TECHNICAL WRITING : TECHNICAL WRITING AVOIDING NOMINALIZATION
WORDINESS
PLACING THE MAIN IDEA FIRST
GROUP MEMBERS:
NOUMAN ZAFAR 100160
MUHAMMAD KHUBAIB 100155
NOMINALIZATION : NOMINALIZATION A nominalization is a verb that has been turned into a noun. The most common reason writers do this is that they think it is more appropriate to formal writing. It is not.
examples:
Discuss:discussion
meet:meeting
provide:provision
arrange:arrangement
Example : Example “His expulsion by school officials caused serious personal reflection”..In this case there are two nominalization
Expulsion
Reflection
Solving the problem:
Locate the nouns as they end in the following way
ion,-ity, ment,or ness
Change nouns back into verbs
Decide which is the main subject of the sentence.in this case we choose “Him”
Edited version : Edited version He reflected seriously after the school officials expelled him.
Some more examples
The new tools generated an improvement in productivity
edited version :The new tools improved productivity
The implementation of the report was performed by a project team
edited version:The report was implemented by a project team
Exercise : Exercise 1) There was a considerable erosion of the land from the floods.
2) This paper gives an analysis of the problem and offers a solution.
3) The training policy for most personnel will have the requirement of the completion of an initial one-week seminar of the transportation
4) The refusal of the transportation authority and the union to reach an agreement on the new contract resulted in the cessation of bus and train services on Monday.
Answers : Answers 1)The floods considerably eroded the land.
2)The paper analyzes the problem and solves it.
3)The training policy will require most personnel to complete a one week seminar.
4) On Monday bus and train service ceased because the transportation authority and the union refused to agree on the new contract.
Avoid wordiness : Avoid wordiness Prune excess wording by eliminating redundancy and all unnecessary intensifiers.
Make the sentence more concise and vigorous
Examples : Examples Wrong: There are several advantages to genetic screening. Better: Genetic screening presents several advantages.
Wrong: It is our goal to serve the university community.Better: Our goal is to serve the university community.
Wrong: This is dependant on fire.Better: This depends on fire.
Wrong: Unencumbered by a sense of responsibility, Jason left his wife with forty-nine kids and a can of beans.
Better: Jasion irresponsibly left his wife with forty-nine kids and a can of beans.
Exercises : Exercises Our woodlands are coming back by virtue of the fact that our economy has shifted its emphasis.
For the most part, people's suspicions are based on a misunderstanding of the facts.
The policy has, in a manner of speaking, begun to Balkanize the more rural parts of our state.
Recommending that a student copy from another student's paper is not something he would recommend.
Place the main idea first : Place the main idea first Place the main idea of the paragraph on the top.
It makes easy for the readers to understand the main idea of the paragraph.
Examples : Examples Bluetooth and infrared for data transfer and media player and radio for music and GPRS are the main features of the mobile phone.
The main features of my mobile phone are bluetooth and infrared for data transfer and media player and radio for music and GPRS.
Exercise : Exercise Original Paragraph
When measuring the properties of high-temperature superconducting crystals, in the past, we have used Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy (RUS), and we have also used it for nondestructive testing of crystals, to discover imperfections in the crystal structure, but we have now been able to repurpose this diagnostic tool to apply it to monitor for cracks and other flaws in commercial and military hardware such as aircraft landing assemblies, helicopter rotor parts and ball bearings, among military components, as well as bombs and chemical munitions.
. : . Revised Paragraph
We can now use Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy (RUS) for nondestructive testing to discover hidden cracks and other flaws in commercial and military gear such as aircraft landing assemblies, helicopter rotor parts, ball bearings, bombs, and chemical munitions. Our research showed how to repurpose this diagnostic approach, which had previously been used to measure the properties of high-temperature super-conducting crystals, and then to discover imperfections in crystal structures