<bold xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><i>Research problem:</i></b> Taking a linguistic complexity approach, this study conducted a comparative analysis of the readability of English-language CEO statements in Chinese and American corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports. <bold xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><i>Research question:</i></b> From a linguistic complexity perspective, are there significant differences in the readability of CEO statements between original American CSR reports and English translations of Chinese CSR reports? If so, what are the lexical, syntactic, and cohesive differences between them? <bold xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><i>Literature review:</i></b> Previous studies of CSR reports’ readability primarily employed classic formula-based readability measures, but a systematic analysis from a linguistic complexity perspective is lacking. Scholarly attention to the readability of translated CSR reports is also scant. <bold xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><i>Methodology:</i></b> This study collected English-language CEO statements from the CSR reports of American and Chinese top companies and then applied the TAALED and TAALES computational linguistic tools to calculate the lexical complexity, L2SCA to measure the syntactic complexity, and TAACO to gauge the cohesive complexity. <bold xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><i>Results:</i></b> The results show that there are considerable linguistic variations between the American and Chinese companies’ reports in terms of lexical, syntactic, and cohesive complexity. The CSR reports produced by Chinese firms are generally less readable than those created by American companies. Specifically, they are characterized by higher informational density, more sophisticated words, longer syntactic length, more coordinate phrases, and more complex nominals, as well as fewer connectives, pronouns, and demonstratives. <bold xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Our findings enrich the present understanding of the readability of CSR reports and communication through a quantitative linguistic lens, and provide practical insights for the CSR communication of firms from non-English-speaking countries in the context of internationalization.

Background: The bulk of international trade has led to increasing demand for specialized professional communication texts in multilingual contexts. Persuasive language is required in promotional discourse to sell products. When transactions are carried out with foreign countries, translation becomes essential for successful commercial exchange. Literature review: Persuasion requires the use of positive evaluation to describe products. This article addresses the need to contrast the expression of positive evaluation in English and Spanish online promotional cheese descriptions. Research questions: 1. What are the linguistic resources used to express positive evaluation in English and Spanish in online promotional texts of the cheese industry? 2. What is the distribution across parts of speech and semantic categories and subcategories between these two languages? 3. How can semantic tags in bilingual comparable corpora provide useful information for translation practice? Methodology: Empirical data have been extracted from Online Cheese Descriptions (OCD), a semantically tagged English-Spanish corpus, and classified using the Appraisal Framework into the subcategories of appreciation, judgment, affect, and graduation. Results and discussion: Tests of statistical significance have revealed cross-linguistic differences, mainly in appreciation, thus leading to a qualitative analysis. The findings also include a large inventory of all evaluative items that express appreciation for cheeses in both languages and general guidelines for translators. Conclusions: This multilayer corpus-based analysis has yielded relevant data that can be used to enhance the second-language writing and translation processes required for marketing cheese in English and Spanish, thus supporting international professionals in their communication in multilingual contexts.

The book offers a range of plans including a 32-week plan to craft chapter-length literature reviews for a dissertation, a 16-week plan for those more time-crunched or experienced, an 8-week plan for the “highly motivated” or those with shorter literature review requirements such as for a conference paper, and finally two-week and one-week plans for the truly desperate. Activities in each chapter take the writer step-by-step through the process of preparing the review for evaluation by an advisor. The book is further divided into 12 chapters, the last of which is geared more toward advisors and writing instructors. This book fills a long-standing gap in resources for novice research writers. Too often, graduate students receive feedback on only grammar and punctuation issues—surface concerns—rather than the structure and clarity of their narratives. Berdanier and Lenart provide a step-by-step guide for graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and new graduate advisors in writing effective, impactful literature reviews, the backbone of journal articles that get cited and grant proposals that get funded. Not to be overlooked, though, are writing center coaches, who often see engineering students and faculty in their sessions but may not have the background to feel comfortable providing guidance on such projects. At a minimum, this book is a must-have for engineering graduate students seeking a path through one of the more challenging writing tasks early in their careers.

