Five Technical Writing Tips | Zoe Training & Consulting

Posted by zoetraining on February 21, 2012

by Julie Miller

We work globally with international clients more often than we realize. Here are some guidelines from the Technical Writing That Counts! tip card set:

Standard International English Guidelines Checklist

1. Avoid using phrasal and modal verbs.
   Phrasal verbs are those that have two or more words. For example: Please ?call up? your friend for dinner tonight. ?Drop out,? ?turn out? are other such phrases you should avoid while forming a sentence. Always use a one-word verb that speaks the similar meaning. Modal verbs include words such as ?should,? ?can,? or ?may.?
2. Avoid Americanisms, clich?s, and slang.
   Certain slang words and phrases are never understood globally, and sometimes not even by the American audience. Avoid jargon and short form words or expressions that are used only by people who work in a particular area, but which are not understood at all.
3. Write complete sentences that make sense.
   Sentence fragments might make sense in English, but they are difficult to translate. Be precise. Vagueness almost always misleads the reader. Be consistent in tone, terminology, point view, and check for any biased meaning. Do not use any repetitions in your sentence formation.
4. Write short and concise sentences.
   Use simple sentence constructions. Short sentences that have fifteen to twenty words are always easier to read.
5. Use positive language.
   Never use negative constructions, which are hard to translate. Use the active voice. Using passive verbs makes your meaning ambiguous. Instead use active verbs.

Dr. Julie Miller, founder of Business Writing That Counts!, is a national consultant and trainer who helps professionals reduce their writing time and produce powerful documents. She and her team of certified trainers work with executives who want to hone their writing skills and professionals who want to advance their careers.

Source: http://www.zoetraining.com/blog/2012/02/21/five-technical-writing-tips/

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