Handbook of Technical Writing, Tenth Edition ( PDFDrive )

624  Index

minutes of meetings (continued) moreover. See conjunctive adverbs
chronological order for, 71 more than / as much as, 45
sample of, 350 most / almost, 34
writer’s checklist for, 351 movies. See films
Ms. / Miss / Mrs., 321, 355
misplaced modifiers, 35–36, 353, 400 multilingual writers. See English as a
Miss / Mrs. / Ms., 355
mixed constructions, 351–52. See also second language (ESL)
multimedia sources
garbled sentences
MLA documentation, 133, 148–54. See APA documentation of, 138–39
IEEE documentation of, 144
also documenting sources MLA documentation of, 151
for articles in periodicals, 149, 150 multiple audiences, 46–47. See also
for books, 148–49
documentation models, 148–52 audience
for electronic sources, 150–51 multiple authors
in-text citations, 148, 153
for miscellaneous sources, 151–52 APA documentation of, 135
for multimedia sources, 151 IEEE documentation of, 142
sample pages, 153–54, 220 MLA documentation of, 148
works-cited list, 133, 154 multiple books by same author
mobile phones, 517, 519, 550 APA documentation of, 136
Modern Language Association. See MLA documentation of, 149
multiple-choice questions, 224
MLA documentation multivolume works
modified-block-style letter, 318 APA documentation of, 136
IEEE documentation of, 142
sample of, 320 MLA documentation of, 149
modifiers, 352–54. See also adjectives; musical works, titles of
italics for, 294, 554
adverbs quotation marks for, 464, 555
ambiguous use of, 35–36 mutual / common, 356
dangling, 116
hyphens with, 255–56 names and titles. See also organization
misplaced, 35–36, 353 names; proper nouns
order of, 18
redundant, 93–94 abbreviations for, 4–5
restrictive and nonrestrictive, 489–90 capitalization of, 64–65
sentence construction and, 521, commas with, 85
first names, 167, 321
522–23 initials for, 322, 394
squinting, 354 in international correspondence,
stacked (jammed), 19, 353
money, numbers for, 371 275, 279
months. See dates in letters, 321–22
mood, 354–55 Ms. / Miss / Mrs., 321, 355
ESL tips for, 355 on title pages, 200
helping verbs and, 574 unknown, 321–22
imperative, 354 narration, 357–58
indicative, 354–55 sample of, 358
shifts in, 575 narrative section, in grant proposals,
subjunctive, 354–55
240–41. See also body
more / most National Institute of Standards and
for comparison, 17, 24, 179
subject-verb agreement with, 28 Technology, 4

nationalities Index  625
bias toward, avoiding, 51
capitalization of names of, 63 nor / or, 365
and pronoun-antecedent agreement,
nature, 359 32
navigational cues, in Web design, 593 and subject-verb agreement, 29–30
needless to say, 359
negative definitions, 119–20, 123 not
negative messages. See bad-news double negatives and, 155–56
in verb phrases, 401
patterns
negatives, double, 155–56, 406 not only . . . but also, 38, 99
neither . . . nor, 365 note-taking, 365–67

as correlative conjunction, 99 in active listening, 326
double negatives and, 156 drafting and, 591
in parallel structure, 389 ethics in writing and, 365
pronoun-antecedent agreement with, for interviews, 281–82
for minutes of meetings, 343,
32
subject-verb agreement with, 350–51
paraphrasing, 390
29–30 plagiarism and, 365
netiquette, 165 for presentations, 421
networking, 299–300, 518 quotations and, 465
nevertheless. See conjunctive adverbs for research, 479, 480
news releases. See press releases writer’s checklist for, 366–67
newsletter articles, 359–61. See also notes section, in formal reports, 202
nouns, 367–69
articles in periodicals abstract, 367
sample of, 360 as adjectives, 19, 368, 408
titles for, 553 collective, 29, 367, 368–69
writer’s checklist for, 361 common, 63, 367
newsletters, 361–64 compound, 408
blogs as, 57 concrete, 367
format and design for, 314, 363 coordinate, 408
professionalism and, 363 count, 16, 28, 172, 367
sample of, 362 ESL tips for, 172
newspapers. See articles in periodicals; functions of, 368
gender of, 229
periodicals gerunds as, 574
no, comma with, 81 mass, 28, 172, 368
no one / not one, 364 as objects, 374
nominalizations, 364 participles as, 574
nominative case. See subjective case phrases as, 398, 401
non sequiturs, 330 plurals of, 369, 408
none, 364 possessive case of, 67–68, 407–8, 571
nonfinite verbs, 574 pronouns modifying, 429
proper, 62–63, 367
nonflammable / flammable / as subjects, 521–22
inflammable, 194 types of, 367–68
verbals as, 570
nonrestrictive elements, 490. See also number (grammar), 369–70. See also
parenthetical elements
subject-verb agreement; pronoun-
commas with, 81, 489–90 antecedent agreement
which with, 490, 550, 552
nonstandard English, 175–76
nonverbal communication, 419–20

626  Index nouns as, 368
pronoun case and, 67, 410
number (word) objective case, 67, 428
vs. amount, 36 objective complements, 92, 368
subject-verb agreement with, 28–29 objectives
in grant proposals, 240–41
number-style method of opening with, 288
documentation. See IEEE in résumés, 503–4
documentation objects, 374. See also direct objects;

numbered lists. See lists indirect objects; object of
numbering preposition
observation, in research, 479–80
in decimal headings, 254, 382–83
for figures, 200–201, 373 of
for maps, 336 possessive case using, 407, 409
for mathematical equations, 338 redundant use of, 266, 383, 411
in outlines, 382–83 with this kind / these kinds / that
for photographs, 398 type / those types, 16, 31–32
for tables, 201, 373, 542
numbers, 370–73. See also of which / who’s / whose, 589
OK / okay, 374
measurements; numerical data omissions
in addresses, 373
as adjectives, 16–17 apostrophes for, 37
cardinal, 16, 118 commas for, 84
for chapters and volumes, 373 dashes for, 117
colons with, 78 ellipses for, 163–64, 466
commas with, 84–85, 372 ethics in writing and, 181
in dates, 373 slashes for, 531
ESL tips for, 372 telegraphic style and, 546
for figures and tables, 373 omnibus words, 570
fractions, 371 on / onto / upon, 375
hyphens with, 119, 255–56 one, 375
italics for, 295 one another, 427
in mathematical equations, 338–39 one of those . . . who, 375–76
measurements, 371 online chat sessions, 75–76
money, 371 online forms. See forms
numerals vs. words, 17, 370–71 online postings. See also blogs and
ordinal, 16, 118, 194
for pages, 373 forums
in parentheses, 373, 391 APA documentation of, 138
percentages, 371, 393 MLA documentation of, 151
periods with, 372, 393 online resources. See Internet research;
plurals of, 37, 371
slashes with, 531 Web sites
for time, 372 online tutorials, 14
numerical data only, 24, 376
in grant proposals, 241 open-ended questions, 224
in graphs, 243–50, 578–79 openings. See also introductions
in tables, 542–44, 578
for adjustment letters, 19–21
object of preposition, 374 for application cover letters, 41
gerunds as, 570 for bad-news letters, 109
no colon before, 79 for correspondence, 112
good news in, 109, 111

