Most Common Writing Problems Found in the
Technical Review Papers and Proposals
Which vs. That
The usage is tied up with the distinction that grammarians make between two types of clause: restrictive and nonrestrictive. A restrictive clause is one that limits, or restricts, the scope of the noun it is referring to. For example:
Restrictive: The house that is painted pink has just been sold.
Non-restrictive: The house, which is painted pink, has just been sold.
In the first one, the clause “that is painted pink” is a restrictive clause because it limits the scope of the word “house,”
indicating that the writer doesn’t mean any house, only the one that has been painted in that particular color. If he takes
that clause out, all that’s left is The house has just been sold: the reader no longer knows which house is being referred to
and the sentence loses some crucial information.
In the second example the clause is non-restrictive. The writer is giving additional information about a house he’s
describing. The clause which is painted pink is parenthetical — the writer is saying, “by the way, the house is painted
pink” as an additional bit of information that’s not essential to the meaning and could be taken out.
Older grammar books make two firm points about the difference between the two types of clause:


Restrictive clauses are introduced by that and are not separated from the rest of the sentence by commas.
Non-restrictive clauses are introduced by which and must be separated by commas from the rest of the sentence to
indicate parenthesis.
Although you can use which instead of that in restrictive clauses, you can’t do so the other way round: non-restrictive
clauses must always to start with which. Also, you can’t change the punctuation rules; it is particularly important to watch
this point if you decide to use which in a restrictive clause, as otherwise your poor reader has no clue at all how you intend
the sentence to be read. Here is a rather artificial example to make the point:
The cup which he stepped on is in the bin.
The cup, which he stepped on, is in the bin.
In the first, you’re being told about a specific cup with the special property that it is the one he stepped on; in the second,
the fact that he stepped on it is an ancillary bit of information. My view is that punctuation is more important than choice
of pronoun in such situations. You won’t be thought wrong if you use that in the first case, but you will be justly criticized
if you leave out the commas in the second.
A further point worth noting is that the opening pronoun in restrictive clauses is frequently left out, so that you can say
“The cup he stepped on is in the bin.” Again, you can’t do this with non-restrictive clauses.
Vague Language
Phrases such as “somewhat accurate,” “fairly consistent,” and “very reliable” do not tell the reader anything about
accuracy, consistency, or reliability. Numbers and examples are much more effective. For instance, “43% accurate,”
“within a tolerance of 70 mm,” or “operating correctly 97% of the time” are more descriptive versions of the phrases
above. Avoid “about” and use “approximately” when referring to data and measurements.
Non-technical Language
Phrases such as “all of this,” “the sensor picked up the wall,” “the sensor got a reading,” “the system will be done by,”
“hit the button,” and “testing will be finished by” are not appropriate technical language because they are too
conversational and slang. Instead try “detected,” “received,” “completed,” “pressed” to replace the words underlined in
the phrases above.
Use of Numerals
The numbers zero through nine are spelled out. Use the numeral for 10 and above. For example, “There are three
circuits.” “The box contained 45 chip sets.” Don’t write out units of measurement such as “degrees” or “nanoseconds.”
Use symbols and abbreviations. Always use numerals with units of measurement: 37 V, 60%--not sixty percent, five
centimeters, etc.
Fluff
Flowery language, irrelevant information, and gratuitous descriptions have no place in technical writing. No document
created for a technical audience should contain language such as “amazing,” “incredible,” or “The end product will be
displayed like a nice piece of furniture that can be placed in one’s living room.”
Capitalization
Proper nouns are always capitalized, but there are some tricky words and phrases that might be ambiguous. Consistency
is really the key. Consider the following cases:




Sensor 1 or sensor 1 (Sensor 1 is preferred because it refers to a specific sensor—it’s a proper noun)
XY positioning or x-y positioning (both are correct, but choose one and be consistent)
Internet or internet (Internet is most commonly used in published materials because it’s seen as a proper noun;
however, lowercase internet has become common practice—again just be consistent)
PC or pc; CPU or cpu (PC and CPU are correct, lowercasing is not)
Personal Pronouns
“I,” “we,” “you,” “our,” and “one” are not used in technical writing because the goal is to present information objectively.
The use of “one” is archaic and should be avoided. Instead of “we propose” use “the design proposed.” Instead of “one
must consider” use “testing must take into consideration.” Use third person if necessary: “the engineer will” or “the
hardware team is responsible for.”
If you remember nothing else from what we’ve been teaching about technical writing,
remember this:
 Get to the point,
 State information accurately, and
 Make it easy for the reader to navigate the document.
The goal of technical writing is information transfer, or in
ECE terms, to produce a clear signal.