Subtitling this 578-page book as an "introduction" may be a misnomer; the book is broad in scope and deep in coverage of its subject. It fills a need for current texts on the topic of technical editing and is grounded in modern technical communication workflows, practices, and approaches. This book is an invaluable teaching aid for classrooms and a welcome reference resource for practicing professionals. Throughout the book, the authors address issues of modern technical communication workflows. They acknowledge that the dedicated editor role has become increasingly rare and that many technical writers are responsible for editing their own or their peers’ documents. They also address workplace considerations, including people, budgets, and schedules, in both planning and executing editing projects. The book includes a thorough 30-page glossary of grammar terms, 33 pages of notes and references, and a thorough index.

Research problem: Discourse bridges between the speakers and the audience in product launches. However, how the verbals and the visuals work together in the construction of interpersonal meanings in such communication remains largely underexplored. Research question: How were interpersonal meanings constructed via verbal and visual semiotics in the iPhone 1 product launch presentation?. Literature review: Despite the recognized importance of innovation communication, communication at the launch phase is underexplored. Moreover, communication and management studies have generally neglected the role of grammar-based discourse in promoting innovation, while linguistic studies have paid inadequate attention to language's implications for innovation communication and management. Thus, we address the discursive building of interpersonal meanings in product launch presentations to fill such gaps. Methodology: Integrating Halliday's Systemic Functional Grammar and Kress and van Leeuwen's Systemic Visual Grammar, we conduct both verbal and visual analyses to explore the construction of interpersonal meanings in Steve Jobs' iPhone 1 launch presentation. Results: Analysis of the verbal strategies suggests that Jobs built different interactive roles as an authority innovation leader and as a close “friend” willing to engage with the audience. Moreover, by combining verbal semiotics with the delicate arrangement of image act, size of frame, and angle, the presentation video was carefully planned to create offer contact, produce close social distance, and present equal and objective attitudes to further enhance the construction of interpersonal meanings, thus contributing to the audience's understanding and recognition of the innovative product. Conclusions: This article offers insights into innovation discourse and communication by investigating the semiotic features of the iPhone 1 product launch presentation, thus adding to the extant literature on professional communication and innovation management.

Most textbooks and trade press books on engineering communication are genre based, proscription based, or some are a combination of the two. Henderson takes a different approach to teaching the rules of English grammar and how to apply those rules to craft effective sentences. His approach is mathematics based, presenting the rules of English grammar as sentence equations. This approach makes the book particularly intriguing as a resource for teaching students of engineering and science. Henderson's "A Math-Based Writing System for Engineers: Sentence Algebra & Document Algorithms" presents a distinctive approach and methodology for clear engineering communication, particularly suited to its specific audience. Henderson's methodology, grounded in the "universal language" of mathematics, is unique and refreshing. The book is a welcome addition to available resources for these students and their instructors.

Research problem: Readability equations are widely used to compute how well readers will be able to understand written materials. Those equations were usually developed for nontechnical materials, namely, textbooks for elementary, middle, and high schools. This study examines to what extent computerized readability predictions are consistent for highly technical material - selected Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and International Standards Organization (ISO) Recommended Practices and Standards relating to driver interfaces. Literature review: A review of original sources of readability equations revealed a lack of specific criteria in counting various punctuation and text elements, leading to inconsistent readability scores. Few studies on the reliability of readability equations have identified this problem, and even fewer have systematically investigated the extent of the problem and the reasons why it occurs. Research questions: (1) Do the most commonly used equations give identical readability scores? (2) How do the scores for each readability equation vary with readability tools? (3) If there are differences between readability tools, why do they occur? (4) How does the score vary with the length of passage examined? Method: Passages of varying lengths from 12 selected SAE and ISO Recommended Practices and Standards were examined using five readability equations (Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Gunning Fog Index, SMOG Index, Coleman-Liau Index, and Automated Readability Index) implemented five ways (four online readability tools and Microsoft Word 2013 for Windows). In addition, short test passages of text were used to understand how different readability tools counted text elements, such as words and sentences. Results and conclusions: The mean readability scores of the passages from those 12 SAE and ISO Recommended Practices and Standards ranged from the 10th grade reading level to about 15th. The mean grade reading levels computed across the websites were: Flesch-Kincaid 12.8, Gunning Fog 15.1 SMOG 12.6, Coleman-Liau 13.7, and Automated Readability Index 12.3. Readability score estimates became more consistent as the length of the passage examined increased, with no noteworthy improvements beyond 900 words. Among the five readability tools, scores typically differed by two grade levels, but the scores should have been the same. These differences were due to how compound and hyphenated words, slashes, numbers, abbreviations and acronyms, and URLs were counted, as well other punctuation and text elements. These differences occurred because the sources for these equations often did not specify how to score various punctuation and text elements. Of the tools examined, the authors recommend Microsoft Word 2013 for Windows if the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level is required.