Index  627

hooks in, 290 our / ours, 394–95, 426–29
for international correspondence, outcomes, in grant proposals, 240–41
outlining, 380–83
275
for investigative reports, 292 abstracts and, 9
for refusal letters, 470–71 brainstorming and, 55–56
routine, 287 for clarity, 71, 73
for test reports, 550 coherence and, 75
operator’s manuals, 333 drafting and, 380–83, 387, 591
opinions headings in, 252–54
conflicting, 395 and method of development, 349
ESL tips for stating, 406 numbers in, 254
vs. facts, 186, 331 for organization, 379, 381
point of view for, 406 parallel structure for, 382
or / nor, 365 technology for, 383
and pronoun-antecedent agreement, for trade journal articles, 558
types of, 381, 387
32 unity and, 567
and subject-verb agreement, 29–30 visuals in, 379, 382, 580
oral presentations. See presentations for white papers, 587
order-of-importance method of writing process and, xx–xxi
outside [of ], 383
development, 349, 376–79 over [with], 384
ordinal numbers, 118 overhead transparencies, 416
overview
as modifiers, 16, 194 in manuals, 334
spelling out, 371 in presentations, 413, 414
organization, 379. See also methods of ownership. See possessive case

development pace, 385
coherence and, 75 clarity and, 73
outlining, 380–83 in presentations, 420
paragraphs and, 386 regulating, 260, 529
for presentations, 413–15
for résumés, 491, 502–6 page design. See layout and design
for sales proposals, 440–42 page numbers, 373
for trade journal articles, 558
writer’s checklist for, xxiii commas with, 372
writing process and, xx–xxi in formal reports, 200
organization description, in grant in headers or footers, 251, 315
in indexes, 261
proposals, 241 paintings, italics for titles of, 294, 554
organization names pamphlets
APA documentation of, 139
abbreviations of, 3–4 IEEE documentation of, 145
ampersands in, 4, 36 italics for titles of, 294, 554
capitalization of, 64 MLA documentation of, 152
as singular nouns, 369 panels, brochure, 58
on title pages, 200, 441 paragraphs, 385–88
organizational charts, 380, 579 coherence in, 75, 388
organizational newsletters, 361 drafting, 387, 591
organizational sales pitch, in proposals, in e-mail, 166

442
sample of, 452
origins, definitions exploring, 122–23
orphans, 316

628  Index bad news and, 110–11
ethics in writing and, 180, 583
paragraphs (continued) infinitives and, 571
functions of, 385 in laboratory reports, 310
length of, 386 responsibility and, 180, 583
outlining, 381, 387 in technical writing, 545
topic sentence of, 385–86 wordiness of, 95, 582
transitions and, 561–63 past participles, 18, 572
unity in, 388, 567 past perfect tense, 547, 548
in Web content, 592 past progressive tense, 547, 549
past tense, 174, 547
parallel structure, 388–90 PDF files, 508, 595
with both . . . and, 54 per, 392
faulty parallelism, 389–90 percent / percentage, 393
for headings, 254 percentages, numbers in, 371
in lists, 327 perfect / equal / unique, 179
for nonsexist language, 51 perfect participles, 572
in outlines, 382 perfect tense, 547
in sentence construction, 525 periodic sentences, 524, 529
periodicals. See also articles in
paraphrasing, 390
in active listening, 325 periodicals
documenting sources and, 133, 402 currency of, 480
ethics in writing and, 390 indexes to, 481–82
indirect quotations as, 463 italics for titles of, 294, 464, 554
in meeting minutes, 350 periods, 393–94
note-taking and, 365 with abbreviations, 3
commas with, 85
parentheses, 391 with ellipses, 163–64
brackets within, 55 with numbers, 372
commas with, 85, 391 with parentheses, 391, 393
for enclosing elements, 117, 520 period faults, 394
in mathematical equations, 339 with quotation marks, 393, 464
numbers in, 373, 391 for run-on sentences, 394
periods with, 391, 393 permissions, for copyrighted material,

parenthetical citations. See citations, 54, 104, 201, 558
in-text person, 394–95. See also point of view

parenthetical elements agreement in, 27, 574–75
brackets for, 54, 391 in narration, 357
capitalization of, 65 point of view and, 405–6
commas with, 82, 489–90 pronouns and, 430
dashes for, 117, 520 person / party, 392
nonrestrictive elements as, 489–90 personal brand, and job search,
parentheses for, 391, 520
for sentence variety, 529 299–300, 301–2
personal communications
part-by-part method of comparison, 88
partial adjustments, 21, 22 APA documentation of, 139
participial phrases, 399–400 IEEE documentation of, 145
participles, 572, 574 MLA documentation of, 152
personal names and titles. See names
ESL tips for, 18
parts of speech, 392 and titles
party, 392
passive voice, 583–84

vs. active voice, 576, 581–82

Index  629

personal pronouns, 426–29 for Web content, 592
antecedents and, 430 writer’s checklist for, 404
forms of, 394–95 plain-text résumés, 507–8
point of view and, 405–6 planning, in collaborative writing, 76.

personalities, difficult, 344–45 See also outlining; preparation
personification, 194 plays, titles of
persuasion, 395–96
capitalization of, 64, 554
in application cover letters, 38 italics for, 294, 554
ethics in writing and, 395 pluperfect, 548
in grant proposals, 238, 240–41 plurals. See also number (grammar)
in inquiry letters, 263 of abbreviations, 3, 37
in openings, 112, 290 apostrophes for, 37
in proposals, 433, 435 of compound words, 93, 369
in résumés, 492 of foreign words, 197
sample of, 396 of nouns, 369
in white papers, 586–87 of numbers, 37, 371
“you” viewpoint and, 596 possessive case of, 67–68, 408
phenomenon / phenomena, 397 podcasts
photographs, 397–98. See also visuals APA documentation of, 138
ethics in writing and, 398 MLA documentation of, 151
functions of, 578 poems, titles of
phrases, 398–401 italics for, 294, 554
commas with, 81–82 quotation marks for, 555
functions of, 398 point of view, 405–6. See also “you”
gerund, 401
infinitive, 400–401 viewpoint
noun, 401 consistent use of, 73, 388
participial, 399–400 for correspondence, 107–8
prepositional, 399 ethics in writing and, 406
restrictive and nonrestrictive, in narration, 357
person and, 394–95
489–90 politeness
verb, 401 in correspondence, 108
pictorial symbols. See symbols in global communication, 275, 279
picture graphs. See graphs in job interviews, 285
pie graphs. See graphs in meetings, 343–45
place names. See geographic features portfolios, for résumés, 506
plagiarism, 401–2. See also copyright position, and emphasis, 169
consequences of, 202 position descriptions. See job
documenting sources and, 133
ethics in writing and, 181, 202, 402 descriptions
note-taking and, 365 positive writing, 406–7
repurposing and, 475
plain language, 403–5 for defining terms, 119–20
clarity and, 71, 73 for double negatives, 156
for environmental impact statements, ethics in writing and, 407
in job applications, 307
178 and plain language, 404
for instructions, 268 “you” viewpoint, 596
point of view and, 406 possessive adjectives, 16, 172
positive writing and, 406–7 possessive case, 407–9
apostrophes for, 37, 407–9

