Download Professional and Technical Written Communication

CAES1507
Professional and Technical
Written Communication
Session Seven
Writing Materials, Specifications,
& Construction Procedure
Spot the Similarities and
Differences

Compare the instruction / installation manuals of
computer products
with the Construction
Procedure sections in your course booklet (p.3744). Can you identify the similarities and
differences?
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Use numbering
No mention of animate subjects (like you, we, etc.)
Instruction Manual - Active voice is used
Instruction Manual - Action verbs to begin a sentence
Instruction Manual - Without reference to diagrams
Construction Procedure

The procedure section tells the reader each important
step you took during the process of constructing and
testing your prototype toy.

This section is NOT a set of instructions to tell the
reader how they should do it. Rather, it is to tell the
reader how it WAS done. If the reader chooses to try
repeat what you did, then he or she should be able to
do so by following the steps you report.
Construction Procedure –
Language Points
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Past Tense should be used (except for “Figure 1
shows….”)
Passive voice should be used (to avoid the mention
of we, he, etc.)
Orientation
Dimensions MUST be mentioned
Quantities MUST be mentioned
Materials needed should be mentioned
Functions of a specific part may be mentioned
Language of sequence – first, second, then, finally
Construction Procedure
The design of the system is divided
into three parts and then
assembled into one integrated
system.
1. The Cardboard was cut and
pasted together to form an openended box with the dimensions of
30cm x 20cm x 20cm as shown in
Figure 8.
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Introduction
(signposting)
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Number the step
Past tense
Passive voice
Dimensions
included
Referring to
figure
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Construction Procedure
2. Wooden sticks were cut to
10cm x 1cm and made into two
rectangular tracks. They were
then installed on the inner wall
of the two sides of the box on
the horizontal level.
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Number the step
Past tense
Passive voice
Dimensions
Quantity
Orientation
Construction Procedure
3. Above the track on the left, a
little box made of cardboard
(8cm x 5cm x 3cm) was adhered
on the wall with tape. The
bottom side of the little box was
an inclined plane and the wall of
the base, next to the little box
was cut to make a hole so that a
marble could roll down to the
outside. Figure 9 illustrates the
structure of the box.
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Number the step
Orientation
Dimension
Material
Function
Refer to diagram
So that + Purpose
So + Effect
Critique Exercise I

Read through the section a) on The Base.
Underline any section where it is not clear to
you EXACTLY what the team did. Identify
what is missing to make the information
unclear.
Critique Exercise II

The section of the report on b) The Side
Track, has been altered to include a number
of errors. Identity these errors and correct
them. They may be errors of verb tense,
person or content.
Critique Exercise III

The section of the report on c) The Light Box
is written in point form. Rewrite this section
as a paragraph using sequence words and
other strategies to indicate the order of the
steps taken.
Critique Exercise IV
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Underline the verbs in section d), How the
Mousetrap Works. What is the verb tense
used? Why?
Homework

Write the Materials and Specifications (0%) and Design +
Construction Procedure (10%) sections in group outside class. Hand
in the hardcopy to the class teacher in the next lesson.
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Secretaries of the third meeting need to hand in the minutes (in hard
copy) in the next lesson. Make copies of your minutes for your group
members.
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Plan for the demonstration in the next session
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Time allowed for demonstration: 6 minutes
Q&A: 2 minutes
Need to cover
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Rationale for the prototype toy
Materials used
How the prototype works