Senin, 10 November 2008
Minggu, 09 November 2008
Principles of Practical Writing
Good practical writing is clear, concise, coherent, and readable. They are qualities of good communication. Let's see the following example:
The flow of electrical current can induce the migration of impurities or other defects through the bulk of a solid. This process is called electromigration. In simple electroimigration, the force on the defect is thought to have two components. The first component is the force created by direct interaction between the effective charge of the defect and the electric field that drives the current. The second component, called the "wind force," is the force caused by the scattering of electrons at the defect.
The example is clear because it is written is simple, direct sentences. Although the technical context is the highly specialized realm of teoretical and applied nanotechnology, the sentence syntax - word order - is restrained and stucturally simple. Part of this clarity is achieved by the rhetorical device of defining a term, electromigration.
The example is also concise in its use of a minimum of words to express the basic idea of electromigratiom. It is not wordy, and it does not digress from the point being made.
Besides, the example is coherent because it develops its subject matter in an easy-to-follow line of thinking. The sentences are further linked by referents such as "this process," "the first component," and "the second component."
Finally, the example is readable because even if the readers are non-technicans they can read the passage and understand it easily.
(For more information about clarity, conciseness, and coherence, just email me at edward_wong_sucipto@hotmail.com or edwardwongsucipto@yahoo.com or edwardwongsucipto@gmail.com)
The flow of electrical current can induce the migration of impurities or other defects through the bulk of a solid. This process is called electromigration. In simple electroimigration, the force on the defect is thought to have two components. The first component is the force created by direct interaction between the effective charge of the defect and the electric field that drives the current. The second component, called the "wind force," is the force caused by the scattering of electrons at the defect.
The example is clear because it is written is simple, direct sentences. Although the technical context is the highly specialized realm of teoretical and applied nanotechnology, the sentence syntax - word order - is restrained and stucturally simple. Part of this clarity is achieved by the rhetorical device of defining a term, electromigration.
The example is also concise in its use of a minimum of words to express the basic idea of electromigratiom. It is not wordy, and it does not digress from the point being made.
Besides, the example is coherent because it develops its subject matter in an easy-to-follow line of thinking. The sentences are further linked by referents such as "this process," "the first component," and "the second component."
Finally, the example is readable because even if the readers are non-technicans they can read the passage and understand it easily.
(For more information about clarity, conciseness, and coherence, just email me at edward_wong_sucipto@hotmail.com or edwardwongsucipto@yahoo.com or edwardwongsucipto@gmail.com)
Jumat, 07 November 2008
Features of Practical English Writing
As an independent type of writing, practical writing is different from other types of writing. It has its own features in practicality, reality, certainty, formality and timeliness.
1. Practicality.
Practical writing, as its name indicates, is clearly different from literary writing. Its emphasis is placed on practicality. Usually, practical writing has its specifics audience and purpose. Practical writing generally comes to the point by telling readers what something is, where and when something happens, why it is and how it is. After it is finished, it comes into effect. Furthermore, practical writing may motivate readers to take immediate action in response to having read it.
2. Reality
So far as practical writing is concerned, what is written is intended to be real. If the content is false, the writing may lead to serious negative consequences. Unlike literary writing, everything in practical writing, including character, event, time, place, and so on, should be true and reliable.
3. Certainty
By certainty, we mean that the language used in practical writing should be definite and certain. For instance, when we refers to "smooth finish," we seldom say "as smooth as glass"; when we refers to "hardness," we rarely says "as hard as steel"; when we indicate the place of delivery, we cannot say "along the Jeneberang River," either. That is to say, in practical writing, rhetorical device - such as, simile, metaphor, and hyperbole - is considerably less used.
4. Formality and Informality
As we know, the language we use in what we write to our family members and friends is quite different from what we write to a university or admission application. Therefore, in practical writing formality and informality of the language differs when the audience is different.
5. Timeliness
When we do practical writing for certain events in daily life, we should keep in mind that timeliness is important. For example, when we receive a gift, we send a thank-you note soon afterward. If a letter for thanking somebody is belated, the writer will be thought to be rude or impolite. Actually, writing in time lays a good foundation for establishing relationships and maintaining friendship.