630  Index

possessive case (continued) present tense, 547, 548
for compound words, 93 ESL tips for, 175
ESL tips for, 428 infinitives and, 571
of nouns, 67–68, 407–8 for instructions, 268
of plurals, 67–68 presentation software, 416–17
of pronouns, 67–68, 407, 408–9, 428
presentations, 412–21
post hoc, ergo propter hoc, 330 anxiety and, 421
postal abbreviations, 6, 321 audience for, 412–13
posting to the Web. See blogs and delivery techniques for, 419–20
ethics in writing and, 416
forums lists in, 326–27, 418
PowerPoint. See presentation software order-of-importance method of
practicing, for presentations, 419, 421 development for, 376–79
precision / accuracy, 11 practicing, 419, 421
predicate adjectives, 18 professionalism and, 418
predicate nominative, 523 purpose of, 412
predicates, 522–23 research for, 413
slides in, 416–17
complements in, 92 structuring, 413–15
preface, in formal reports, 201 technology for, 416
prefixes, 409 typography for, 418
visuals for, 416–17
affectation and, 25 writer’s checklists for, 418, 421
hyphens with, 256, 409
preparation, 409–10 pretentious language. See affectation
analyzing audience needs, 46, 409 previews, in introductions, 291
determining purpose, 455 primary research, 479–80
determining scope, 514–15 principal / principle, 421
for information interviews, 280–81 privacy statements, for Web sites, 594
for job interviews, 282–84 problem statement
for research, 479
for specifications, 534 opening with, 288
for trade journal articles, 557–58 in presentations, 413
for white papers, 587 in proposals, 434, 436, 441
writer’s checklists for, xxiii, 410 in white papers, 587–88
writing process and, xvi–xix process explanation, 422. See also
prepositional phrases, 399
commas with, 86 writing process
as modifiers, 410 flowcharts for, 195–97, 579
objects and, 374 instructions, 268–73
overuse of, 399 sample of, 545
showing possession, 407, 409 sequential method of development
prepositions, 410–11. See also object of
for, 530
preposition product description
and agreement in number, 16, 31–32
in idioms, 258 in brochures, 57
present participle, 18, 572 in sales proposals, 441, 446
present perfect tense, 547, 548 sample of, 446
ESL tips for, 174 in white papers, 586
infinitives and, 571 professional brand, and job search,
present progressive tense, 547
ESL tips for, 174–75, 549 299–300, 301–2
professional journals. See trade journal

articles; trade journals

Index  631

professional organizations, online, 301 in number, 27, 31–32
professionalism notes with possessive pronouns, 428
with this / that / these / those, 16,
acceptance / refusal letters, 10
adjustment letters, 22 31–32
application cover letters, 38 pronoun reference, 35, 425–26. See
biased language, 50
collaborative writing, 76, 77 also antecedents
e-mail, 164–65 pronouns, 426–30. See also personal
global graphics, 234
interviewing for information, 280 pronouns; pronoun-antecedent
interviewing for a job, 284 agreement
job search, 301–2 as adjectives, 16
memos, 346 case of, 65–69, 428
newsletters, 363 compound, 68–69, 429
presentations, 418 demonstrative, 426–27
proofreading, 432 gender of, 30–31, 229, 429–30
résumés, 504, 507 indefinite, 409, 427
style, 537–38 intensive, 427
telegraphic style, 546 interrogative, 427
text messaging, 550 number and, 31–32, 430
visuals, 234 as objects, 67
prognosis / diagnosis, 126 person and, 394–95, 430, 575
progress and activity reports, 422–25 plurals of, 370
samples of, 423–24 point of view and, 405–6
titles for, 553 possessive, 67–68, 408–9, 571
progressive tense, 547 reciprocal, 427
ESL tips for, 174–75, 549 reflexive, 427
project description relative, 427
in grant proposals, 240–41 sexist language and, 30–31, 51, 251,
in requests for proposals, 477 429–30
in sales proposals, 441 as subjects, 66–67, 521
project management, for proposals, 434 telegraphic style and, 546
projection, in presentations, 420 for transitions, 561
promotional writing pronunciations, in dictionaries, 126
blogs and forums, 53–54 proofreaders’ marks, 430–31
brochures, 56–60 proofreading, 431–33
newsletters, 362 application cover letters, 42
white papers, 586–88 e-mail, 164
pronoun-antecedent agreement, 27, professionalism and, 432
proofreaders’ marks, 430–31
30–32. See also agreement résumés, 492
with collective nouns, 31, 368–69 revision and, 510
with compound antecedents, 32 technology for, 433
with data / datum, 118 writer’s checklist for, 432
with each / every, 30–31, 162 proper nouns, 367
with everybody / everyone, 31, 183 capitalization of, 62–63
in gender, 30–31, 229, 429–30 italics for, 298
with he / she, 229 proposals, 433–53. See also grant
with indefinite pronouns, 430 proposals; requests for proposals;
with none, 364 sales proposals
appendixes for, 38

632  Index

proposals (continued) parentheses, 391
audience and purpose for, 434 periods, 393–94
conclusions, 96–98 question marks, 456–57
context in, 101, 435 quotation marks, 463–65
cover letters for, 114 semicolons, 519–21
description of, in requests for slashes, 531
proposals, 477 purpose, 455
documenting sources in, 439 audience and, 46
environmental impact statements for, of brochures, 56–57
176–79 clarity and, 71
ethics in writing and, 440, 441 design and, 313
executive summaries in, 184 establishing, xvi, 410
external, 439–42 for feasibility reports, 189–90
evaluation criteria for, 477 of introductions, 290–91
feasibility reports for, 188–91 of listening, 325
formal, 436–39 in manuals, 334
informal, 436 of meetings, 340
internal, 436–39 for presentations, 412
persuasive writing for, 433, 435 of proposals, 434
project management for, 434 repurposing, 475–76
research, 238–42 for requests for proposals, 477
sales, 440–42 scope and, 514
samples of, 96, 437–38, 443–53 selecting the medium and, 515
solicited and unsolicited, 439–40 style and, 106, 536
titles for, 553 tone and, 556
writer’s checklist for, 435 unity and, 567
usability testing and, 567–68
protocol visuals and, 577
method of usability testing, 568
for sending memos, 346 quasi- / pseudo-, 454
question marks, 456–57
pseudo- / quasi-, 454
public domain, 105, 476 commas with, 85
publication clearance questionnaires, 457–63. See also forms

for trade journal articles, 560 ethics in writing and, 462, 480
for white papers, 588 sample of, 459–61
publication dates. See also dates for usability testing, 568
in headers or footers, 251, 315 writer’s checklist for, 462–63
in report titles, 200, 553 questions
publishing. See trade journal articles in forms, 224
punctuation, 454 frequently asked (FAQs), 186–88
apostrophes, 37 in inquiry letters, 264
brackets, 55 for interviewing for information,
colons, 78–79
commas, 80–86 281
dashes, 117 in job application forms, 307–8
ellipses, 163–64 in job interviews, 284–85
exclamation marks, 183 punctuation for, 456–57
for global communication, 235 for questionnaires, 458, 462
hyphens, 255–57 for research, 480
with mathematical equations, 339 rhetorical, 413, 510, 553

