Technical Writing

Technical Writing Definition

Technical writing focuses on giving the reader clear instructions, directions, or explanations on a particular subject. Technical writing is used whenever we want to tell the reader something and/or how to do something.

Types of Technical Writing

Technical writing can come in different forms and can be written for a variety of reasons. Some types of technical writing include the following:

• Instruction/user manuals (e.g., how to assemble a piece of furniture or use equipment)

• Recipe books

• Guide books and brochures (e.g., what to do when traveling to a particular country)

• Medical/scientific articles and journals

• Reports and/or reviews

• Proposals (e.g., to get funding for a business)

• Technical descriptions

• Advertisements or promotional media (e.g., posters, leaflets, billboards)

Technical Writing Style

The technical writing style differs from other types of writing (such as creative, analytical, personal, and persuasive) as its main purpose is to instruct and inform. So, what are the main characteristics of technical writing? If you want to know how to write using the technical writing style, you need to be aware of the following features:

• Imperative and declarative sentences

• Clear and concise language

• Objective Language

• Jargon

Let's now look at each of these in detail.

Imperative and Declarative Sentences

As technical writing involves instructing and informing, it mainly uses imperative and declarative sentences. But what are the differences between these two sentence functions?

First, let's look at the definitions:

An example of an imperative sentence is:

Fig. 1 - Imperative sentences tell someone to do something.

Imperative sentences are often found in recipe books and instruction manuals as they give clear instructions using imperative verbs (such as put, hold, bake, stir, etc.).

On the other hand,

Declarative sentences are often found in articles, journals, and reports as they provide the reader with factual information they can learn from.

Clear and Concise Language

Technical writing uses language that is direct and gets straight to the point. The language should be easy for the reader to follow - there is no need to add unnecessary information, as this will not benefit the reader. Take a look at the following two examples. Which one uses clear, concise language?

If you thought the second example uses clear, concise language, you'd be correct! The first example is not clear and concise due to the following elements:

• Excessive use of the passive voice
• Too many non-content words (such as this, that, and to)
• Too much repetition

Objective Language

Objective language refers to language based on fact and logic. It does not hold a bias towards anything and does not include personal opinions/feelings. This is important for technical writing, as the information should be true and accurate and not influenced by preconceived judgment.

Objective language differs from subjective language, which refers to language that expresses personal thoughts/feelings and biases. An example of this is a diary entry, as the writer uses the first person to recount their own experiences.

Jargon

Technical writing often uses specialized terms or phrases specific to certain professions/industries; we call this jargon. These terms may not be understood by those unaware of the context or who do not work in a particular industry. A few examples of jargon are as follows:

Technical Writing Examples

Below are a few examples of technical writing:

Instruction/user manual

As the name suggests, an instruction manual usually provides the reader with step-by-step instructions.

In this example, imperative verbs are used - such as 'use' and 'press' - to clearly instruct the user.

Manuals are often accompanied by diagrams. For example:

Fig. 2 - Instruction manuals tend to be multimodal as they often include diagrams.

Recipe Book

A recipe book provides the reader with a list of ingredients and step-by-step instructions.

Guidebook

A guidebook is a book of information about a particular subject. A specific type of guidebook is a travel guide, which gives information about a certain place (e.g. a country or city) and is designed for tourists or visitors. It often gives tips on what to do in certain places.

Technical Writing Skills

Want to improve your technical writing skills? Remember the following things:

1. Ensure your writing is clear and easy to understand. It should be straightforward and get straight to the point. Avoid including unnecessary information or overly imaginative language.

2. Ensure your writing is not biased. Do not include personal opinions, as they discredit factual information and could negatively influence the reader.

3. Ensure you use imperative and declarative sentences. When you want to state a fact or tell the reader something, use declarative sentences. When you want to tell the reader to do something, use imperative sentences.