Research problem: The enhancement of communication skills among engineering students has been a focus within the engineering curriculum for many years. Despite this emphasis, continual published reports document that engineering graduates are not well versed in the areas of written and oral communication when they graduate and transition into industrial-based positions. This study focuses on examining whether game-based pedagogy could serve as a potential tool for enhancing the written and oral communication skills of engineering undergraduates. Research questions: (1) What is the relationship between communication game exposure and oral and written communication skills achievement in engineering students? (2) Do engineering students' perceptions of their oral and written communication skills development associated with participation in communication games align with their achievement in these areas? Literature review: This study examines the ability of games to enhance engineering student communication skills by using the lens of activity theory. This communication theory was chosen because it describes how the creation of a piece of communication goes beyond traditional features such as grammar and syntax to include grappling with the objective or goal of the work, the system within which the product must be completed, and the methods selected to subdivide the work. These same constraints were imposed on the students within this study, in which they were assigned a technical design report and infomercial (or elevator pitch) to assess their oral and written communication skills. Methodology: Three groups of a sophomore-level Introduction to Chemical Product Design course compared non-games, games, and games-plus instructional methods. Student design reports and infomercials were scored by two analysts using reliable and validated rubrics. Team-based performance scores for each of the three sections were compared to determine whether any resulting differences in communication achievement were associated with the incorporation of game-based activities within the classroom. Students' perceptions of their communication skill development were measured through survey instruments and focus groups. The focus group data were content-analyzed by the same two analysts using a coding scheme developed from an emergent qualitative analysis of the focus group data. Results and conclusion: We found that the use of game-based pedagogy within engineering classes can enhance oral and written communication skills even though this method of instruction is not always perceived by students as relevant to their achievement in these areas.

Problem: One of the biggest problems with student and novice writing is that it often lacks clear organization and a coherent structure. However, it is difficult for newer writers to conceptualize a clear structure prior to writing a first draft. Thus, there is a need for an effective process to help writers revise early drafts with a particular focus on organizational clarity. Key concepts: Two concepts underlie this issue. The first is revision, which is the process of changing text to better achieve the writer's goals and serve the reader's needs. Two general categories of revision exist: a comprehensive edit (a thorough review of content, organization, visual design, style, illustrations, accessibility, and reuse to best serve readers) and a copyedit (a review of proper adherence to accepted language standards, which includes attention to grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure). The second is organizational structure (the arrangement and relationship of ideas), which is critical to help readers understand and use the information in the document. Key lessons: A reverse outline-a process that helps improve document structure and organization from an early draft-was developed to help writers make the organizational structure of an existing document to assess and improve the structure in a subsequent revision explicit. Reverse outlining has four steps: (1) identifying and listing discourse topics from a written draft, (2) arranging the discourse topics into an outline, (3) assessing the structure for appropriateness to audience and purpose, and (4) creating the new structure, modifying content where necessary, and adding headings, bullets, overview statements, and other advanced organizers. The reverse outlining process has been used extensively in the classroom and in the workplace.