Index  633

for trade journal articles, 557 reasoning. See logic errors
for transitions, 561, 562 reciprocal pronouns, 427
wording, 224 recommendation letters. See reference
quid pro quo, 463
quotation marks, 463–65. See also letters
recommendation reports, 188, 292
quotations recommendations
for direct quotations, 463–65
ethics in writing and, 463 in abstracts, 7
punctuation with, 183, 464–65, 521 in conclusions, 97
for titles of works, 294, 464, 555 in cover letters, 441
for words and phrases, 464 in feasibility reports, 191
quotations, 465–67. See also citations, opening with, 289
in reports, 202, 218–19, 474
in-text; documenting sources samples of, 96, 218–19
block, 135, 148, 467 in test reports, 550
capitalization of, 63, 465 redundancy. See also repetition
colons with, 79, 464–65 with abbreviations, 3
commas with, 83, 86, 464–65 eliminating, 93–94, 95
direct, 463–65 of and, 266, 383, 411
ellipses for omissions in, 163–64, 466 one and, 375
ethics in writing and, 463, 465 reason is [because], 468
incorporating into text, 467 up and, 411, 567
indirect, 463, 465–66 refer / allude / elude, 33
inserting words into, 55, 466 reference letters, 468–70
long, 135, 148, 467 ethics in writing and, 470
in note-taking, 365, 366, 479 sample of, 469
opening with, 290, 414 reference works, 482–83
paraphrasing, 390, 402 abbreviations in, 5
periods in, 393, 464 references. See also reference letters
plagiarism and, 401–2, 465 in job applications, 307
question marks with, 457 in résumés, 506
quotation marks with, 463–65 references list (APA), 133. See also
within quotations, 464
semicolons with, 464–65, 521 APA documentation; documenting
sic for errors in, 55, 466–67 sources
documentation models for, 135–39
racial groups in formal reports, 202
bias toward, avoiding, 51 in grant proposals, 240
capitalization of names of, 63 sample page, 141
in trade journal articles, 560
radio programs reflexive pronouns, 427
APA documentation of, 138–39 refusal letters, 470–72
MLA documentation of, 151 bad-news patterns for, 109–11
quotation marks for titles of, 464, 555 context and, 102
for employment offers, 10–11
ragged-right margins, 315 samples of, 11, 471
raise / rise, 468 regarding / with regard to, 472–73
rambling sentences, 526–27 regardless, 473
ranked-choice questions, 224 regionalisms, 176
readers, 468. See also audience rejections. See bad-news patterns;
really, 468 refusal letters
reason is [because], 468

634  Index

relative adjectives, 94 reports, 474–75. See also report
relative pronouns, 427 elements

in adjective clauses, 174 activity, 424, 425
for connecting clauses, 74 APA documentation of, 139
in sentence fragments, 527 feasibility, 188–91
subject-verb agreement with, 29 formal, 198–220
in subordination, 539 IEEE documentation of, 145
wordiness and, 94 investigative, 292
religious groups laboratory, 310
bias toward, avoiding, 51 MLA documentation of, 152
capitalization of names of, 63 progress, 422–25
repetition, 473–74 quotation marks for titles of, 555
for emphasis, 170–71, 473 recommendation, 188, 292
for transitions, 473, 561 test, 550
wordiness from, 95, 474 tone for, 556
report elements, 474. See also layout trip, 563
trouble, 563–66
and design; reports repurposing, 475–76
abstract, 7–9, 200, 206 boilerplate material, 104–5
appendixes, 38, 203 and content management, 100
back matter, 203 ethics in writing and, 476
bibliography, 52, 203 reputation, personal, 299–300
body, 201–2, 213–17 requests for proposals, 476–78. See
conclusion, 96–98, 202, 218–19
cover letter, 114, 198, 204 also invitation for bids
executive summary, 184, 201, 208–9 ethics in writing and, 478
explanatory notes, 202 format for, 439
foreword, 201 government specifications in, 535
front matter, 199–201 requirements in, 238–42, 439
glossary, 203, 235–36 research, 479–87. See also documenting
headers and footers, 251–52, 315
headings, 252–54, 315 sources; Internet research; library
index, 203, 260–63 resources
introduction, 201–2, 210–13, for collaborative writing, 76–77
ethics in writing and, 480
287–91 evaluating sources, 485–86
list of abbreviations and symbols, formal reports of, 198–220
interviews, 280–82
201 for job interviews, 282–83
list of figures and tables, 200–201 laboratory reports, 310
page numbers, 200 literature reviews, 327–29, 558
preface, 201 methods of, xix
problem statement, 288 for newsletters, 359, 363
recommendations, 202, 218–19 note-taking for, 365–67
references / works-cited list, 202, observation, 479–80
for presentations, 413
220 primary, xix, 479–80
samples of, 203–20 proposals, 238–42
table of contents, 200, 207, 542 questionnaires for, 457–63
text, 202 reference works for, 482–83
title, 553–55 secondary, xix, 480
title page, 200, 205
visuals, 316–17, 397–98

Index  635

for specifications, 534 writer’s checklists for, xxiv,
strategies, 480–85 509–10
technology for, 481–82, 483–84
for trade journal articles, 558 writing process and, xxi–xxii
writer’s checklist for, xxiii RFP. See requests for proposals
writing process and, xix–xx rhetorical questions, 510
resignation letters, 487–89
samples of, 487, 488 opening with, 413, 510
respective / respectively, 489 in titles, 510, 553
response letters. See inquiries and rise / raise, 468
Roman numerals, in outlines, 382
responses rules
responses in page design, 317
in tables, 543
to e-mail, 165, 166, 168–69 run-on sentences, 394, 511
in form design, 224
to inquiries, 265 -s endings
to job-interview questions, 285 for plurals, 369, 371, 408
in manuals, 335 for verbs, 370, 575
responsibility
ethics in writing and, 180, 583 salary negotiations, 512–14
statement of, in sales proposals, 441, acceptance / refusal letters (for
employment) and, 9–10
451 benefits and job perks, 513–14
restrictive and nonrestrictive elements, job applications and, 307
job interviews and, 285, 512–13
489–90. See also parenthetical research for, 301
elements résumés and, 507, 512–13
résumés, 490–508
application cover letters and, 38–42, sales brochures, 56–60
491 sales proposals, 440
background and, 501
electronic, 507–8 conclusions for, 96–98, 442
e-mail and, 508 ethics in writing and, 440, 441
ethics in writing and, 492 repurposed content for, 441, 475
length of, 491 sample of, 443–53
organization for, 502–6 structure for, 440–42
plain-text, 507–8 salutations
posting online, 301 in business letters, 321
professionalism and, 504, 507 capitalization in, 63
for returning job seekers, 501–2 colons in, 78
salary negotiations and, 507, 512 commas in, 85
samples of, 492–500 for e-mail, 167
scannable, 507–8 first names in, 167, 279, 321
sections in, 502–6 for international correspondence,
return address, in letters, 318
returning job seekers, 501–2 275, 279
reviewing, xxii, 77, 178–79. See also for unknown gender, 321
literature reviews sans serif typeface, 314, 593
revision, 508–10 scarcely, 155
in collaborative writing, 77 schedules
proofreading and, 431–32 charting, 246
technology for, 510 chronological order for, 71
for collaborative writing, 76, 246
delivery, in proposals, 441, 448, 477

636  Index sentence construction, 521–25. See also
sentence faults; sentence types
schedules (continued)
sample of, 247 clauses, 73–74
work, in grant proposals, 241 coherence and, 403–4
effective, 524–25
scheduling meetings, technology for, elliptical, 84
341 emphasis and, 170, 521
ESL tips for, 522, 525
schematic diagrams. See drawings in formal style, 536
scholarly abbreviations, 5 for global communication, 279
scope, 514–15 predicates, 522–23
stylistic use, 524
determining, xviii, 410 subject-verb-object pattern, 522,
of environmental impact statements,
524–25
177 subjects, 521–22
in introduction, 288 variety in, 528–30
in literature reviews, 329 sentence endings
of white papers, 587 in lists, 327
of work, in requests for proposals, within parentheses, 391, 393
prepositions at, 411
477 punctuation for, 183, 393, 456–57
screen names, 266 sentence faults, 526–27
screening comma splices, 80
faulty logic, 527
in graphs, 243, 246 faulty subordination, 526
in maps, 337 fragments, 527–28
in page design, 316 garbled sentences, 228
sculptures, italics for titles of, 294, 554 loaded sentences, 525
search engines, 483–84 missing subjects, 526
second pages. See continuing pages missing verbs, 527
second person, 394–95. See also “you” mixed constructions, 351–52
period faults, 394
viewpoint rambling sentences, 526–27
antecedents and, 430 run-on sentences, 394, 511
point of view, 405 sentence fragments, 527–28
secondary research, 480 with participles, 572
sections. See chapters and sections period faults, 394
selecting the medium, 515–19 sentence openings. See also
repurposed content and, 476
scope and, 515 introductory elements
technology for, 519 also at, 34
writing process and, xviii–xix commas with, 82
-self / -selves, 427 conjunctions as, 98
semi- / bi-, 50 dangling modifiers at, 116
semicolons, 519–21 numbers at, 370–71
for clarity, 520 sentence outlines, 381
for comma splices, 80 sentence types
in compound sentences, 523 complex, 523
with conjunctive adverbs, 23, 85 compound, 523
for items in series, 83, 85 compound-complex, 523
for linking independent clauses, 23,

