Technical Writing - A Short Summary of Basic Grammar Rules in English

We technical writers usually do not stop and think about any grammar rules the way a driver never thinks about how the carburetor or alternator works. But sometimes I get letters from my readers asking various grammar questions. So let's review some of the basic rules of English grammar for a refresher.

Subject-Verb-Object

A full sentence in English does not get simpler than this. I love you. I is the Subject. Love is the verb. You is the Object. Best sentences in technical writing stick to this basic format, although it's not always possible to write in such a simple straightforward manner.

Technical Writing - A Short Summary of Basic Grammar Rules in English

A PRONOUN is a "place holder" for a noun. When you refer to yourself as "me" instead of using your full name and last name you are using a pronoun.

A PREPOSITION is the connective tissue between two words or clauses. There are dozens of prepositions in the English language like "on," "under," "before," "after," "with," "without," "in," "at," "for," "until," etc.

The VERBS "to be" and "to have" must agree with the case of the SUBJECT

Subjects are singular or plural. If we are using personal pronouns, they also split into first, second, and third person cases, each with its singular and plural variations. The verb of a sentence must agree with the case of the subject.

The shop IS closed. [But] The shops ARE closed.
I AM okay. [But] We ARE okay.
The building HAS a window. [But] The buildings HAVE windows.

An ADJECTIVE describes/qualifies a NOUN.

The bus made a SUDDEN stop [Noun].
She made an URGENT appeal [Noun] for more funds.

An ADVERB describes/qualifies a VERB.

The bus stopped [Verb] SUDDENLY.
She URGENTLY appealed [Verb] for more funds.

INFINITIVE form of a verb is the one that starts with "to," without any inflections. "To write" is the infinitive form. "Wrote" is its simple past inflection.

SPLIT INFINITIVE is what strict grammarians caution against all the time. It happens when an adverb is used after the "to" of an infinitive.

"To QUICKLY summarize the issue..." [Correct: "To summarize the issue quickly, ..."]
"We agreed not to SUMMARILY dismiss his argument..." [Correct: "We agreed not to dismiss his argument summarily..."]

GERUND form of a verb is the one that ends with "-ing" and usually acts as a noun. "Shopping," although used as a noun, is actually the gerund form of the verb "to shop."

PARTICIPLE is the present or past participle form of a verb which is used as an ADJECTIVE.

"His DEPLETED bank account..."
"Our SOARING ambition..."
"The COOKING instructions..."

DANGLING PARTICIPLE happens when we cannot tell the correct subject of a verb due to the improper placement of the "participle" in a sentence.

"Burnt down to a rubble, the fireman sifted through the ashes of the house." What is "burnt down to a rubble" is of course the house, not the fireman. A better sentence would be: "The fireman sifted through the ashes of the house burnt down to a rubble."

Technical Writing - A Short Summary of Basic Grammar Rules in English
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If you are interested to read more about technical writing as a career and how it can help you earn a steady living, visit http://www.learntechnicalwriting.com. You might be pleasantly surprised with what you'll find out. Join the thousands who are already helped and inspired by this information provided by a Fortune 500 Senior Technical Writer. Visit today and claim your free report "How Much Do Technical Writers Make?"

Dr. Ugur Akinci is a Fortune 500 Sr. Technical Communicator http://www.technicalcommunicationcenter.com/

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Writing Grants - How Do Technical Writing Skills Affect Grant Funding?

Writing grant proposals can be an intimidating process. Some people never undertake the challenge because they assume they need specialized technical skills in order to win grant funding. That assumption is false. Though grant writing can be a labor-intensive task, the most critical aspects of writing a winning proposal are not technical secrets available only to professionals. They are tools and techniques available to anyone willing and able to prepare the necessary groundwork, take advantage of available resources, and follow some basic but often neglected strategies for success.

Because technical writers work primarily in information technology-related industries, they need specialized capabilities and knowledge which may be beyond the skill set of the typical grant writer. However, good technical writers are also experts in less technical areas critical to those pursuing grants. Developing those common areas is something you can learn -- that's the "science." By also honing your skills in areas specific to the "art" of grant writing, you can greatly increase your odds of winning a grant.

Common Areas (The Science):
Technical writers and grant writers must thoroughly understand the purpose of their document. Both must understand that they are communicating to a specific audience for a specific purpose. They must communicate information in a clear, concise way that can be easily understood. Good grammar, correct spelling and organization are critical in both cases. Their writing must be "presentational" - i.e., they should use appropriate headings, bullets and layouts that make their documents easy to read.

Writing Grants - How Do Technical Writing Skills Affect Grant Funding?

