate memo policy, given on the following page. In addition, your memo for this
particular assignment should not exceed 1.5 pages single-spaced.
We look forward to your assessment.
M.J. Gordon, Chief Technology Officer
1
OneTenA, Inc. – Memo, Email, and Corporate Communication Policy
As a burgeoning professional at OneTenA Inc., you should always apply the following general
guidelines to any paper or email communication.
1. Memos and other written work should always be professionally typed, never handwritten.
2. Paragraphs should be well-constructed, using complete sentences and clear writing.
3. There should be no spelling or grammatical mistakes. Use correct capitalization and spell out
words. Each spelling or blatant grammatical error will automatically result in a 10%
deduction.
4. In professional communications, you should never use informal writing of the kind you may
send in text messages or in emails to friends, even if you are addressing a close colleague. For
example, “r u in today?” is not appropriate for the workplace.
5. You should always begin with a salutation (e.g., “Dear Dr. Gordon,” or “Prof. Gordon,”) and
close with a signature (e.g., “Sincerely, Joe Smith”). Don’t address the recipient by their first
name unless you are certain that you can do so, especially if they are a superior.
6. Memos should contain a header with your contact information, the date, the addressee, and
the subject of the message.
7. Avoid unnecessary decorative elements and fonts.
8. Avoid confusing, wordy, and run-on sentences in favor of simple, direct, and concise ones that
use active voice (e.g., “We ran the test.” rather than “The test was run.”)
9. Strive to be clear and simple. Avoid long passages of text and instead get your message
across directly. Try to put your main points up front, in the beginning of the document or in
topic sentences at the start of each paragraph. The reader should not need to wait until deep
in a paragraph to understand your point. Moreover, you will lose the attention of the reader
if your text is unnecessarily verbose and long.
10. Be responsive! Strive to respond to professional emails sent to you within one business day.
Moreover, send acknowledgement emails so the other person knows that you have received
their communications. If an email to you requests information that will take you more than
one day to respond, first send an email acknowledging the request and stating that you will
complete it within a specified date range.
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Design Team Executive Summary
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