519
with quotation marks, 464–65,

521
for run-on sentences, 394, 511
with transitions, 520

Index  637

declarative, 524 sic, 5, 55, 466–67
emphasis and, 170 sight / site / cite, 71
exclamatory, 524 signatures
imperative, 524
interrogative, 524 for e-mails, 167–68
loose, 524, 529–30 for letters, 322
minor, 524 for memos, 346
periodic, 524, 529–30 similes, 194
simple, 170, 523 simple sentences, 170, 523
sentence variety, 170, 528–30. See also since / as / because, 44–45
single-source publishing, 475n
sentence types; subordination sit / set, 530–31
sequential method of development, site / cite / sight, 71
site preparation, in sales proposals, 441
349, 530 sample of, 449
in flowcharts, 195–97 slang
in instructions, 269–70 as nonstandard English, 176
in narration, 357 quotation marks and, 464
series of items slashes, 531
commas with, 83–84, 86 slides, for presentations, 416–17
etc. with, 179–80 sample of, 417
parallel structure for, 390 so / so that / such, 532
question marks with, 456 social media
semicolons with, 83, 520 and job search, 299–300, 301–2
serif typeface, 314 and professional networking, 518
service, 530 software. See adapting to new
service manuals, 333
set / sit, 530–31 technologies; digital tips
sexist language, 50–51. See also biased solicited proposals, 439
solutions, in sales proposals, 441
language
female / male, 191 sample of, 447
imperative mood for avoiding, 251 some / somewhat, 532
Ms. / Miss / Mrs., 321, 355 some time / sometime / sometimes,
occupational descriptions and, 51
parallel terms for avoiding, 51 532
and pronoun-antecedent agreement, songs. See musical works, titles of
sort / kind / type, 16, 31–32
30–31, 429–30 sort of, 16, 31–32, 309
pronoun usage and, 51, 251 source lines, for visuals, 249, 543, 580
shading. See screening sources, citing. See citations, in-text;
shall / will, 531, 548
she / he, 251. See also pronoun- documenting sources
sources, of information. See research
antecedent agreement; sexist spacing
language
she / her / hers, 65–69, 394–95, 426–30 for brochures, 59
shifts for forms, 226
functional, 226–27 for letters, 318, 321
in mood, tense, or voice, 549, 575 white space, 316, 318
ships, italics for names of, 294 spam, e-mail, 165
short stories, quotation marks for titles spatial method of development, 349,
of, 464
SI (International System of Units), 4 533–34
sample of, 533
special-purpose manuals, 333

638  Index

specific-to-general method of in letters, 321–22
development, 231, 349 for memos, 113, 554
for test reports, 550
sample of, 231 for trip reports, 563
specifications, 534–35 for trouble reports, 563–64
subjects, 521–22. See also subject-verb
decimal number heads for, 254
government, 535 agreement
industrial, 534 active-voice naming, 582
introductions for, 291–92 compound, 522
speeches, MLA documentation of, 152. ESL tips for, 522
gerunds as, 570
See also presentations missing, 526, 527
spell checkers, 431, 510, 535 nouns as, 368
spelling, 535 position of, 522
subject-verb agreement, 26–30,
dictionaries for, 126
hyphens and, 256 574–75. See also agreement
split infinitives, 571–72 with abstract nouns, 29
squinting modifiers, 354 with collective nouns, 29, 368–69
stacked modifiers, 19, 236, 353 with compound subjects, 29–30
standard English, 175, 536. See also with data / datum, 118
with each / every, 30, 162
grammar; usage with everybody / everyone, 183
statement of need, in grant proposals, with indefinite pronouns, 28, 430
with intervening words and phrases,
240
statistics. See numerical data 27
status reports. See progress and activity with inverted word order, 28
with measurements, 28
reports with none, 364
steps. See instructions; process with nor / or, 365
with number, 28–29
explanation; sequential method of with one of those . . . who, 375–76
development with subjective complements, 28
stereotypes. See biased language; sexist with this / that / these / those, 16
language with titles of works, 29
strata / stratum, 535 with who / which / that, 29
stubs, in tables, 543 subject-verb-object pattern, 522, 524–25
style, 536–38. See also plain language; subjective case, 8, 66–67
technical writing style; telegraphic subjective complements, 92
style adjectives as, 18
contractions and, 104 gerunds as, 570
formal and informal, 536–38 nouns as, 368
professionalism and, 537–38 pronouns as, 66
standard vs. nonstandard English, subject-verb agreement with, 28
175–76 subjunctive mood, 354–55
writer’s checklist for, 538 subordinate clauses, 73–74. See also
style manuals, 133–34, 155
stylistic use, in sentence construction, dependent clauses
524 subordinating conjunctions
subheadings. See headings
subject dictionaries, 128 for connecting clauses, 74, 99
subject directories, 484–85 list of common, 99
subject lines
capitalization in, 64, 113
for e-mail, 113, 165, 554

in sentence fragments, 527 Index  639
for subordination, 539
subordination, 538–40 synonyms, 540–41
bad news and, 109 coordinated, 94
for clarity, 73 for defining terms, 119
for comma splices, 80 in dictionaries, 126
for conciseness, 94 repetition and, 473
effective, 73–74, 525 in thesaurus, 552–53
faulty, 526 word choice and, 590
vs. parentheses, 391
for run-on sentences, 511 syntax, 541
for sentence variety, 528, 539
subscription newsletters, 362 tables, 542–44. See also visuals
substantives, 522 for comparisons, 88
such / so / so that, 532 functions of, 578
such as, in sentence fragments, 528 vs. graphs, 243, 542
suffixes, 540 informal, 544
affectation and, 25 list of, 201, 581
hyphens with, 256 numbering, 201, 373, 542
summaries samples of, 90, 543
abstracts and, 7–9 screening (shading) in, 316
in conclusions, 96, 97 in trade journal articles, 559
executive, 184
in grant proposals, 239 tables of contents, 542
in meeting minutes, 350 decimal headings in, 254
for note-taking, 365, 465 for FAQs, 187
opening with, 289 in formal reports, 200, 207
for transitions, 561 in newsletters, 363
summary list, in manuals, 333 parallel structure for, 389
superlative form sample of, 207
of adjectives, 17 in white papers, 587
of adverbs, 23–24
supplement / augment, 47 taglines, in résumés, 492, 503–4
supporting documents. See appendixes sample of, 496
surveys. See questionnaires
sweeping generalizations, 330 tags, Web, 54
symbols team writing. See collaborative
in flowcharts, 195–97
functions of, 579 writing
for global communication, 233–35 technical manuals. See manuals
for graphs, 246, 250 technical terminology
keys for, 581
list of, in reports, 201 affectation and, 25
in manuals, 335–36 audience and, 545
proofreaders’ marks, 430–31 defining for readers, 178, 291
samples of, 196 in environmental impact statements,
standardized, 195–97, 335–36
in tables, 542–44 178
for warnings, 270–71 ethics in writing and, 181
in global communication, 279
in glossaries, 235–36
in instructions, 268
jargon, 296
in manuals, 333, 334
plain language for, 403–4
in proposals, 434
in white papers, 587
word choice and, 590

