Technical Report Writing Lecture no. 2 Session Spring 2013 Instructor: Engr. Arifa Saher

Previously Finding Something to Say ▫Brainstorming ▫Free-writing ▫Clustering ▫Visualizing ▫Asking Questions

Essay Types Descriptive Essays: ▫ The aim of descriptive essays is to provide a vivid picture of a person, location, object, event, or debate. It will offer details that will enable the reader to imagine the item described. Narrative Essays: ▫ are told from a defined point of view, often the author's, so there is feeling as well as specific and often sensory details provided to get the reader involved in the elements and sequence of the story.

Essay Continued… Discursive Essay: ▫ Is an expositive/argumentative piece of writing which discusses a particular issue, situation or problem. There are basically three types of discursive essays: a) For and Against; b) Opinion; and c) Solutions to Problems. Argumentative: ▫ The function of an argumentative essay is to show that your assertion (opinion, theory, hypothesis) about some phenomenon or phenomena is correct or more truthful than others'.

Shaping Ideas Now how to transform a vague scenario into vivid picture Audience: ▫What do my readers already know about this topic? ▫What do I want them to know, understand or learn from reading my writing? ▫Why do I want them to know this?

Focus statements To develop an initial focus for your paper At least three sentences long ▫I would like to write my paper on a recent proposal to the education system– inclusion. Inclusion refers to classrooms that have a wide variety of students or, more specifically, completely integrating special ed students into regular ed classrooms. I would like to oppose this idea. ▫Why do you oppose inclusion? ▫What are the implications for approving or disapproving inclusion? ▫What is a detailed definition of Inclusion? ▫What is wrong with the current system? ▫What is wrong with inclusion ▫What would happen if the two systems were integrated?

Developing An Essay’s Structure Once the initial focus has been established, the essay needs a structure: ▫Shape or ▫Form Shaping strategies ▫Listing ▫Topic outlines ▫Blocking ▫Mapping ▫Drawing

Listing Read your focus statement and look back over the information generated while inventing. Try these steps: ▫Write down all the points about your topic that seem important to you (don’t argue with yourself or worry about the order, simply list) ▫Number the points in sequence in which you think they will appear in the paper. (importance, chronological, etc. ) ▫Review the list, add or subtract ▫As you write, refer every now and then to your focus statement

Topic Outlines Listing of topics, or subjects, and the order in which you think they will appear in a paper Example: ▫Thesis sentence; A terminally ill patient should have the legal right to ask for death or help in dying without legal repercussions. I.Introduction I.History of euthanasia II.Greeks: Acceptance of Suicide and death II.Modern: Accepting Death I.Right-to-die II.Right-to-life III.Physician’s dilemma III.Legal Aspects I.Past laws II.Current laws III.Future laws IV.Conclusion

Blocking Blocking Enables you to create “bins” to hold content of various sections of your essay Introduction-- narrative Problem block Solution Block Conclusion

Mapping Organizing the cluster

Drawing Fish Skeleton Bookshelf Pearl necklace Umbrella

Elements of an Essay A sequence of paragraphs that support or develop the essay’s main idea. Similarly each paragraph is a sequence of sentences that develop the paragraph’s main idea Elements ▫Thesis sentence ▫Introduction ▫Paragraphs ▫Conclusion

Writing a Thesis Sentence The Thesis sentence provides a centre of gravity for the paper This sentence can do a number of things ▫Make an assertion ▫Issue a call to action ▫Direct a reminiscence ▫Offer an evaluation When to write?

Introduction Forms the reader’s entrance in to the paper ▫Single paragraph ▫Several paragraphs Prepares the reader for the essay that follows When to write?

Attention grabber Begin with an attention grabber. Startling information ▫This information must be true and verifiable, and it doesn't need to be totally new to your readers. It could simply be a pertinent fact that explicitly illustrates the point you wish to make. If you use a piece of startling information, follow it with a sentence or two of elaboration. Anecdote ▫An anecdote is a story that illustrates a point. Be sure your anecdote is short, to the point, and relevant to your topic. This can be a very effective opener for your essay, but use it carefully.