Grant-Specific Areas (The Art)
In addition to understanding the purpose of your document, as a grant writer you must also understand and convey a compelling sense of purpose for your organization. The most successful grant seekers are "purpose driven" and clearly communicate that in their writing. Be sure you are clear about the problem you are trying to solve.
The grant writer must know far more about the audience, or grant maker. Beyond knowing who the audience is, you must be very aware of what is important to that audience, what drives them. Grants are offered for very specific purposes; the needs you are addressing must be important to the grant maker.
While the technical writer follows basic rules for organizing data, the grant writer must absolutely conform to the grant maker's specifications. There are no exceptions to this rule. Even if you think the grant maker's guidelines are nonsensical and irrelevant, those are the guidelines you must follow if you wish to be considered.
Be clear about what you are trying to achieve and specific about how you will measure success. Most importantly, communicate how your proposed plans and programs will transform lives. You are asking a grant maker to give you money; be sure your reader can see the impact that decision will have.

In summary, some technical writing skills can help you write a stronger grant proposal. Learning the skills specific to grant-writing, however, will have a major impact on your success. We have touched on major areas here; many free resources are available to give you more insight and help you obtain grant funding.

Writing Grants - How Do Technical Writing Skills Affect Grant Funding?
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Learn more now at http://www.gofreegovernmentmoney.com/
N. S. Jenks, Partner.
We provide fast, free, clear and factual information about finding and winning public and private grants, scholarships, and alternate funding sources.

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Technical Writing - Types of Technical Reports

Technical writers at the start of their careers often find themselves confused as to what constitutes technical writing in the first place. There are many different applications for the new author and they may often find that not all of those are truly "technical". So for the new professional here's a quick list of some common documents they may be asked to create and what they are for.

Background Reports

Unless you work for the CIA this doesn't usually mean a report about a person and their life and habits. A background report is normally a brief (1 or 2 page) study into the application of a specific aspect of technology (for example the use of photovoltaic cells in solar energy transfer). Usually these reports are generated for a specific (and paying) audience and are singular in their application rather than generic.

Technical Writing - Types of Technical Reports

Instruction Sets

More commonly known as user guides or manuals, these are the staple product of many a technical author and self-explanatory. They are the "how to do x, y and z" of a product or service.

Feasibility Studies

These studies examine whether undertaking a specific project or task is possible and/or advisable within a specific business environment.

Recommendation Reports

This report is usually a comparison of 2 or more alternative actions that a business might choose to pursue, with a concrete recommendation of which avenue is deemed to be best at that moment.

Evaluation Reports

Here the technical author will examine the outcome of a particular project and make a determination as to the benefits and return on investment. Often called assessment reports, they are a key part of the project life cycle and can inform future projects and investments.

Research Report

These are usually scientific in nature and outline the results from a range of tasks such as lab experiments or market surveys. The focus of these reports is not just the outcome but also the methodology under which the results were created.

Functional Specification Documents

This document is normally associated with a new product and in particular software. You are trying to capture the full functionality of the offering, in as much detail as possible. Functional specifications are often dense and a poor test of a writer's skill as they tend to deliver wordy descriptions which encapsulate all requirements.

Proposals

A proposal is a suggestion for a project, and can run into thousands of pages for highly complex work. The author's job is to create a platform on which the proposal can be evaluated and will usually need to conform to industry and organisational guidelines.

Technical Writing - Types of Technical Reports
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Nick is the President of http://www.authoring4u.com a specialist consultancy based in Shenzhen China, which helps companies from around the world save time and money in the areas of; technical documentation, Internet presence and marketing and Press Relations.

Nick has just written a free e-book "Perfect Press Releases" which you can download for free from the Authoring For You website. So download it today!

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Technical Writing - Writing in "Standard Written English"

There's them as say there ain't no right way nor wrong way to write. It's all in how you feel like writing and who cares. Thems what you call your descriptive grammarians. They don't tell you how it is people should write so much as describe how folks do write. One way's OK like another. Long's you get the idea across.

Then, there are those who believe that there are some consistent rules of standard, written English that are observed by the majority of educated people. They're called proscriptive grammarians. They'll cite rules of grammar, punctuation, and sentence construction that should be followed if what we write is to be clear and intelligible.

True, those on the proscriptive side don't always agree on the rules, even among themselves. They get very intense over things like whether you should write "in the early 80's" or "in the early '80s" or whether there should be a comma before the and in the series "glue, adhesive, and gum." But even when they don't agree, it usually comes down to two choices, and they do agree that if you don't use one, you should certainly use the other.