640  Index

technical writing style, 185, 544–45. that / where, 585
See also IEEE documentation; that / which / who, 28, 550, 552
style the, 16, 43–44
then. See conjunctive adverbs
ethics in writing and, 181 there, as expletive, 184–85, 522, 552
plain language and, 403–4 there / their / they’re, 552
sample of, 545 therefore. See conjunctive adverbs
technology. See adapting to new thesaurus, 541, 552–53
they / them / their / theirs, 65–69,
technologies; digital tips
teleconferences, 517 394–95, 426–29
telegraphic style, 546 third person, 394–95

caution with, 94 antecedents and, 430
in instructions, 269 in narration, 357
professionalism and, 546 point of view, 405–6
telephone calls, 282, 517
television programs this / these
APA documentation of, 138–39 and agreement in number, 16, 31–32
italics for titles of, 294, 554 as demonstrative adjectives, 16,
MLA documentation of, 151 426–27
quotation marks for titles of, 464, pronoun references with, 425–26,
426–27
555
temporary employment agencies, 303 thumbnails, in page design, 317
templates, 199, 318 thus. See conjunctive adverbs
tenant / tenet, 546 time
tense, 547–49, 575. See also verbs;
in global communication, 279–80
voice numbers for, 372
ESL tips for, 174–75, 549 title page
helping verbs and, 574 in formal reports, 200, 205
for infinitives, 571 in grant proposals, 239
in narration, 357 in sales proposals, 441
shifts in, avoiding, 549, 575 sample of, 205
testing. See usability testing titles, 553–55. See also names and titles
test reports, 550 capitalization of, 64, 554
for research, 479 colons in, 78
sample of, 551 in headers or footers, 251–52, 315
text. See body italics for, 294, 554
text messaging, 517, 550 for memos, e-mails, and Internet
professionalism and, 550
than / as, and pronoun case, 67, 68 postings, 554
thank-you notes, 286 for newsletter articles, 361
question marks in, 456
that quotation marks for, 294, 464, 555
with indirect quotations, 463, 465–66 for reports, 200, 205, 553
with one of those . . . , 375–76 rhetorical questions in, 510, 553
as pronoun, 426–27 setting tone with, 553, 556
for restrictive clauses, 490 special cases, 555
subject-verb agreement with, 29
that / those
and agreement in number, 16, 28, to
31–32 in prepositional phrases, 400
as demonstrative adjectives, 16, as sign of infinitive, 400, 571–72, 574
426–27
to / too / two, 555

tone, 556 Index  641
in abstracts, 7
for adjustment letters, 19 in presentations, 415
for complaint letters, 90 in process explanations, 422
context and, 102 for quotations, 467
for correspondence, 106–7 repetition for, 473, 561
for e-mail, 556 semicolons with, 520
goodwill and, 107–8 telegraphic style and, 546
for memos, 556 unity and, 567
for refusal letters, 471 for Web content, 592
for reports, 556 words and phrases for, 561
for technical documents, 544 transitive verbs, 374, 573
of titles, 553, 556 transmittals. See cover letters (or
for trouble reports, 566
writer’s checklist for, 108–9 transmittals)
“you” viewpoint and, 596 transparencies, overhead, 416
trip reports, 563
topic outlines, 381, 387
topic sentences, 385–86 chronological order for, 71
sample of, 564
paragraph unity and, 388 trouble reports, 563–66
placement of, 386 chronological order for, 71
topics ethics in writing and, 566
in headers or footers, 251, 315 sample of, 358, 565
in headings, 252, 254 try to, 566
in indexes, 261 tutorials
track changes, 75–76, 510 manuals as, 332
trade journal articles, 556–60 online and video, 14
abstracts for, 7–9 Twitter, and job search, 301–2
ethics in writing and, 558 two / to / too, 555
literature reviews in, 327–29, 558 type / sort / kind, 16, 31–32
manuscript preparation, 560 typographical errors, 431, 510
publication clearance for, 560 typography, 313–15
research for, 558 for brochures, 60
sections of, 559–60 for e-mail, 166
trade journals, job listings in, 302–3 for emphasis, 171, 314–15
training manuals, 332–33 ethics in writing and, 181
training requirements, in sales for presentation visuals, 418
for résumés, 507–8
proposals, 441 typeface and type size, 314
sample of, 450 for warnings, 270
trains, italics for names of, 294 in Web design, 593
transition, 561–63
between paragraphs, 562–63 unabridged dictionaries, 127
between sentences, 561–62 underlining
for clarity, 73
for coherence, 75, 388 for emphasis, 171
commas with, 82 for italics, 292, 294
conjunctions as, 99 understatement, 193
enumeration for, 388, 561, 562 uninterested / disinterested, 129
methods of, 561 unique / perfect / equal, 179
in narration, 357 unity, 567
in paragraphs, 388
transitions and, 563

642  Index agreement with subject, 26–30,
574–75
unknown authors
APA documentation of, 137 conjugation of, 576
IEEE documentation of, 143, 144 finite and nonfinite, 574
MLA documentation of, 150 forms of, 574
in idioms, 411
unpublished data, APA documentation intransitive, 310, 573–74
of, 139 linking, 573–74
missing, 527
unsolicited proposals, 440 mood of, 354–55
up, 411, 567 phrases as, 398, 401
upon / on / onto, 375 plurals of, 370
uppercase. See all-capital letters as predicates, 523
URLs properties of, 574
tense of, 547–49
APA documentation of, 137 transitive, 374, 573
hyphens in, 257 types of, 573–74
IEEE documentation of, 143 voice of, 581–83
slashes in, 531 weak, 364
us / our / ours, 65–69, 394–95, very, 576
via, 576
426–29 video tutorials, 14
usability engineering, 567n videoconferencing, 342, 518
usability testing, 567–69 videos
APA documentation of, 138
for forms, 223 IEEE documentation of, 144
for global graphics, 235 MLA documentation of, 151
for instructions, 271, 273 visual logic, in page design, 315
for manuals, 335 visuals, 576–81. See also labels;
usage, 569
clarity and, 73 numbering
grammar and, 237 APA documentation of, 139
user-centered design, 567n boxes for, 317
user manuals, 14, 332 in brochures, 58
utilize, 569 captions for, 317, 398
copyright and, 155, 157, 398, 580
vague words, 570 for description, 125
clichés as, 74 distortion in, 244, 577
as gobbledygook, 236 drawings, 156–60, 578
and word choice, 590 ethics in writing and, 398, 577,

vendor description and qualifications 580
in requests for proposals, 477–78 flowcharts, 195–97, 579
in sales proposals, 442 for global communication, 233–35
sample of, 452 graphs, 243–50, 578–79
guidelines for selecting, 578–79
verbals, 570–72 icons, 316–17, 579
ESL tips for, 173–74 indexing, 261
gerunds, 570–71 for instructions, 156–60, 270
infinitives, 571–72 integrating with text, 577, 580
as nonfinite verbs, 574 in layout and design, 316–17
participles, 572
in sentence fragments, 527

