Unit- 4

What is writing?

Writing is a form of communication that allows students to put their feelings

and ideas on paper, to organize their knowledge and beliefs into convincing
arguments, and to convey meaning through well-constructed text. In its
most advanced form.

Good writing skills are essential for effective communication. The better you
write, the more easily readers will understand you. Learning to write well
takes time and practice.

It has been agreed that writing is a means of communication made possible

through graphics symbols, arranged according to certain conventions to form
words which in turn are arranged to form sentences. The sentences are
logically and grammatically connected to form a piece of writing.

Composition and Style

Start with your audience

Create an outline

Identify your main theme

Use simple language

Practice specific writing skills

Practice each mini-skill one by one:

1. Learn how to write good sentences— a sparkling sentence is the basic

ingredient of good writing.

2. Become more conversational by including questions in your writing.

 3. Study how to choose flavored words; and learn how to avoid bland
phrases that make your writing tasteless and yuck.

4. Compose smooth transitions so readers glide from sentence to

sentence, and from paragraph to paragraph.

5. Experiment with your voice by changing punctuation and adding a

dynamic rhythm.

6. Play with mini-stories to engage your readers.

Planning:

Planning is anything you do before you write a draft of your document. It

includes thinking, taking notes, talking to others, brainstorming, outlining,
and gathering information. Although Planning is the first activity you
engage in, generating ideas is an activity that occurs throughout the
writing process. During Planning a writer will choose a manageable topic,
identify a purpose and audience, draft a sentence that expresses the main
idea of piece, gather information about the topic, and begin to organize
the information. Examples of Planning include brainstorming, freewriting,
and questioning. Many people find it helpful to use a shape planner or
graphic organizer to organize their thoughts during the Planning process.

Drafting

The second step of the writing process involves drafting. During drafting,
the writer puts his ideas into complete thoughts, such as sentences and
paragraphs. The writer organizes his ideas in a way that allows the
reader to understand his message. He does this by focusing on which
ideas or topics to include in the piece of writing. During drafting, the
writer will compose an introduction to the piece and develop a conclusion
for the material. At the end of this step of the writing process, the author
will have completed a “rough draft.”

Drafting—The Process

The process of drafting a piece of writing begins with an analysis of the

Planning. The author must use his Planning notes to determine a focus for
the piece.

For example, an author may decide to write an essay about dogs. He

could have developed his Planning notes with information about three
topics relating to dogs: Show dogs, working dogs, and dog racing. These
are all topics that could stand alone in an essay. During drafting, the
author should choose just one of these topics for his piece of writing.

Any information that is unrelated to the topic and its purpose should be
eliminated from the prewriting.

Editing

Upon completion of a rough draft, the writer should take on the first edit
of his work. Editing is an on-going process, not a one time event. When
an author edits his work, he is checking the piece for errors. These are
typically errors in spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and formatting
(indenting of paragraphs, etc.). A writer should be encouraged to edit as
much of his own paper as possible. Early writers should, with some
prompting, be able to check a paper for correct capitalization and
punctuation. Some students find it beneficial to read their work out loud
while editing. This makes it easier to find mistakes. Editing should not
be a negative process. This is a time to work on creating a polished piece
of writing that will make the author proud. The author should be
reminded that he will need to edit his work at least two more times. He
will edit before composing a final copy and then use the same process to
check over his final product.
Precis Writing

A precis is a summary. Precis writing is an exercise in compression. A precis

should give all essential points so that anyone reading it will be able to
understand the idea expressed in the original passage.

Note that precis writing is different from paraphrasing. In a paraphrase you

should give all the details: you should not leave out any details. A
paraphrase will be at least as long and sometimes longer than the original. A
precis, on the other hand, must always be shorter than the original. It
should express only the main theme that too as briefly as possible.

How long should a precis be?

There are no rigid rules regarding the length of a precis. But as a general
rule, it should not contain more than a third of the total number of words in
the original passage.

Uses of precis writing

Most people read carelessly and fail to fully comprehend the meaning of the
passage. Precis writing forces them to pay attention to what they read
because no one can write a summary of a passage unless they read it
carefully. So summarizing teaches one to read with concentration.

Precis writing also improves your overall writing skills. It teaches you how to
express your thoughts clearly, concisely and effectively.You learn to choose
your words carefully and construct your sentences in a logical and concise
manner.