Problem: Questionnaires are a popular method used by global companies to gain understanding or assess various aspects of their businesses. However, using a questionnaire across cultures requires extra effort in translating it into the target language(s) and culture(s) because a good questionnaire developed in one language/culture may not necessarily “travel well” across cultures due to differences in meaning and interpretation. This tutorial synthesizes the extant research on cross-cultural communication and surveys, and provides guidance in preparing cross-cultural questionnaires. Concepts: Translation affects the design and development of questionnaires to be used across cultures in these ways: (1) It affects the theoretical concepts to be studied: indicators-questions about concrete elements that can be measured and constructs-a series of questions about abstract elements that cannot be measured directly and essentially represent an underlying concept. Constructs must be adapted into a specific cultural context to achieve accuracy in measurements. (2) Differences in the contexts-the overall cross-cultural research context (the setting and the purpose) and the cultural context (the participants and their cultural background) of the study-affect translation because concepts in the source culture might be applied differently or not exist in the target cultures. (3) Translation might unintentionally introduce bias by inadvertently changing the perceived meanings of terms and questions-creating bias in constructs, on individual items on the questionnaire, and in its administration. (4) Translation might affect equivalence of terms in the source and translated versions, including linguistic equivalence (that is, wording of items), semantics (meaning of a phrase or concept), and grammar and syntax. Suggestions: Given these concepts, consider the following items when translating questionnaires: (1) accurately adapt or adopt questions from existing instruments, (2) make sure that you adapt the language to suit the situation, (3) hire translators who understand research processes, (4) use the decentering approach (a process in which translators move back and forth amongst the languages, checking for cultural and linguistic accuracy) when preparing the actual translation, and (5) assess your overall translated questionnaire. The questionnaire assessment model is a resource for guiding the assessment.

Presents a review of this humorous book on grammar by June Casagrande. The book is a comprehensive, authoritative, and easy-to-use guide for professional communicators.

Technical communication consultants steeped in conventional academic notions of writing pedagogy may encounter different assumptions about the nature of writing and the significance of grammar in writing instruction when they consult with professional engineers. This paper examines historical, theoretical, and practical reasons for these sometimes contradictory beliefs and traces the authors' efforts to reconcile these differences while planning and conducting a writing seminar for an engineering firm. A strong emphasis on grammar and mechanics can lead to numerous benefits, including a stronger sense of shared purpose between consultants and engineers and a point of entry into additional conversations about institutional writing practices and writing environments.

While there is no advice on spelling in this book, Wolman tells the history of how English spelling has changed since the Anglo-Saxon period and American spelling since the American Revolution and explains how and why the changes occurred. His history is highlighted with astute comments, personal anecdotes, and even philosophical musings. The book should be entertaining and informative for anyone who might want to learn more about how our present-day spelling got to be in the shape it is in.

Instant Messaging (IM) features informal writing styles such as the omission of punctuation. Punctuation plays an important role in representing prosody and facilitating syntactic processing during communication. The discrepancy between the recognized importance and actual inadequate usage of punctuation in IM calls for establishing punctuation convention for more effective online communication. The research uniquely reported here addressed two research questions. The first was whether punctuation had an impact on the effectiveness of IM. The results of an empirical study showed that the majority of surveyed participants perceived punctuation to be somewhat important. This led to the investigation of the second research question: how to restore omitted punctuation in instant messaging to help develop punctuation convention effectively? We designed and implemented a technical solution for recovering punctuation based on heuristics rules and an evaluation of this approach showed satisfactory performance. A detailed analysis of punctuation in archived instant messages revealed several patterns of omitted punctuation. The findings of this research not only advance our understanding of the stylistic convention, but also provide positive evidence for establishing punctuation convention in IM. As IM continues to pervade daily communication, punctuation convention in IM deserves closer attention.

This study examines the frequency with which 12 writing tutors used hints in their suggestions to 12 engineering students in 13 interactions about technical writing. Of the 424 suggestions tutors made, 106 were hints. Using Weizman's model as a guide, the study describes three types of hints that tutors used: evaluations, general rules, and elisions. It also investigates the benefits that tutors receive from using those types of hints and examines the problems for students that can arise when tutors state their suggestions as hints. Combined with previous research findings, the findings of this study suggest that tutors should pair mildly negative evaluations and general rules with direct suggestions, and tutors should avoid strongly negative evaluations, i.e., criticisms. The findings also suggest that tutors can elude suggestions and provide words and phrases for students' documents but that they should only do this occasionally to model effective tone or syntax.

The article examines the processses involved in essay-writing by comparing it with the the process by which organic chemistry synthesis schemes are solved. In the process of writing an essay, the author uses knowledge of vocabulary, syntax, and discourse to creatively organize and then produce a paper. In the process of generating a synthesis, the chemist uses knowledge of structure, functional group reactivity, and reaction mechanisms to creatively organize and then produce a synthesis. Both the writing of an essay and the design of an organic synthesis are goal-oriented, nonlinear, recursive activities that lead to a product that is greater than the sum of the individual elements involved in its creation.

