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November 14, 2009
Please help me explain well the meaning of this golden rule of Technical Writing?
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Category: Technical Writing Help
Who can please elaborate to me well the explanation on each of the paragraph of the golden rule of Technical Writing:
–> Here is the golden rule:
Always have in mind specific reader, real or imaginary when writing a report and always assume that this reader is intelligent but uniformed.
Before you start to write, always decide what the exact purpose of your report is and make sure that every paragraph, every sentence, every word makes clear to that purpose.
Use language that is simple, complete, and unfamiliar at the beginning and at the end of every session. Check your writing acording to this principle “First, tell your readers what you are going to tell them, then tell them, and tell them wat you have told them”.
Make your report attractive to look at.
—Please do explain to me very well what evevry paraghraph means.
Image taken on 2008-12-17 16:20:35 by Travis Seitler. Image Source. (Used with permission)
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1. Picture your audience (whoever is going to be reading your report, whether it’s your teacher or a group of people, and know what they expect). Base your tone and word choice on this.
2. Pick the Main Point of your paper. Create your first sentence based on this point. (Example: Polar bears in Antarctica need our help.) This is called a thesis statement and should typically be the 1st sentence of your paper.
Then, before you write your paper, in addition to your thesis statement, pick 3 supporting main points you want to use to prove the Main Point of your paper. These will be your paragraph topics. (Example: 1. Hunters kill too many polar bears. 2. The bears’ food is disappearing. 3. The temperature is warming, causing their home to melt away.) See how these 3 points support the Main Point, that the polar bears need our help? These are all reasons why. Each of these supporting main points gets its own paragraph. Use the sentences in each of those paragraphs to focus on describing that supporting point, and then tying it into the Main Point. Finally, make a conclusion paragraph that summarizes a) the main point, and b) each supporting main point.
3. Using simple and complete language I understand. What she’s saying is use words that make sense, and don’t abbreviate or use “webspeak” like LOL, cuz, w/. I don’t know what she means by use language that is “unfamiliar at the beginning and end of every session.”
4. This basically explains the layout of your paper. It’s like what I was explaining in #2. Just to make it clearer, here is a diagram of a typical essay or report, numbered in paragraphs:
Layout of a typical 5-Paragraph Essay:
Paragraph 1: Thesis paragraph where you introduce your thesis statement. To make up the rest of this paragraph, briefly mention each of your 3 main supporting points. (Bears in trouble.)
Paragraph 2: Supporting point paragraph on supporting point #1. (Hunters)
Paragraph 3: Supporting point paragraph on supporting point #2. (Food)
Paragraph 4: Supporting point paragraph on supporting point #3. (Temperature)
Paragraph 5: Conclusion: Restate your thesis (Main Point) using different words. Then summarize each of your 3 supporting points, then briefly state why they support your main point. (Bears need our help because of hunters, food and temperature.)
So you see, you really are telling what you’re going to tell, then telling, then telling what you’ve just told.
good luck!
1. Write for a target audience. Think about what you want your paper to say, and then direct it to the kind of person you want to say it to. If you’re writing a persuasive paper, then your audience consists of people you’re trying to persuade into agreeing the way you do. If you’re writing in favor of something, your target audience would be people who like what you’re writing about. If your paper is purely informative, then you’re writing to someone who wants to learn what you’re writing. Once you have your audience, write to them like they have the ability to understand what you’re saying. For instance, if your history teacher is reading a paper about World War II, she already knows everything you’ll probably put in that paper. But you want to assume that she does not, so you’ll have to give facts and details and you’ll want to explain thoroughly. You always want to assume your reader is also intelligent and can understand what you’re talking about without you having to talk down to them.
2. Find a theme of your paper and STICK WITH IT. This is a very important rule in writing. If your paper is about World War II, you can make a quick reference to World War !, but show how it relates to World War II and do not spend a significant amount of writing on another topic. Many writers drift throughout their paper and they lose focus of what they’re writing about. Everything you write should relate back to your original topic.
3. Be exact when you write, but not complicated. There’s no need to use 5 higher vocabulary words in a row just to show your intelligence. You want the reader to relate to what you’re saying, and more importantly, to benefit from what you’re saying. So when you start a thought, complete it. Be informative as if they have no knowledge prior to the subject you’re writing about.
INTRODUCE your paper with what your paper. Give all the information in the BODY of your paper. Then summarize and make final thoughts in the CONCLUSION of your paper.
For example, if my paper is about American home life during the World War II:
Home life on American soil during the second World War was tense and difficult, but people remained patriotic and supportive during this rough time.
[[This is my INTRODUCTION. It lets the reader know that I will probably be talking about how life was tense and difficult during WWII, but I will also explain how and why people were patriotic and supportive. (Note: this is not a complete introduction. There are often 3-5 sentences more to the paragraph, but that is the overall introduction sentence.]]
[[Then I will go over each of the subjects I addressed in my introduction sentence. I will be informative and explain the main points of what I want the reader to know, stick to the overall topic of WWII home life, and give complete thoughts.]]
World War II was a harsh time in the average American household, but families overcame the obstacles of war by supporting the troops, staying positive, and believing in what the United States was fighting for. Families and individuals remained patriotic and kept their heads held high as we fought to victory.
[[^^ This is an example of the CONCLUSION. It repeats what I went over without being boring and using the exact phrases. It is a cardinal rule in writing to never end your papers with "In conclusion....". This is often seen as an immature writing. So, end as though you're reinforcing and summarizing all that you said in the body. The idea is that your reader should be able to read only your intro and conclusion to know what your paper is about. The body will aid in what your intro and conclusion talked about.]]