Techniques of Précis – Writing

There three kinds of work to be done in producing a clear and successful
precis. They are (1) Reading, (2) Writing and (3) Revision.
1. Reading
Read the passage carefully
If one reading is not enough to give you a general idea of its meaning, then
read it second time. As you read, find out the subject or the theme of the
passage and what is said about the subject.
It will be a good thing if you find out the lead or the topic sentence. The lead
sentence will help you to see the subject clearly. It will also help you to think
of a title.
Now comes the process of selection. The writer of the précis writing
passages has to decide what facts or ideas in the passage are essential and
what are of secondary or no importance. Taking the main ideas of the
passages as your point of reference, it should not be too difficult to write out
the important points in the original in a corner of your writing work sheet.
2. Writing
You should first prepare a draft of the précis, keeping in mind, the need to
reduce the original to one-third its length. The main thoughts expressed in
the passage, the ideas it contains, the opinions presented and the conclusion
arrived at should figure in the rough draft. Unimportant things like the
names of people and places and dates should not figure in it.
It may so happen that your first draft is too long or that it sounds rather
jerky. Shorten it if necessary and write out a careful second draft.
Sometimes you may need to work out three or even four drafts, but with
reasonable care and concentration, you should normally succeed in
producing good précis writing by the second draft.
3. Revision
When you have made your second (or final) draft, carefully revise it before
writing out the fair copy. Look for any mistakes or slips in grammar or
spelling and correct them. Don’t forget to give your précis a title.
Tips for writing Precis

1. Number of words in Precis should of 1/3 of the actual paragraph

2. Don't change the central idea of paragraph
3. Retain the keywords of the paragraph
4. Don't waste your time in counting words, instead count lines.
5. Your precis should be completed in one paragraph only
6. Avoid weak sentences
Common mistakes

1. Don't give your personal opinion

2. Don't use any idiom of your own
3. Never conclude anything of your own
4. Never assume anything

Write a précis of the following passage to one-third of its length and

also give a suitable title-
Today there are 3000 million people in the world. Fifty years ago only about
2000 million people lived in it. If earth’s population were evenly distributed
over its land surface, there would be about 550 persons to the square mile.
But Earth has vast areas of forest, mountains and desert which are almost
totally inhabited. On the other hand, it has great cities each with millions of
people living in a few square miles.
To feed the fast growing population of our earth, scientists and planners
have to discover new ways to produce more. One possible way is to bring
more land not under cultivation. This can be done only in places where there
is lot of land not used for productive purposes. In many places there is no
longer possible all the arable land is already cultivated. A second way is to
make use of new types of seeds to produce more. Already a number of new
strains of paddy and wheat have been developed in different parts f the
world. India is one of the countries where a lot of useful work has been done
in the field of agriculture research.
Title: World Population and Food Production
Précis: During the last fifty years, the world population has
increased from 2000 to 3000 million. It is unevenly distributed with
millions of people living in a few big cities. Scientists in India and
abroad are, therefore, busy with agriculture research to find out new
methods of increased food production to feed them all and they have
already developed many new strains of paddy and wheat.

Technical Definition:-

A technical definition is a definition in technical communication describing or

explaining technical terminology. Technical definitions are used to introduce
the vocabulary which makes communication in a particular field brief and
clear.

Technical definition is a very detailed description of a term, process or

phenomenon. When preparing a document many times the writer has to use
some term that might be unknown to the audience, but is an essential to
understand the author's idea. The length of the definition depends on the
complexity of the term and the audience for which is designed.

To help specialists communicate with less knowledgeable readers.

For example, a manual explaining how to tune up a car includes definitions

of parts and tools.
In order to make a useful expanded definition one needs to expand on the
following questions:

How does it work?

What are its parts?

What does it look like?

What does it do?

Can it be compared to anything familiar?

How it is used?

What is its origin and background?

What it's not?

To help answer these questions one can use the following:

Give a synonym if available

State formal definition

Give examples

Give operational definition

Provide analogies

Contrast with what it is not

Technical Description

A technical description is text that describes an object or process in terms of

its function, organization, parts and details. It is the fundamental "building
block" of technical documentation. A technical description can be used alone
(e.g., a specification) or as part of a larger document (e.g., a proposal).
Often technical documents contain several technical descriptions.

Typically, a technical description follows a pattern. First, the writer names

the object or process and describes its function. Second, the writer gives an
overview of the object or process, including its size, parts (with organization
of those parts) and other relevent descriptors. Finally, the writer details each
significant component, providing explanations, locations and physical
descriptions of each component.

A technical description may be short, only a few lines long, or it may be

many pages long, giving details on size, shape, color, material, etc. for
multiple components. The writer must determine which elements of a
description to emphasize. Visuals are usually included to help the reader
understand both the object/process as a whole and its significant elements.
Definitions, analogies, and familiar terms or jargon may be used to help the
reader.