Technical Writing - Writing in "Standard Written English"

As individuals, we can agree with either side, but as technical writers, we're much better off when we write in a way that follows the dictates of Standard Written English (SWE). We can believe all we want that one person's way of writing is just as good as another. And, in private use, it is. But we know perfectly well that a person who writes the kind of material we do who doesn't have what's generally considered "good" language skills won't be considered a professional - and won't get work.

Clients may not know the rules, but they can sure spot it when they're not followed. Write "they was the ones who paid," and everyone in the review session will say it's wrong. Maybe no one will tell you that you made a pronoun/verb agreement error, but they'll all tell you you're wrong.

You don't learn SWE by being a tech writer. Being able to write well is what you bring with you to the job. It doesn't matter how you develop your language skills. Many writers get them from a good high school or college education. That's not the only way - or even the surest. Too many people get advanced degrees without ever learning that "They gave the prize to him and I" is bad grammar. You certainly don't have to be a college graduate to be a good writer, but you do have to be a good writer whether you've got a degree or not.

So, where do you learn to write SWE? There a number of good ways. Going to school is one. If you're getting your tech writing training at a college or university, writing skills are part of the curriculum. If you can't go that route, you can still take classes in writing. There are plenty of schools and training organizations that offer classes in both basic and advanced writing. Some communities colleges do, and there are a ton of resources online. It's worth checking out a number of them until you find the one that fits your personal needs.

Something you should do in addition to taking a class is read. Read the classics, read magazines and newspapers, read everything. The more you see good writing in use, the easier it will be for you to write well yourself. Then, write. Practice is as much a part of developing your writing skill as it is if you want to be a better musician, athlete, or artist. Writing well is a skill, but it's also a habit. The more you do it right, the better you get and the easier it is.

If you take a formal class, you'll be told to get a style guide. If you're not taking a class, get a style guide anyway. All successful writers have at least one good style guide. Some have half-a-dozen. Then get a good, up-to-date dictionary and a book of synonyms such as Roget's. These are a writer's basic tools. Use them to check what you write to be sure that you're following the same rules that the vast majority of writers do.

Is all this really necessary? Yes, it is, and I'll tell you why. Tech writing is a great career. If nothing else, it's just more interesting than a lot of jobs. But it's still a job, and every job has its own skill-set. For us, it's being able to write SWE. If we can't do that, we don't get work. Then, we don't get paid. And then we can't make a living. That's called bottom line. In this business, being able to write well is bottom line.

Technical Writing - Writing in "Standard Written English"
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If you can write a simple sentence and organize your thoughts then technical writing may be a rewarding field. You can easily make it a second income stream in your spare time.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the average salary for technical writers is ,380. Freelance technical writers can make from to per hour.

The field of technical writing is like a golden city. It's filled with wealth, rewards and opportunities. After learning technical writing you can branch out into business writing, marketing writing and communications writing. All of these can become additional income streams.

But to succeed you must learn how to market yourself to clients. You have to prove to them that you are an invaluable asset. That's where ProTech - Your Fast Track to Becoming a Successful Technical Writer can help. It's a technical writing course that does two equally important things:

1. It teaches you the skills to become a technical writer in the shortest time frame. You'll learn to create manuals, procedures, tutorials, processes, proposals, spec sheets and other documents that businesses need.

2. It shows you how to market yourself to clients so you can start your income stream as soon as possible.

In fact, you'll get a complete marketing toolkit which has templates and technical writing job sites to get started immediately!

You can download two sample lessons by clicking the link below.

This could be your chance to create a prosperous future.

Click the link below to download your two sample lessons.

[https://www.techwritingcourse.com]

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Learn Technical Writing - The Difference Between Technical Writing and Copywriting

All doctors, whether they're ophthalmologists, cardiologists, or endocrinologists, began by studying the same thing: medicine. After that, they moved onto their specialized fields.

All writers begin with the same, basic skill: using language well. After that, they decide how they'll use that skill. The two possibilities we're focusing on are copy writing and technical writing.

In the US, if you ask a writer which one he or she is, the answer can be either copy writer, tech writer, or yes. In some parts of the world, particularly the UK and India, and in some specialized markets in the US, writers make a choice between the two. Especially if they have full-time positions. In most markets in North America, among freelance writers, though, the answer is more often yes.

Learn Technical Writing - The Difference Between Technical Writing and Copywriting

Let's start by defining our terms. The differences are easiest to see by looking at the extreme ends of the spectrum from tech to copy writing. We agree with our esteemed colleague in Twickenham that the technical in technical writing refers to "a body of information that's not known or understood by the general public." That covers areas of information that are usually known only by what are termed experts or specialists. As he put it, "The point about being a technical writer rather than any other type of writer is that we should excel in being able to write in support of technique or proficiency in practical skills. Our job entails explaining how to do things."

