Journal of Technical Writing and Communication Oct 1981

Franklin's <i>Autobiography</i> — Important Lessons in Tone, Syntax, and Persona

Elizabeth Tebeaux

Abstract

Having students read selected portions of Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography provides unique and effective material for supplementing instruction in style and control of tone. Franklin's writing exemplifies the major style characteristics taught in technical writing: active voice, conciseness, common words, concrete language, sentences structured by clauses rather than phrases. The work clearly shows that good “technical” style is not an isolated type of writing, but a powerful means of controlling tone and meaning. Students can be shown that by skillfully using syntax and diction and by carefully selecting content, Franklin shrewdly and effectively achieved his goal in writing the Autobiography — a precisely drawn image of himself for posterity.

Journal
Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Published
1981-10-01
DOI
10.2190/f2gw-hdjy-lyfb-l3pe
Topics
multimodality technical communication voice and style

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (4)

  1. Malone et al. (2018)
    “To Promote That Demand”
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  2. HAGGE (1995)
    Early Engineering Writing Textbooks and the Anthropological Complexity of Disci…
    Written Communication
  3. RIVERS (1994)
    Studies in the History of Business and Technical Writing
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  4. Brockmann (1983)
    Bibliography of Articles on the History of Technical Writing
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication

Cites in this index (2)

  1. Schlesinger (1979)
    What is Multimedia?
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  2. Christensen (1963)
    Notes toward a New Rhetoric: I. Sentence Openers; II. A Lesson from Hemingway
    College English
Also cites 4 works outside this index ↓
  1. 10.2307/3031649
     ↗
  2. 10.2307/375963
     ↗
  3. Achieving the Essential Goals of Technical Writing: Role Playing Won't Do It!, ABCA Bulletin, 41, September 1978.
     ↗
  4. What Makes Technical Writing Bad? A Historical Analysis, IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, PC-…
     ↗
CrossRef global citation count: 4 View in citation network →

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