When faced with the tasks of reading and writing a complex technical paper, many nonnative scientists and engineers who have a solid background in English grammar and vocabulary lack an adequate knowledge of commonly used structural patterns at the discourse level. In this paper, we propose a novel computer software tool that can assist these people in the understanding and construction of technical papers, by automatically identifying the structure of writing in different fields and disciplines. The system is tested using research article abstracts and is shown to be a fast, accurate, and useful aid in the reading and writing process.

Previously, D. Leonard and J. Gilsdorf (1990) presented 45 instances of questionable usage, in full-paragraph contexts, to both academics and working business executives. These usage elements included sentence fragments, assorted punctuation problems, pronoun-antecedent (dis)agreement, and various examples of questionable word choice. Their intent was to assess the "botheration level" of each usage "error"; their conclusions were that: 1) academics are (nearly) always bothered by usage "errors" more than executives; and 2) usage elements that bothered survey respondents the least were evolving over time into acceptable English usage. Setting aside for now the problem of ongoing language change and its causes, the article focuses on the problem of predicting what will remain unchanged in language-usage rules and proposes an explanation for why certain rules will remain unchanged. This problem is critically important for anyone who is mentoring the writing of younger people, people whose primary audience will not follow our rules, but rather the rules of the next generation of readers.

Previous researchers have given conflicting views as to what makes a "good" research article (RA) title. In this paper, characteristic features of research article titles, including length, punctuation usage, word frequency, and preposition usage are investigated using a corpus of 600 research articles from the six journals of the IEEE Computer Society. Results show, while some of the intuitive observations made in the literature about title writing are accurate for computer science journals, other observations have ignored the effects of discipline and field variation. Subsequently, these observations are either unjustified or misleading.

Chaucer's 'A Treatise on the Astrolabe' despite its medieval roots, still serves as a model for incorporating coherent organization, appropriate content, accurate and precise descriptions, personable tone, effective metadiscourse, and varied sentence structure and length in modern technical writing. This article explores how Chaucer merged his logico-rational self (as exhibited in the work's deliberate organization and thorough content) with his humanistic self (as shown in his simple style and personable tone). This is shown to be an effective technique for humanizing and strengthening a technical document. By following the lessons learned from Treatise, modern technical writers can minimize the semantic and psychological noise of a document, while maximizing the accurate and comfortable transmission of its content.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

It is pointed out that veteran technical writers and editors sometimes suspect that the professors who teach technical writing and editing are too deeply immersed in their academic culture to translate effectively into the classroom the world of work culture in which technical writing and editing are practised. It is argued, however, that the two cultures are remarkably alike, sharing the same goal-to improve communication. Differences arise primarily in the approaches taken to achieve that common goal. Drawing on 25 years of experience as a visiting professor in a university writing program, the author discusses the different approaches that industry and academia take to such topics as grammar, rhetoric, audience, editing, artwork, decision-making, and collaborative writing.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

When faced with mathematical material, editors with limited technical training often address only superficial concerns such as format and punctuation. A few simple guidelines are presented here which can help one do a more complete job. Superfluous symbols should be deleted; the remaining symbols should be defined properly, redefined where necessary, and used according to the rules of grammar.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

It is noted that existing editorial style sheets/guides do not address the unique needs encountered in developing computer-delivered information. The author presents guidelines that supplement the stylesheets/guides. These guidelines suggest ways to handle the organization and presentation of information, paragraphs, sentences, questions and responses, language, punctuation, and screen design.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

The author notes the unique needs of the graphic interface and the demands these needs make on the technical writer. Ten principles to help cope with writing for the graphic interface are presented, with emphasis on lexical, syntactic, and display issues. The principles are: (1) avoid verbal shortcuts; (2) keep the words simple and direct; (3) keep the syntax simple and direct; (4) keep the punctuation simple and direct; (5) keep the layout simple and direct; (6) keep the writing brief; (7) keep all dialogue and window text self-contained; (8) be absolutely consistent; (9) revise; and (10) always keep the user firmly in mind.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

