Introduction to Writing for Engineers

Why Communication is Important for Businesses and Corporations

Engineers and Writing

Determining the Purpose of your Message

Shaping the Message to the meet Needs of your Audience

An Effective Professional Writing Style

Professional Writing April 21, 2023 1

Professional Communication

Rationale and Principles of Business Communication

“Credit goes to the man who convinces the world, not to the man to whom the idea first occurs.”

Sir Francis Bacon


Why Communication is Important for Professionals


The Cost of Bad Writing

• Time: 30% of letters and memos are sent to get clarification of prior written communications. Bad writing takes longer to read.

• Money: It costs between $200 - $1000 to produce a written page.

• Credibility: Ineffective or unprofessional messages don’t get results or credence.


Why Effective Communication is Important

Determining the Purpose of your Message

• To inform/teach/instruct

• To recommend/propose

• To record

• To convince/persuade

• To request audience to take action


• Who will receive the message?• What do they need to know?• How much do they already know?• What is their likely attitude to you and your message?• Is your idea or proposal in their interests?


Shaping the Message to meet the Needs of your Audience


• Brevity• Simplicity• Clarity


An Effective Professional Style


Avoid Redundancies– at this point in time– true and accurate– eight A.M. in the morning– each individual– past history– popular with the people



Brevity


Eliminate Wordiness– in spite of the fact that– due the fact that– in order to– concerning the nature of– the possibility exists for– during the time that



Brevity


Omit Space Fillers– please be advised– in this day and age– aforementioned– in accordance with your request– for all intents and purposes



Brevity


Get Rid of Excess Qualifiers and Intensifiers– actually– basically– ultimately– very– somewhat– sort of – quite



Brevity


Omit unneeded whiches or thats– The company, which was successful, . . .

» (The successful company)– The meeting, which had been brief, . . .

» (The brief meeting)– He told her that he was lunching with Smith.

» (He told her he was lunching. . .)



Brevity


Eliminate Surplus Prepositions– Procedures of accounting . . .

» (Accounting procedures)– The Mann company, based in New York. . .

» (The New York-based Mann company)



Brevity


Sentences– Use one idea per sentence.– Subordinate minor ideas.– Use (but don’t overuse) and or but as a transition



Simplicity and Clarity


Sentences– Use one idea per sentence.

Our company’s final decision not to purchase the thus far unimproved Johnson property with its access to the highway and its view of the river, despite our substantial preliminary investment in it in time and money, was based on the surveyor’s negative report emphasizing a public sewer located underground in the central portion of the property, where it cannot escape interfering with our building plans.





Sentences– Subordinate minor ideas.

• Limit each sentence to a single major idea.• Add only secondary concepts that are closely related

to that idea.• For any sentence, severely limit the number of

secondary concepts.





Sentences– Subordinate minor ideas.

Major idea: This month’s sales are necessary for projecting this quarter’s profit.

Minor idea: We do not yet know this month’s sales.

Together: When we know this month’s sales, we will be better able to project this quarter’s profit.





Paragraphs– Keep paragraphs short.– Use topic sentences.– Use transitions between sentences





Paragraphs

There are good reasons for keeping business paragraphs brief. A brief paragraph is more easily read and understood because the reader’s mind processes content in small “packets” of information. Short paragraphs will supply those ready-made packets. Occasionally, for emphasis, you may even wish to include a paragraph of only a sentence or two--as many effective business writers do. A very brief paragraph, among those of ordinary length, calls the reader’s attention to its contents.





Passive: Our office in Japan was communicated with by letter.

Active: We wrote a letter to our office in Japan.

Passive: A question is raised whether . . .

Active: I question whether . . .

Passive: It was recommended by the committee that . . .

Active: The committee recommended . . .




Use Active Voice


The suggestion is made that the utilization of company money to pay for executive vacations in Hawaii could be construed as suspicious to the Internal Revenue Service and make them think that an improper accountancy of these items may have been made.

If the company uses its money to pay for executive vacations in Hawaii, the IRS might suspect that the company has accounted improperly for its expenses.




Use Active Voice


Pronouns– Avoid ambiguous reference.– Limit sentences begun with there and it.

Example: It was the understanding of Burnet’s group that the price of Widgets had declined.

– Make pronouns agree with antecedents.

Example: IBM reduced its (not their) workforce.





Avoid Unnecessary Jargon– feedback– input– interface





• Be direct.• Address the main point or question up front.• Consider what the audience wants to know.• Group your ideas according to logical categories of

information.• Use a readable document design or layout that highlights the

structure of the document.

An Example



Some Basic Principles of Organization

INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM

To: Division Heads

From: Creed Greer, CEO

Subject: Proposed Move

Date: 8/30/01

The facilities people have been working on consolidating HQ marketing functions into the new building at Newmarket. As currently planned, Marketing Research will remain in its current location but be provided with additional space for expansion. The following functions will be moved into the new facility: Business Analysis, Special Applications, and Market Planning. It is expected that Public Sector will be relocated in a satellite location. The above moves will consolidate all of Marketing into the Newmarket location with the exception noted above.

Attached is a preliminary outline of the new building by floor and whom it will house. I am interested in knowing if this approach is in agreement with your thoughts.

INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM

DATE: 8/30/01 TO: Division HeadsFROM: Creed Greer, CEO

SUBJECT: Your Feedback on Proposed Newmarket Move

I would like your feedback on the organizational plans for the proposed

Newmarket move. Attached is a preliminary floor-by-floor outline of the

new building and a list of divisions to be housed there.

We are proposing the following changes:

• Business Analysis, Special Applications, and Market Planning will be

moved into the new facility to improve consolidation of most marketing

divisions.• Public Sector will be relocated into a satellite location.• Marketing Research will remain in its current location but be provided

with additional space for expansion.

Please reply with your comments by 9/7/01. Thank you for your assistance in this important matter.


Adopt a direct organizational pattern when the information is not sensitive and the reader is not antagonistic. The following pattern works well for most business documents:

• Statement of Purpose• Details • Goodwill Closing





Frontload Your Documents for Maximum Effect

• State your purpose briefly and immediately in a short introductory paragraph.

• Tell the readers what you expect of them up front, clarifying whether you require action, information, or a response.

• Put the conclusions or recommendations near the beginning.• Write specific subject lines that convey the essence of the

document.





Detail The Information in Logically Organized Paragraphs or Sections

• Give the body of your message a logical structure by dividing the information into coherent paragraphs.

• Use topic sentences and headings to signal those topics.• Illustrate your points or prove your claims with examples. • Present information in order of its importance and interest to

the reader.





Close Your Documents Effectively

• Make a brief, goodwill statement at the end of your documents.

• Convey next-step information, reiterate your main point, or call for some specific action.





Help your reader move through the document quickly and easily by using formatting techniques that break it up into manageable packets of information and that visually illustrate the logic of your ideas:

• Use lists and bullets.• Use white space liberally• Include instructive or topical subheadings

• Vary typographical elements such as the use of italics, boldface, and capital letters.



Formatting for Maximum Readability