Senin, 03 November 2008
Appropriateness and Accuracy
Since practical writing is a technical job, writers should pay attention to both the content and the form of the writing. Content is related to the language used in the writing whereas form refers to the structure of the writing. Apart from the content, the form adopted in practical writing is important. For example, if a Chinese letter is structured wrongly, the writer may be considered uneducated, at least not well-educated. Therefore, the form of practical writing usually gives the first impression to the audience. Whether it is god or not determines the success or failure of the communication.
Then, how to make practical English writing good is a question for language user to address. When we write something practical, we should pay much attention to two main aspects - appropriateness and accuracy. This requires writers to have a general knowledge of pragmatics and linguistics, for appropriateness is related much to pragmatics and accuracy to linguistics. By appropriateness, we mean that what is written should be appropriate. That is to say, the form of language should vary according to different situations. For example, if the writing is a personal letter, the language should be informal; whereas if the the writing is a public document, the language should be formal. Similarly, a fact expressed in a mathematical equation may not be effective in a report addressed to a managerial reader. The same is true of the format of the writing. Practical writing may be wither as long as book or as a slip of note. Which format should be chosen is based on a different situations and purposes.
It is important to make documents appropriate to the goals one has in mind when writing them, the reader's purpose in reading them, and the specific institutional contexts in which they are written and read. All practical writing should also be appropriate to the specific institutional context that motivated its creation. It should not only serve the writer's and the reader's purposes but also conform to the goals and conventions are sometimes clear and explicit. For example, in large companies, the specific goals of various documents, as well as preferred form and style, are often described in company correspondence and style manuals.
By accuracy, we mean that what is written should be accurate and precise. It is, therefore, necessary to cultivate accuracy in practical writing. Accuracy, which is careful conforming language to truth and fact, has three main aspects: document accuracy, stylish accuracy and technical accuracy. Document accuracy refers to to the proper coverage of the topics in appropriate detail. Often an accurate document needs to focus clearly on a problem. Document accuracy is generally cultivated by a clear problem statement and by a preliminary outline. These writing tools help writers focus their writing effort by reducing their data in a way that solves a theoretical or practical problem. In comparison with document accuracy, stylish accuracy concerns the careful use of language to express meaning. Accurate language requires the careful use of paragraph and sentence structure and word choice to describe and analyze the topics effectively. As a writer, one gains command of accuracy by studying the elements of style and by learning to apply those elements to drafting, revising, editing, and proofreading. Stylistic accuracy is also a matter of using words precisely. The third type of accuracy is technical, which requires stylistic accuracy but is not based solely on it. The effective document in science and technology must be grounded in a technically accurate understanding and representation of the subject. Technical accuracy depends on the writer's conceptual mastery of the subject and its vocabulary, as well on his or her ability to analyze and shape data with a minimum of distortion. In science and technology, enormous creative energy is given to mastering this technical aspect of subject development.
Then, how to make practical English writing good is a question for language user to address. When we write something practical, we should pay much attention to two main aspects - appropriateness and accuracy. This requires writers to have a general knowledge of pragmatics and linguistics, for appropriateness is related much to pragmatics and accuracy to linguistics. By appropriateness, we mean that what is written should be appropriate. That is to say, the form of language should vary according to different situations. For example, if the writing is a personal letter, the language should be informal; whereas if the the writing is a public document, the language should be formal. Similarly, a fact expressed in a mathematical equation may not be effective in a report addressed to a managerial reader. The same is true of the format of the writing. Practical writing may be wither as long as book or as a slip of note. Which format should be chosen is based on a different situations and purposes.
It is important to make documents appropriate to the goals one has in mind when writing them, the reader's purpose in reading them, and the specific institutional contexts in which they are written and read. All practical writing should also be appropriate to the specific institutional context that motivated its creation. It should not only serve the writer's and the reader's purposes but also conform to the goals and conventions are sometimes clear and explicit. For example, in large companies, the specific goals of various documents, as well as preferred form and style, are often described in company correspondence and style manuals.