Typical spelling errors that the Japanese make when writing in English are discussed. An improved spelling checker for Japanese users that takes their linguistic idiosyncracies into consideration is described.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

The author reviews the research on the effectiveness of graphics in instruction and then proposes a framework for developing a theory that accounts for the syntax, semantics, and pragmatics of graphics. His goal is to lay the groundwork for developing prescriptive guidelines for the design of effective graphics in training documents. He stresses that further research needs to be done in order that a theory of learning from graphics can be developed in sufficient detail for design prescriptions to be provided and that prescriptive theory for graphic design is necessary.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

Four types of quick references (small, portable packages of information) are described: slide rules, syntax summaries, informational guides, and posters and templates. Their design is discussed, covering the use of white space, type legibility, logical organization, inclusion of relevant information only, information accessibility, and effective headings.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

The author's grading strategy in an upper-division technical writing course is documented. Students taking the course plan technical communication careers. They complete 50 pages of editing exercises and generate more than 75 pages of double-spaced copy for eight assignments. The author responds to students' work in several ways: (1) personalized memos and extended handwritten comments, (2) marginal handwritten comments and questions, (3) internal copyediting of student manuscripts, (4) individual conferences, and (5) assignment of a grade. When editing student assignments, criticism is provided of content, communication effectiveness, and appearance. For content, the accuracy, consistency, logic, and evidence are evaluated. For communication effectiveness, the appropriateness of the narrative and visuals for the audiences, organization, clarity, and conciseness are evaluated, and for appearance, checks are made for spelling, mechanics, stylebook, and format errors.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

Grammar errors and style weaknesses identified by CRITIQUE, a text processing system developed at the IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, are discussed. Linguistic criteria for distinguishing between grammar and style are drawn first. These criteria are reflected in the messages issued by CRITIQUE to the user. Then, a computational criterion for distinguishing between grammar and style is discussed. This criterion is reflected in the implementation of the grammar-checking and style-checking mechanisms. Finally, it is explained how CRITIQUE operates when the criteria are in conflict: the implementation is driven by the computational criterion, while the display to the user remains faithful to the linguistic criteria.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

A description is given of software currently available for analyzing and editing the style of word-processed documents, usually those written by nonprofessional communicators. The packages covered are Grammatik II, Rightwriter, Punctuation and Style, Electric Webster, and PC style.

Readability formulas have drawbacks when used with persons who are not fluent in English. Most such formulas depend upon the assumptions that longer words and longer sentences are more difficult than those which are not. The author asserts that these assumptions do not hold, and that there are other factors which contribute to relative difficulty when dealing with nonfluent readers. Vocabulary, sentence structure, text organization, and presentation, factors affecting readability that can be controlled by the writer, are discussed.

Clarkson University is developing software tools to help students write with more skill and thought. The new programs include a powerful word processor, a spelling checker, an authoring system, numerous pre-writing programs, and computerized prose analyzers. The components of the Clarkson writing system function as an integrated whole, setting a standard for writing packages. Early use of these programs indicates that the computer is making itself indispensable to the writing teacher.

Retrievability is a major advantage of the Pocketbook. Instead of a traditional table of contents, it contains a topical key to the text to help the reader find specific information. Major divisions, such as “Grammar,” “Punctuation,” and “Mechanics,” make finding information simple.

It is argued that a course in letter writing can serve to sharpen communication skills that have become dulled over years of carelessness and thoughtlessness. It teaches the student to understand and respect the reader's needs in every writing situation and to use the necessary tact and diplomacy in all responses. Furthermore, when the 37 daily writing assignments in such a course have rigorous penalties imposed automatically for errors in spelling, grammar, and syntax, students learn quickly that correct writing is essential.

Four parallels between technical communication and user-friendly systems are discussed. They are: (1) its overall structures should be apparent to the user; (2) it should be congenial without being chatty or too personal; (3) its nomenclature and syntax must be consistent throughout all functions; and (4) its logic must not trap users in loops but should lead them straight to their goals.