verbs, 573–76. See also mood; subject-
verb agreement; tense; voice

action, 67, 506
as adjectives, 18, 528

list of figures and tables, 200–201, Index  643
581
weak verbs, 364. See also
for manuals, 333, 336 nominalizations; voice
maps, 336–38, 578
MLA documentation of, 151–52 Web addresses. See URLs
for newsletters, 361, 363 Web conferencing, 518
organizational charts, 380, 579 Web content-management systems,
outlining and, 379, 382, 580
permission for using, 155 100
photographs, 397–98, 578 Web design. See also layout and design;
for presentations, 416–17
professionalism and, 234 writing for the Web
source lines for, 249, 543, 580 for forms, 221–26
in spatial method of development, headings for, 592
icons, 316–17
533–34 links in, 593, 594
symbols, 579 lists for, 592
tables, 542–44, 578 posting documents, 594
in technical documents, 545 for résumés, 507–8
in trade journal articles, 559, 560 typography for, 314, 593
types of, 577 usability testing for, 567–69
for Web design, 593 Web forums. See blogs and forums
in white papers, 588 Web logs. See blogs and forums
writer’s checklist for, 580–81 Web research. See Internet research
voice, 576, 581–84. See also active Web sites. See also blogs and forums;

voice; passive voice Internet research; writing for the
active, 581–83 Web
ESL tips for, 584 APA documentation of, 137–38
ethics in writing and, 583 copyright and, 104–5
helping verbs and, 574 currency of, 480
passive, 583–84 evaluating, 485–86, 594
in presentations, 420, 421 FAQs on, 186–88
shifts in, avoiding 575 functions of, 518
voice mail, 517 IEEE documentation of, 143–44
volunteer work indexes for, 261
and job search, 299–300 as information sources, 283, 480
on résumés, 502 internal and external, 53
italics for titles of, 554
wait for / wait on, 585 MLA documentation of, 150
warnings résumés on, 301, 507–8
white papers on, 586
exclamation marks for, 183 well / good, 237
in instructions, 183, 270–71 were / was, 354–55
italics for, 315 when / where / that, 585
in manuals, 336 when and if, 585
sample of, 272 where / that, 585
was / were, 354–55 where . . . at, 585
we whether, 585–86
in technical writing style, 406 whether . . . or, 99
us / our / ours, 65–69, 394–95, which
for nonrestrictive clauses, 490, 550,
426–29 552
as pronoun, 427

644  Index

which (continued) outdated words, 25
subject-verb agreement with, 29 slang, 176
vs. who / that, 29, 550, 552 standard vs. nonstandard English,

while, 586 175–76
white papers, 586–88 thesaurus for, 552–53
tone and, 556
ethics in writing and, 588 usage conventions and, 237, 569
layout and design for, 588 vague words, 570
persuasion in, 586–87 word divisions, hyphens in, 257
sections in, 587–88 word meanings. See also definitions
white space, in page design, 316, 318. capitalization and, 62
connotation / denotation in, 99
See also spacing dictionaries for, 126–28
whiteboards, 416 word order. See also sentence

who construction
with one of those . . . , 375–76 emphasis and, 524–25
who / that / which, 29, 427, 550, 552 and sentence variety, 529
subject-verb-object pattern, 522,
who / whom, 427, 589
whole-by-whole method of comparison, 524–25
syntax, 541
88 word-processing software. See adapting
who’s / whose / of which, 589
widows, 316 to new technologies; digital tips
Wikipedia wordiness. See also conciseness

copyright and, 105, 402 as affectation, 25
as information source, 482 causes of, 93–94
wikis as gobbledygook, 236
APA documentation of, 138 of passive voice, 95, 582
for collaborative writing, 75–76 rambling sentences, 526–27
MLA documentation of, 150 that and, 552
will / shall, 531, 548 words used as words
-wise, 589 italics for, 295
with regard to / regarding, 472–73 plurals of, 37
word choice, 590 work plan, in sales proposals, 441
abstract / concrete words, 6–7 workscope description, in requests for
in adjustment letters, 21
affectation and, 25 proposals, 477
ambiguity and, 36 works-cited list (MLA), 133. See also
buzzwords, 60–61
clichés, 74 documenting sources; MLA
colloquialisms, 175–76 documentation
connotation / denotation and, 99 documentation models for, 148–52
deceptive language and, 180–81 in formal reports, 202, 220
dictionaries for, 126–28, 590 in grant proposals, 240
ethics in writing and, 180–81 samples of, 154, 220
figures of speech, 192–94 in trade journal articles, 560
for global communication, 275, 279 writer’s checklists
gobbledygook, 236 abbreviations, 3
idioms, 258 awkwardness, eliminating, 48
jargon, 296 brochures, 59–60
localisms, 176 collaborative writing, 77
malapropisms, 332 conciseness, 94–95

correspondence, 108–9, 113–14 Index  645
drawings, 159
e-mail, 165, 168–69 word division, 257
ethics in writing, 181–82 writing a draft, 591
evaluating sources, 485–86 writing process, xxiii–xxiv
executive summaries, 184 writing a draft, 591. See also writing
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions),
process
188 collaborative writing and, 76–77
global communication, 232–33 conclusions, xxi, 96–98
goodwill, establishing, 108–9 introductions, xxi, 287–92
grant proposals, 242 outlining, xx–xxi, 380–83
graphs, 249–50 visuals and, 577, 580
headings, 254 writer’s checklist for, xxiii–xxiv, 591
hyphens, 257 writing block, in forms, 225
indexing, 263 sample of, 226
instant messaging, 268 writing for the Web, 592–95. See also
instructions, 273
international correspondence, blogs and forums; Web design
ethics in writing and, 594
279–80 technology for, 595
interviewing for information, 281 writing line, in forms, 225
job applications, 307 writing process
job descriptions, 298 drafting, xxi, 591
lists, 327 organization, xx–xxi, 379
manuals, 335–36 preparation, xvi–xix, 409–10
maps, 336–37 research, xix–xx, 479–87
meetings, 345–46 reviewing, xxii, 77, 178–79
minutes of meetings, 351 revision, xxi–xxii, 508–10
netiquette, 165 steps to success in, xv–xxii
newsletter articles, 361 writer’s checklist for, xxiii–xxiv
note-taking, 366–67 writing style. See technical writing
plain language, 404
preparation, 410 style; style
presentations, 418, 421
proofreading, 432 years. See dates
proposals, 435 yes, comma with, 81
questionnaires, 462–63 “you” viewpoint, 596
research, 484, 485–86
revision, 509–10 audience and, 46
style, 538 in correspondence, 107–8
tone, 108–9 in FAQs, 188
visuals, 580–81 in persuasive writing, 395
in white papers, 586–87
you / your / yours, 65–69, 394–95,

426–29
your / you’re, 597

Commonly Misused Words and Phrases

A compose / constitute / comprise   92
a / an   1 consensus   99
a lot   2 continual / continuous   103
above   6 credible / creditable   114
absolutely   6 criteria / criterion   115
accept / except   9 critique   115
accuracy / precision   11
activate / actuate   12 D
ad hoc   12 data   118
adapt / adept / adopt   13 defective / deficient   119
affect / effect   24 definite / definitive   120
affinity   26 despite / in spite of   125
all ready / already   32 diagnosis / prognosis   126
all right   33 differ from / differ with   128
all together / altogether   33 different from / different than   128
allude / elude / refer   33 discreet / discrete   129
allusion / illusion   33 disinterested / uninterested   129
almost / most   34 due to / because of   161
also   34
amount / number   36 E
and/or   36 each   162
as / because / since   44 economic / economical   162
as much as / more than   45 e.g. / i.e.   162
as such   45 equal / unique / perfect   179
as well as   45 etc.   179
augment / supplement   47 everybody / everyone   183
average / median / mean   47 explicit / implicit   185
awhile / a while   47
F
B fact   186
bad / badly   49 female / male   191
be sure to   49 few / a few   191
beside / besides   49 fewer / less   192
between / among   49 figuratively / literally   192
between you and me   50 fine   194
bi- / semi-   50 first / firstly   194
biannual / biennial   50 flammable / inflammable / 
both . . . and   54
nonflammable   194
C forceful / forcible   197
can / may   62 foreword / forward   198
cannot   62 former / latter   221
center on   71
cite / sight / site   71 G
compare / contrast   87 good / well   237
complement / compliment   91