What Is the Difference Between a Description and a Summary?

Often writers (and readers) confuse descriptions with summaries.

Descriptions focus on structures and characteristics of things
(products, organizations, processes), usually in the present tense.
Summaries focus on what has or will be done to those things. In other
words, if you write about how any equipment request is processed within an
organization, you are writing a description. But if you write about how a
particular equipment request, or batch of requests, has progressed through
the system, then you are writing a summary.

Are Technical Descriptions the Same as Technical Definitions?

Descriptions and definitions may seem similar, but they actually function
very differently.

Descriptions are used to specify and characterize.

Definitions are used to classify and catagorize.

While descriptions detail a particular object or process,

definitions are used to group an object or process (or term) with other like
objects or processes (or terms) based on shared qualities. However,
definitions are often used in technical descriptions.

Tips for Good Technical Writing

Know your audience

Use an impersonal style. Any opinions should be omitted.

The writing should be straightforward, to the point, and as simple as

possible to make sure the reader understands the process or instruction.

Know how to research. Gather information from a number of sources,

understand the information gathered so that it can be analyzed thoroughly,
and then put the information into an easy to understand format to instruct
those who read it. The more inexperienced your audience, the more
information you will need to gather and explain.

Be thorough in description and provide enough detail to make your points;

but, you also have to consider that you need to use an economy of words so
that you do not bore your reader with not necessarydetails.

A good technical writer can make a difficult task easy and can quickly
explain a complex piece of information.

What is a Report?

In academia there is some overlap between reports and essays, and the two
words are sometimes used interchangeably, but reports are more likely to be
needed for business, scientific and technical subjects, and in the workplace.

Whereas an essay presents arguments and reasoning, a report concentrates

on facts.

Essentially, a report is a short, sharp, concise document which is written for

a particular purpose and audience. It generally sets outs and analyses a
situation or problem, often making recommendations for future action. It is a
factual paper, and needs to be clear and well-structured.
Reports may contain some or all of the following elements:

 A description of a sequence of events or a situation;

 Some interpretation of the significance of these events or situation,
whether solely your own analysis or informed by the views of others,
always carefully referenced of
 An evaluation of the facts or the results of your research;
 Discussion of the likely outcomes of future courses of action;
 Your recommendations as to a course of action; and
 Conclusions.

Not all of these elements will be essential in every report.

If you’re writing a report in the workplace, check whether there are any
standard guidelines or structure that you need to use.

For example, in the UK many government departments have outline

structures for reports to ministers that must be followed exactly.

Getting Started: prior preparation and planning

Step 1: Know your brief

You will usually receive a clear brief for a report, including what you are
studying and for whom the report should be prepared.

Step 2: Keep your brief in mind at all times

During your planning and writing, make sure that you keep your brief in
mind: who are you writing for, and why are you writing?
The Structure of a Report

Executive Summary :- It is designed to give busy 'executives' a quick

summary of the contents of the report. It should be no more than half a
page to a page in length.

Introduction

The introduction sets out what you plan to say and provides a brief summary
of the problem under discussion. It should also touch briefly on your
conclusions.

Report Main Body

The main body of the report should be carefully structured in a way that
leads the reader through the issue.

Conclusions and Recommendations

The conclusion sets out what inferences you draw from the information,
including any experimental results. It may include recommendations, or
these may be included in a separate section.

Recommendations suggest how you think the situation could be improved,

and should be specific, achievable and measurable. If your recommendations
have financial implications, you should set these out clearly, with estimated
costs if possible.
Types of Report

Formal Reports

A formal report is one which is prepared in a prescribed form and is

presented according to an established procedure to a prescribed
authority.Formal reports can be of following three types:

a) Periodic or Routine Reports

These are prepared and presented at regular intervals in the usual routine of
business.They may be presented annually,half
yearly,quarterly,monthly,weekly or even daily.Generally such reports contain
a mere statement of facts,in detail or in summarized form,without an opinion
or recommendation.
b) Informative Report

If report merely presents facts pertinent to an issue or situation,it is

informative.It contains only data collected or the facts observed in an
organized form.It presents the situation as it is and not as it should be.It
does not contain any conclusions or recommendations.It is useful because it
presents relevant data put together in a form in which it is required by the
management to take decisions.

c) Interpretative Report

An interpretative report,like an informational report,contains facts but it also

includes an evaluation or interpretation or analysis of data and the reporter’s
conclusions.It may have recommendations for actions.