ENGL210: Technical Writing

1.2: How does Audience Impact Delivery?

• Amanda Wray's "What to Think about When Writing for a Particular Audience" Page

  Read this article. Focus on the aspects of tone, language, and appeals. Audience determines these three aspects in effective writing.
• Writing Assignment: The Audience for an Email

  Think of an email you have written recently. In a paragraph (50-75 words), explore what choices you made in terms of tone, language, and appeals for this audience? How would these elements need to change for a different audience?
• David McMurrey's "Audience Adaptation" Page

  Review this section, which you read earlier.

• David McMurrey's "Translating Technical Discussions: Say it in English, Please?" Page

  Read this article. After you read, examine a recent piece of communication you have written or received. Based on the list of possible audience adaptations in the previous article, how would you revise this document to strengthen it based on what you have learned about audience analysis?

• 1.2.1: Word Choice

  • ProsWrite: "Tutorial on Style in Professional Writing: Word Choice" Page

    Watch the entire video. Make sure you pause the video as needed to practice your understanding during the "Apply Your Knowledge" activities. Consider the roles connotation, jargon, slang, idiom, sub-categorization, selectional restrictions and confusing word pairs have in the revision of technical writing. Focus on how these word choices tie back to your audience analysis. Create a glossary of the major terms (connotation, jargon, slang, idiom, sub-categorization, selectional restrictions and confusing word pairs) covered in this video, providing your own example for each and a brief discussion of how this will impact the choices you make as a technical writer.

• 1.2.2: Formatting

  • Joseph Moxley's "Principles of Design" Page

    Review the full document. Note how both print and digital documents apply similar principles of design and formatting to make documents more readable. With these techniques in mind, examine documents you have received via post or email. What traits do these documents share? How do they differ? What catches your eye as you interact with these documents? How do they make use of contrast, repetition, alignment, proximity, minimalism or visuals?

• 1.2.3: Purpose

  • ProsWrite: "Tutorial on Context in Professional Writing: Purpose" Page

    Watch the complete video. This video explores the third leg of the rhetorical triangle: purpose. The purpose of a piece of communication is determined by its audience. Note the four purposes for professional communication: consulting, informing, valuing, and directing. Make sure you pause the video as needed to practice your understanding during the "Apply Your Knowledge" activities.
    

  • Writing Activity: Workplace Communications Assignment

    In two paragraphs (150-250 words), examine two examples of communications you received in the workplace this week or those that you prepared—which of the four purposes applied? How does the purpose impact the content of the communication?