646

Commonly Misused Words and Phrases  647

H percent / percentage   393
he / she   251 phenomenon / phenomena   397
principal / principle   421
I pseudo- / quasi-   454
illegal / illicit   259
imply / infer   259 Q
in / into   259 quid pro quo   463
in order to   259
in terms of   260 R
indiscreet / indiscrete   263 raise / rise   468
inside / inside of   266 really   468
insoluble / insolvable   266 reason is [because]   468
insure / ensure / assure   273 regarding / with regard to   472
interface   274 regardless   473
its / it’s   295 respective / respectively   489

K S
kind of / sort of   309 service   530
know-how   309 set / sit   530
shall / will   531
L so / so that / such   532
lay / lie   310 some / somewhat   532
lend / loan   317 some time / sometime / sometimes   532
like / as   324 strata / stratum   535
loose / lose   331
T
M tenant / tenet   546
maybe / may be   340 that / which / who   550
media / medium   340 there / their / they’re   552
Ms. / Miss / Mrs.   355 to / too / two   555
mutual / common   356 try to   566

N U
nature   359 up   567
needless to say   359 utilize   569
none   364
nor / or   365 V
very   576
O via   576
OK / okay   374
on / onto / upon   375 W
one   375 wait for / wait on   585
one of those . . . who   375 when / where / that   585
only   376 whether   585
outside [of]   383 while   586
over [with]   384 who / whom   589
who’s / whose / of which   589
P -wise   589
party   392
per   392 Y
your / you’re   597

Model Documents and Figures by Topic

Use the following list as a quick reference for finding selected samples of
technical writing and visuals by topic. See also the complete Contents by
Topic on the inside front cover of this book. For additional model docu-
ments, see the companion Web site at bedfordstmartins.com/alred.

Technical Writing Documents F–4 Common ISO Flowchart Symbols
and Elements (with Annotations)  196

A–2 Informative Abstract F–6 Form (for a Medical Claim)  222
(for an Article)  8
F–7 Online Form with Typical
B–2 Brochure (Cover Panel)  58 Components  223

B–3 Brochure (Inside Panels of G–3 Graphics for U.S. and Global
Brochure in Figure B–2)  59 Audiences  234

F–1 Feasibility Report  189 G–4 International Organization
for Standardization (ISO)
F–5 Formal Report  204 Symbols  234

I–5 Illustrated Instructions  271 G–5 Double-Line Graph
(with Shading)  243
I–6 Warning in a Set of
Instructions  272 G–6 Distorted and Distortion-Free
Expressions of Data  244
I–10 Investigative Report  293
G–7 Bar Graph (Quantities
J–1 Job Description  297 of Different Items During
a Fixed Period)  245
L–1 Laboratory Report  311
G–8 Bar (Column) Graph (Showing
L–8 Literature Review  328 the Parts That Make Up
the Whole)  245
N–2 Newsletter Article  360
G–9 Gantt Chart Showing Project
N–3 Company Newsletter Schedule  247
(Front Page)  362
G–10 Pie Graph (Showing Percentages
P–4 Progress Report (Using Letter of the Whole)  248
Format)  423
G–11 Picture Graph  248
P–5 Activity Report (Using Printed
Memo)  424 H–2 Headings Used
in a Document  253
P–7 Special-Purpose Internal
Proposal  437 M–1 Map  337

P–8 Sales Proposal  443 T–1 Elements of a Table  543

Q–1 Questionnaire  459 V–1 Chart for Choosing Appropriate
Visuals  578
T–4 Test Report  551
Correspondence
T–5 Trip Report Sent as E-mail
(with Attachment)  564 A–5 Acknowledgment  12

T–6 Trouble Report (Using Printed A–6 Adjustment Letter (When
Memo)  565 Company Is at Fault)  20

Design and Visuals A–7 Partial Adjustment
(Accompanying a Product)  21
D–13 Schematic Diagram of Particulate
Removal Process  160 C–6 Complaint Letter  91

F–2 Flowchart Using Labeled Blocks C–8 A Poor Bad-News Message  110
(Depicting Electric Utility Power
Restoration Process)  195 C–9 A Courteous Bad-News
Message  110
F–3 Flowchart Using Pictorial
Symbols  196

C–10 A Good-News Message 111 R–9 Résumé (Experienced Applicant
Seeking Career Change) 497
C–11 Cover Message 115
R–10 Advanced Résumé (Showing
I–2 Inquiry 264 Promotion Within a Single
Company) 498
I–3 Response to an Inquiry 265
R–11 Advanced Résumé (Combining
I–7 Inappropriate International Functional and Chronological
Correspondence (Draft Marked Elements) 499
for Revision) 276
Presentations and Meetings
I–8 Appropriate International
Correspondence 277 M–2 Meeting Agenda 342
M–3 E-mail to Accompany
L–4 Full-Block-Style Letter
(with Letterhead) 319 an Agenda 344
M–6 Minutes of a Meeting (Partial
L–5 Modified-Block-Style Letter
(without Letterhead) 320 Section) 350
P–3 Slides for a Presentation 417
M–4 Typical Memo Format (Printed
with Sender’s Handwritten Research and Documentation
Initials) 347
D–4 APA Sample Page from
R–1 Reference Letter (Printed on Report 140
Letterhead Stationery) 469
D–5 APA Sample List
R–2 Refusal Letter (Sent as of References 141
E-mail) 471
D–6 IEEE Sample Page from
Job Search and Application Report 146

A–3 Acceptance Letter D–7 IEEE Sample Bibliography 147
(for Employment) 10 D–8 MLA Sample Page from

A–4 Refusal Letter Report 153
(for Employment) 11 D–9 MLA Sample List of

A–8 Application Cover Letter Sent as Works Cited 154
E-mail (College Student Applying Q–1 Questionnaire 459
for an Internship) 39 Q–2 Long Quotation (APA Style) 467

A–9 Application Cover Letter (Recent Organization, Writing,
Graduate Applying for a Graphic and Revision
Design Job) 40
C–2 Chronological Method of
A–10 Application Cover Letter Development 72
(Applicant with Years of
Experience) 41 G–1 General-to-Specific Method of
Development 230
I–9 Follow-up Correspondence 286
G–2 Specific-to-General Method of
J–2 Sections from a Job-Application Development 231
Form 305
N–1 Narration from an Accident
R–3 Resignation Letter (to Accept Report 358
a Better Position) 487
O–1 Decreasing Order-of-Importance
R–4 Resignation Memo (Under Method of Development 377
Negative Conditions) 488
O–2 Increasing Order-of-Importance
R–5 Student Résumé (for an Entry- Method of Development 378
Level Position) 493
P–1 Persuasive Memo 396
R–6 Résumé (Highlighting S–1 Spatial Description with Precise
Professional Credentials) 494
Measurements 533
R–7 Student Résumé (for a Graphic
Design Job) 495

R–8 Résumé (Applicant with
Management Experience) 496