This paper describes current problems with data-entry forms used in offices and discusses a method, called the syntax method, through which some of the problems can be eliminated. In particular, the technique used in this method for identifying duplicate names and improving the names of the elements is described. Results from a test of the method on three Dept. of Defense Contractor Cost Performance Forms are provided.

Common errors of word usage and grammar are described and corrected with examples. The errors came from similar sounding words, non-interchangeable words, and inappropriate, redundant, and otherwise misused words.

Making sense is the hallmark of purposeful writing, yet too few people take the time necessary to revise what they have written. No one should be satisfied with a first draft. Writing is a process and, as such, requires taking whatever time is necessary to produce worthwhile writing. Included are seven tips to consider in the revision process: (1) keep subjects, verbs, objects, and complements close together; (2) maintain an average sentence length of less than 20 words; (3) prefer the active voice; (4) eliminate the indefinite “this” (5) simplify verb tenses; (6) ensure that all paragraphs have clear topic sentences; and (7) avoid “this is” and “there are” constructions.

When reviewing someone else's document, the reviewer is supposed to help the writer achieve the major objective of the paper, i.e., to communicate effectively with the reader. This paper provides guidelines that enable a reviewer to make a positive contribution by raising questions that lead the author. Most of the paper is concerned with measuring readability and style with minor emphasis on grammar.

Instructors of technical writing can teach Japanese specialists more effectively by being aware of some basic linguistic differences. One of the difficulties with traditional instruction is that it is prepared from the native speaker's point of view. Instruction should be prepared to meet the foreign students' needs. Japanese students experience difficulty in three areas: First, they have trouble with technical terms, often relying too literally on a dictionary to offer a synonym. The consequence is their selecting imprecise terms which in turn produces an awkward expression. Second, Japanese students have trouble with English grammar — in particular with articles, prepositions, tenses, auxiliary verbs, and the subjunctive mood. Finally, they are challenged by rhetoric, that is, choosing and arranging words effectively. Examples of each problem are offered with suggestions on how to make the students more aware of the principles involved.

A readable style is created by proper handling of ideas, words, phrases, clauses, logic, syntax, and personality. Every word should be written for somebody. These rules tell how to create readable writing: (1) Read some great writing every day; (2) use genuinely familiar words; (3) break sentences into clearly defined units; (4) use signals in sentences (because, so, but); (5) make the subjects and verbs absolutely clear; (6) balance sentences with parallel structures; (7) use nouns sparingly, especially as modifiers; (8) make sentences answer Who does what?; (9) surprise the reader with variety; and (10) do not hesitate to break a rule or create a new one.

An important prelude to job-seeking is preparing the résumé. The author identifies the elements of a useful résumé and suggests how to package those elements to emphasize your assets. Other recommendations include (1)being truthful, (2) using factual and concise language, (3) making no mechanical errors (typos, spelling, or punctuation), (4) not using carbon paper, and (5) having someone else read your résumé before drafting the final copy.

To understand a scientific or technical article written in English by Japanese specialists, readers should understand in what areas of English grammar the Japanese tend to make mistakes. Most common are mistakes in the use of articles, subjunctive mood, prepositions, and auxiliary verbs. Also a problem is the use of unsuitable words, often due to the use of bilingual dictionaries. A further complication arises from the absence of the perfect tenses in Japanese.

of writing: the use of abbreviations, the division of compound words, some rules for spelling properly, among other things.This comprehensive book is aimed at students of technical writing and of English in two-year colleges.It is devised as a typical textbook: The margins are wide enough for notes, the terms likely to be new to students are printed in expanded boldface type and their meaning in light italics.Also printed in light italics are points the author thinks worth emphasizng.The book is easy to read: physically because the print is on non-glare paper, conceptually because it is well written and well organized, and that, after all, is the acid test of the quality of a book on composition.Superficially, nothing about the book suggests that it is a book on technical writing.One sees no charts, no graphs, no exploded views, no instructions on how to write an abstract.And yet this book is ideally suited for learning about or teach ing technical writing because technical writing, to attain its objective, must reflect the precision and discipline of thought basic to science and technology.That is the topic of this book.The manners and conventions of presentation, namely, that in technical writing one would use a table to compare or contrast pieces of apparatus of different make or vintage, that one would use a step-action chart or a flowchart to describe a process-all this, though important for the efficient transfer of information, is nevertheless somewhat peripheral to the meaning of technical writing.Students who learn about composition from