By accuracy, we mean that what is written should be accurate and precise. It is, therefore, necessary to cultivate accuracy in practical writing. Accuracy, which is careful conforming language to truth and fact, has three main aspects: document accuracy, stylish accuracy and technical accuracy. Document accuracy refers to to the proper coverage of the topics in appropriate detail. Often an accurate document needs to focus clearly on a problem. Document accuracy is generally cultivated by a clear problem statement and by a preliminary outline. These writing tools help writers focus their writing effort by reducing their data in a way that solves a theoretical or practical problem. In comparison with document accuracy, stylish accuracy concerns the careful use of language to express meaning. Accurate language requires the careful use of paragraph and sentence structure and word choice to describe and analyze the topics effectively. As a writer, one gains command of accuracy by studying the elements of style and by learning to apply those elements to drafting, revising, editing, and proofreading. Stylistic accuracy is also a matter of using words precisely. The third type of accuracy is technical, which requires stylistic accuracy but is not based solely on it. The effective document in science and technology must be grounded in a technically accurate understanding and representation of the subject. Technical accuracy depends on the writer's conceptual mastery of the subject and its vocabulary, as well on his or her ability to analyze and shape data with a minimum of distortion. In science and technology, enormous creative energy is given to mastering this technical aspect of subject development.
Defenition of Practical Writing
Practical English is not a special language - it is simply English used in the situation of practical work. Practical English writing communicates specific and factual information to a particular audience for a specific purpose. The information is practical, and sometimes technical, in nature, and this is what makes practical writing different from other types of writing. Broadly, that audience includes individual readers, managerial readers, technical readers, or even, at times, general readers. The purpose of practical writing is to inform, instruct, or explain to the audience who read it. Writers, therefore, should always take readers into first consideration.
In practical writing, readers should always come first. Although it is tempting to first consider content, approach, and style, writers should not do this at the experience of clarity. Keep in mind that the purpose of practical writing is to inform - make sure that what is written should fit the reader's level of understanding. It is generally accepted that readers determine he success of any piece of writing. It does not matter how well the writer understands the subject matter if he reader miss the message. If they don't understand, the writing will fail.
Good practical writing requires discipline and strict adherence to a system. Much like technical knowledge and skill, writing follow an orderly sequence that leads to clear and concise information, instruction or explanation. Whether it is a letter to a friend or a curriculum vitae for a job application, practical writing is actually a technical job on paper.
In practical writing, readers should always come first. Although it is tempting to first consider content, approach, and style, writers should not do this at the experience of clarity. Keep in mind that the purpose of practical writing is to inform - make sure that what is written should fit the reader's level of understanding. It is generally accepted that readers determine he success of any piece of writing. It does not matter how well the writer understands the subject matter if he reader miss the message. If they don't understand, the writing will fail.
Good practical writing requires discipline and strict adherence to a system. Much like technical knowledge and skill, writing follow an orderly sequence that leads to clear and concise information, instruction or explanation. Whether it is a letter to a friend or a curriculum vitae for a job application, practical writing is actually a technical job on paper.
Firstly...
Hmm... After publishing http://www.edwardwongsucipto.blog.friendster.com/; http://www.edwardwongsucipto.blogspot.com/; I really happy to release my third blog.
This time I'll give you a reference how to make an english writing. Not everything I can write here, but if you can't find what you need here, please contact me at 0411-5429958, or send me an email at edwardwongsucipto@yahoo.com or edwardwongsucipto@gmail.com or edward_wong_sucipto@hotmail.com.
Thank you for visiting my blog. Hope this can help you.
This time I'll give you a reference how to make an english writing. Not everything I can write here, but if you can't find what you need here, please contact me at 0411-5429958, or send me an email at edwardwongsucipto@yahoo.com or edwardwongsucipto@gmail.com or edward_wong_sucipto@hotmail.com.
Thank you for visiting my blog. Hope this can help you.
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