COMM11003
Professional & Technical
Communication
Lesson 5
Writing for Understanding
Organising Your Ideas
• Your writing should have:
• An introduction
• A body
• A conclusion
• Good writing involves:
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Planning
Gathering
Writing
Evaluating
Getting feedback
Revising
Editing
Proofreading (Lockyer and Kaczmarek, 2004, p.71)
Writing an Argument
• Need to consider expression.
• Argument is dependent on:
• A condition of doubt
• Clarification
• Common ground between the parties
• Commitment to rationality
(Wallace, Schirato, and Bright 1999, p.70)
• Use appropriate genre.
Basic Rules
• Writing is guided by spelling, grammar
and punctuation.
• Be aware of style – refer to style
guides, or establish your own.
• Presentation – use headings, graphics,
and paragraphs or points to highlight
important information.
Planning Revision
• Three major stages of review:
• 1) Structural/major content review
• 2) Copyedit
• 3) Proofread
• Ask someone to read over your work.
• Do not send anything to anyone before
having reviewed!
Different Structures
• Different genres have different
structures.
• Examples are provided in your study
guide, and a table on your CD. These
are examples only.
• Refer to your organisation’s house style.
• Find a good example, and use structure
as a guide.
Graphics as Support…
• Graphics are great for helping explain
complex information.
• Graphics include:
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Illustrations
Photos
Diagrams
Pie charts
Line graphs
Process flows
Screen shots
• Technical drawing is very relevant and useful.
Readings (Lots this week )
• Business Communication: Building Critical Skills
Writing
• Module 14 – Editing for Grammar and Punctuation
• Module 15 – Choosing the Right Word
• Module 16 – Revising Sentences and Paragraphs
Graphics
• Module 5 – Designing Documents, Slides and
Screens
• Module 25 – Using Visuals
Exercise 5
You will analyse a set of instructions, and
discuss whether you understand them. You
should identify five points describing how these
instructions can be improved.
Write no more than half a page.
See your study guide for details.