Instead of just recording thoughts, printing itself can be used as a means of communicating ideas. Writer and publisher should collaborate to produce an article or a book in such a way as to make its organization and meaning more clear. `Discourse punctuation' encompasses the inclusion of an outline; underlining, both thick and thin; boldface words, phrases, and sentences; brackets or boxes around important sections; marginal markers and notes; various printing styles, type fonts and sizes; and the use of color. The intent of these effects is to increase the reader's immediate understanding and thereby to increase the speed and efficiency of reading. The author demonstrates some of these suggestions.

Writing that observes time-honored conventions of grammar is easy to read and understand. A high school text is usually an adequate reminder of these. Confidence in writing comes also from familiarity with a good, large dictionary and a style handbook; then study and practice make perfect Forty questions test your memory or your “ear” for grammar and punctuation.

edge of the subject and your convenience totally govern how you prepare the report.Prepare a 'user-oriented' report, much as the engineer-designer gives prime" consideration to the users of a highway or an electric drill."Whether the letters ask for information (inquiry, request, and order) or give information (response and employment), the format is the same, and courtesy always prevails.Cus tomer relations letters (congratulatory, appreciation, com plaint, adjustment, and collection) are best begun and ended with goodwill, no matter whether the news is good or bad.In persuasive letters, the readers will stay interested when they are placed in the picture and shown how the product or the service relates to them.Pearsall and Cunningham elaborate on report writing by fo cusing on ( 1 ) how much information the readers need, (2) how best to create a picture of the mechanism in their minds, and (3) how to arrange the details.Instruction manuals, periodic reports, accident reports, trip reports, minutes of meetings, analytical reports, and proposals are explained with readeroriented reasons for the steps in their preparation.So are guidelines for how to compile a bibliography, how to review technical literature as part of the report, how to pre pare typical illustrations, how to tabulate data, how to fill out forms, and how to convert English and metric units.The ap pendix on usage summarizes points of grammar, style, punctu ation, capitalization, and spelling.Besides covering the important writing situations, the au thors explain how to act at an employment interview arid, in a long chapter, how to report technical information orally, es sentially what you would learn in two years as a member of a Toast masters Club.Every chapter has lots of examples, all on technical subjects from industry and government.The readability level varies from that of working adults to that of students fresh out of high school with little technical background.

edge of the subject and your convenience totally govern how you prepare the report.Prepare a 'user-oriented' report, much as the engineer-designer gives prime" consideration to the users of a highway or an electric drill."Whether the letters ask for information (inquiry, request, and order) or give information (response and employment), the format is the same, and courtesy always prevails.Cus tomer relations letters (congratulatory, appreciation, com plaint, adjustment, and collection) are best begun and ended with goodwill, no matter whether the news is good or bad.In persuasive letters, the readers will stay interested when they are placed in the picture and shown how the product or the service relates to them.Pearsall and Cunningham elaborate on report writing by fo cusing on ( 1 ) how much information the readers need, (2) how best to create a picture of the mechanism in their minds, and (3) how to arrange the details.Instruction manuals, periodic reports, accident reports, trip reports, minutes of meetings, analytical reports, and proposals are explained with readeroriented reasons for the steps in their preparation.So are guidelines for how to compile a bibliography, how to review technical literature as part of the report, how to pre pare typical illustrations, how to tabulate data, how to fill out forms, and how to convert English and metric units.The ap pendix on usage summarizes points of grammar, style, punctu ation, capitalization, and spelling.Besides covering the important writing situations, the au thors explain how to act at an employment interview arid, in a long chapter, how to report technical information orally, es sentially what you would learn in two years as a member of a Toast masters Club.Every chapter has lots of examples, all on technical subjects from industry and government.The readability level varies from that of working adults to that of students fresh out of high school with little technical background.

Nearly all proofreading is worthwhile, much is essential. Efficient proofreading techniques are grouped for different types of material. A style sheet simplifies work on long documents. A dictionary should always be available, the vagaries of English spelling are a major source of errors.