On the other end is copy writing, which is non-technical. Pure copy writers are concerned with consumer communications. Their jobs are to influence target audiences to buy or at least become interested in products or services. Without intending to impune anyone's reputation, it's possible to say that copy writers aren't as concerned with facts as they are with feelings. Their purpose is to get the consumers' attention and convince them that this or that product is the best there is.

A highly successful creative director used the "cupcake" analogy to separate the two types of writing. She said a copy writer will tell you how good the cupcake is and how pretty the sprinkles are while the technical writer will tell you how to bake the cupcake. It seems that the problem with these two polar-opposites arises when you consider types of writing that don't fit on either end. What do you call the writer who writes the report on the latest research into cookies or writes an executive summary of that report?

As a senior technical writer from the UK (or technical author as they're called there) had to admit, "Of course documents that 'do-not-explain-how' may also be required from us in the course of our work but they are less relevant to the practice of technical writing as opposed to other types of business communication." On the other hand, a copy writer may be required to write a document that explains the workings of a new insurance program or the application of a new federal law covering employer/employee negotiations.

Being a technical writer may not always be limited to explaining how to assemble, operate, and service bilateral widgets. And the copy writer isn't always limited to "selling the sizzle."

The question becomes: Where does tech writing leave off and copy writing begin? An important distinction is whether you're a specialist or a generalist. If you write only technical documents that tells how to, you're certainly a tech writer. If you write only soft copy that tells why, you're clearly a copy writer. But what if you write both and a lot of things in between? At the TWTK, we don't think you can put your finger on the exact spot when tech writing becomes copy writing. We see it as a single, sliding scale.

For example, where does writing training fit in? It seems it should be over on the technical writing side because it's a form of instruction on a process or procedure. That makes it closely related to writing manuals or guides. But, then, what about instructional designers who write about how to perform soft skills such as customer service or sales techniques? They're not writing 'technical' content, but their not writing 'copy' either.

We believe that copy writers and tech writers have one important thing in common: they're both writers first. There are fundamental skills a writer must have whether writing copy or tech material. After that, it's a matter of what kind of content the focus is on. Our intention is to give some useful tools, help, and encouragement to writers from hard tech to soft copy.

So, why did we call this newsletter the Technical Writer's Tool Kit? Semantics. Professional writer is too broad an audience. Just writer is also too general since the content isn't aimed at creative writers who produce poetry, novels, and plays. We could have said "people who write for hire but whose names never appear on what they write," but that's kind of long for a masthead.

We settled on technical writer as a place to start with the intention of moving the needle along the scale. We define technical in a wider sense as writing involved with creating the kinds of documents produced regularly by people in all areas of science, medicine, engineering, marketing, government, and education. These include reports, letters, memoranda, executive summaries, manuals, brochures, product descriptions, proposals, tutorials, and articles.

A survey of freelance writers in the Midwest shows that most of them can and do write both technical content and copy. It's purely a matter of economics. Writers in markets like this have to be prepared to write whatever their clients need. One day it can be a highly technical user manual and the next a customer-focused, medical newsletter or a brochure for a vacation resort.

As one writer put it, "I write whatever they pay me to write from a laundry list to a ransom note." Whether you're a copy writer or a technical writer - or both - seems to depend on your job description, what your business card says, where you live, and whom you write for.

Learn Technical Writing - The Difference Between Technical Writing and Copywriting
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If you can write a simple sentence in English and organize your thoughts then technical writing may be a rewarding field. You can easily make it a second income stream in your spare time.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the average salary for technical writers is ,380. Freelance technical writers can make from to per hour.

The field of technical writing is like a golden city. It's filled with wealth, rewards and opportunities. After learning technical writing you can branch out into business writing, marketing writing and communications writing. All of these can become additional income streams.

But to succeed you must learn how to market yourself to clients. You have to prove to them that you are an invaluable asset. That's where ProTech - Your Fast Track to Becoming a Successful Technical Writer can help. It's a technical writing course that does two equally important things:

1. It teaches you the skills to become a technical writer in the shortest time frame. You'll learn to create manuals, procedures, tutorials, processes, proposals, spec sheets and other documents that businesses need.

2. It shows you how to market yourself to clients so you can start your income stream as soon as possible.

In fact, you'll get a complete marketing toolkit which has the templates and the technical writing job sites to get started immediately!

You can download two sample lessons by clicking the link below.

This could be your chance to create a prosperous future.

Click the link below to download your two sample lessons.

[https://www.techwritingcourse.com]

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