Dialogue ▫An appropriate dialogue does not have to identify the speakers, but the reader must understand the point you are trying to convey. Use only two or three exchanges between speakers to make your point. Follow dialogue with a sentence or two of elaboration. Summary Information ▫A few sentences explaining your topic in general terms can lead the reader gently to your thesis. Each sentence should become gradually more specific, until you reach your thesis.

If the attention grabber was only a sentence or two, add one or two more sentences that will lead the reader from your opening to your thesis statement. Finish the paragraph with your thesis statement.

P LURAL N OUN F ORMS The plural form of most nouns is created simply by adding the letter s. ▫more than one snake = snakes ▫more than one ski = skis ▫more than one Barrymore = Barrymores Words that end in -ch, x, s or s-like sounds, however, will require an -es for the plural: ▫more than one witch = witches ▫more than one box = boxes ▫more than one gas = gases ▫more than one bus = buses ▫more than one Jones = Joneses

Irregular Plurals There are several nouns that have irregular plural forms. Plurals formed in this way are sometimes called mutated (or mutating) plurals. ▫more than one child = children ▫more than one woman = women ▫more than one man = men ▫more than one person = people ▫more than one goose = geese ▫more than one mouse = mice ▫more than one barracks = barracks ▫more than one deer = deer

Latin/Greek t here are nouns that maintain their Latin or Greek form in the plural. (See media and data and alumni, below.) ▫more than one nucleus = nuclei ▫more than one syllabus = syllabi ▫more than one focus = foci ▫more than one fungus = fungi ▫more than one cactus = cacti (cactuses is acceptable) ▫more than one thesis = theses ▫more than one crisis = crises* ▫more than one phenomenon = phenomena ▫more than one index = indices (indexes is acceptable) ▫more than one appendix = appendices (appendixes) ▫more than one criterion = criteria

Mechanics: Capital Letters Rule 1. Capitalize the first word of a sentence, the first word of a quote, and the pronoun I. Rule 2. Capitalize specific names of people, including initials and nicknames. Rule 3. Capitalize names of countries, states, cities, and other geographic regions. Rule 4. Capitalize names of races, religions, nationalities, and any word derived from the name of a country.

Rules continued Rule 5. Capitalize a person’s title if a proper name follows it, but not when the title is used alone Rule 6. Capitalize names of days and months, but not seasons. Rules 7. Capitalize names of languages and specific courses but not general subject areas. Rule 8. Capitalize a person’s name that is part of a general theory or principle, but not general electronic or scientific terms, even if derived.

Rules Continued Rule 9. Capitalize the first word and all major words in titles of books, articles, movies, and television shows, and names of businesses Rule 10.Capitalize historical events, famous places, holidays, and organizations Rule 11. Capitalize brand names but not product names

Abbreviations and Acronymns Abbreviations are shortened forms of words or phrases. Each letter (as in CIA) or each unabbreviated word (As in titles) is pronounced. ▫Abbreviations of titles such as Mr. and Jr. begin with a capital letter and end with a period.  Pronounce the title as though the full word were written. Acronymns are words created by combining the first letter of most or all of a combination of words to make a pronounceable word.

Dealing with Abbreviations Unless an abbreviation (or acronym) is so familiar that it is used more often than the full form or unless the full form will provide little illumination – write the words in full on their first appearance. Examples of common abbreviations ▫AIDS, HIV, NGO, UNESO Examples of not so common abbreviations ▫TUC, SEA Use of agency, committee, party, organization etc Repetition

Ampersands (&) When they are part of the company ▫Proctor & Gamble Constituencies where two names are linked to form one unit ▫Jammu & kashmir R & D etc

Definite Article If an abbreviation can be pronounced, it does not generally require the definite article ▫EFTA, NATO, UNESCO ▫BBC, KGB, NHS (the)

Elements vs measures Elements ▫Never take small caps ▫CO2, CFCs, Pb, CH4 Measures ▫Always small ▫kg, ml, lb (never lbs) ▫km, mph ▫bps, kbps

Assignment Select a topic of your choice for an essay ▫Using one of the five techniques for finding something to say, make a first draft ▫Write your thesis statement ▫Using any of the five techniques for planning the essay, make its outline. Worksheet 2