Technical Communication is a writing method that conveys technical and concise information to a specific audience. For instance, technical writing is utilized to present processes, instructions, research results, and proposals. With this in mind, I will analyze the Violence Memo written by Avianca Harper, based on five important categories such as awareness of audience, use of language, organization, professional format, and overall usability. First, Ms. Harper did not specify her target audience. This is an important aspect because it sets the tone and vocabulary of the document. For example, Harper’s memo is being sent to Todd Shimoyama, but she failed to explain Mr. Shimoyama’s credentials on her memorandum heading. Therefore, she did not take into consideration who will read her memorandum, and blindly wrote it without considering Mr. Shimoyama’s level of understanding of the topic, and expectations. …show more content…
In Ms. Harper’s case, she used vague vocabulary that does not clarify what she is intending to convey. For example, she used words such as “very”, “better”, “sorry”, “think”, “good”, etc. Unfortunately, these vocabulary words are not suitable for a professional writer since they are not direct to the point. Instead, Ms. Harper’s word choices leave an open possibility of misinterpretation by the reader and ambiguity of the topic. Thirdly, Ms. Harper’s memorandum is not organized professionally. For example, Ms. Harper wrote asymmetrical paragraphs that vary in sizes. For instance, the third paragraph contains two sentences, but all the other paragraphs have four or more sentences. In addition, she wrote a single sentence, and then proceeded to write an extra paragraph instead of combining that single sentence into a paragraph. Furthermore, Ms. Harper should use more transitional words to help her sentences flow
While preparing for one of his college lectures, Dennis Baron, a professor and linguistics at the University of Illinois, began playing with the idea of how writing has changed the world we lived in and materials and tools we use in everyday life. This lecture slowly transitioned into “Should Everybody Write?” An article that has made many wonder if technology has made writing too easy for anyone to use or strengthens a writer's ability to learn and communicate their ideas. Baron uses rhetorical strategies in his article to portray to his audience his positive tone, the contrast and comparison of context and his logical purpose.
As readers read this text, it allows them to precisely understand the author’s point of view. Contrastly,
This essay opens the minds of people to see that perfect writing is not always the perfect thing. Murray’s essay would interest almost every person who has been a student and taken an English class. Most
According to Helen Sword (2012 pg.48), “A carefully crafted sentence welcomes its reader like a comfortable rocking chair” and “helps its reader navigate tricky terrain like a well-hewn walking stick”. Therefore, varying styles and methods of sentences are an important construct in the written language. Hence through examining Julia Gillard’s and Rebecca Sloan’s use of sentence structure and grammar, this rhetorical analysis will attempt to explore how differing mediums and cultural contexts of writers portrays their credibility which are effectively used to convey a particular agenda to their intended audience.
An example of the author’s use of formal diction is when he includes the word indolent in a sentence. By using intelligent words such as this one, the author appears to be highly educated making him an exceptional source of information. An audience is more likely to listen and agree with an author that sounds perspicacious and credible. The author continues to establish formal diction by including the words demure, languid, disillusioned, indolent, and bumptious. All of these words allow the audience to understand how educated the author is, persuading them to agree with the author’s claims about laziness and its benefits. In addition, this word choice strengthens the author's argument and emphasizes its importance. When the author demonstrates words such as these, he appeals to the audience by sounding informed on the topic making his claims stronger. This passage relied strongly on diction to support the author’s main claim about how it’s better to be lazy. As the essay goes on, Morley continues to use strong diction throughout the paragraphs. For example, in the fifth paragraph, the author includes the words, perplexities, quibble, dignified, repose, and keem. These words improve the quality of Morley’s essay and make it much more compelling to readers. The audience is more likely to agree with the author’s statement when he uses words
Writing Well, by Donald Hall, is an amazingly interesting textbook. I cannot remember reading an instructional manual with such brilliant imagery, flowing style, and amazing concepts. This is what education should be – interesting, provocative, and natural. However, in the first eleven pages of the text, I do not agree with two of the three analyses of Hall's examples.
David Foster Wallace, author of the essay “Authority and American Usage*,” praises and advocates for “good” writers who have a strong rhetorical ability, which he defines as “the persuasive use of language to influence the thoughts and actions of an audience” (Wallace 628). To have a strong rhetorical ability, an author needs to be aware of whom their audience is, in order to present their information in a way that will be influential on their audience. Wallace recognizes that an author who applies a strong rhetorical ability will be able to connect with the audience so that they respond “not just to [their] utterance but also to [them]” (Wallace 641). An author needs to take into consideration not just content, syntax and grammatical structure (their “utterance”) but also how their character will be perceived by their audience. A positive tone will make the author seem more pleasant and relatable, whereas a negative tone connotes arrogance and pretentiousness. That is why it is crucial for an author to recognize that an audience will respond to “them” and not just their “utterance,” as an author’s appearance to their readers can also shape how impactful their writing is.
The first difference that defines the target audience in each paper is the elements of tone, which include diction, literary devices and emotional appeal. By comparing the elements of tone, a target audience can be chosen for each article. To begin, diction is defined as the vocabulary choices and the style of expression. The vocabulary choices in Hutchinson’s work are more complex than the vocabulary found in Hurst’s writing. This is seen in “Surrogate Motherhood: Why it Should Be Permitted” as clandestine is used to describe agreement while grim is used to describe transaction in “Time to Ban Surrogate Motherhood.” By using more complex vocabulary, only people of higher intelligence are able to understand the article. In contrast, when using simple vocabulary, people of all intelligence and of all re...
Harris, Robert A. Writing with Clarity and Style: A Guide to Rhetorical Devices for Contemporary Writers. Los Angeles, CA: Pyrczak Pub., 2003. Print.
This essay, though seeming a little weird at first, is sophistically written and brilliantly uses rhetorical strategies to hint at the personality and style of the author. Throughout the essay there are many examples that go undetected, but leaves one with subconscious thoughts of the author. The writer’s personality saturates this article as he uses a passionate tone, but uses words and phrases that suggest his introverted personality and desire to sound superior.
A successful writer is he who is able to transmit ideas, emotions, and wisdom on to his readers. He is cable of stirring emotions and capturing the reader's attention with vivid descriptions and clever dialogues. The writer can even play with the meanings of words and fuse reality with fiction to achieve his goal of taking the reader on a wonderful journey. His tools are but words, yet the art of writing is found in the use of the language to create though-provoking pieces that defy the changing times. Between the lines, voices and images emerge. Not everyone can write effectively and invoke these voices. It is those few who can create certain psychological effects on the reader who can seize him (or her) with inspiring teachings, frightening thoughts, and playful games with the language. These people are true writers…
Cerjak ,The English Journal, Vol. 76, No. 5 (Sep., 1987), pp. 55-57 Published by: National Council of Teachers of English
Any craftsman knows that you need the right tools to complete a project successfully. Similarly, people need the right language and usage to communicate in a positive way. How people write is often a problem because they don’t have the right tools, but a bigger problem occurs when a writer “is almost indifferent as to whether his words mean anything at all” (592). If a writer carries this mentality, why try to communicate in the first place? People need...
Organizations rely on effective communication, both written and verbal in their daily operations. However, when establishing a contingency plan, it is important to understand the advantages and disadvantages shared amongst the two. Written communication allows the reader(s) to review the information as often as necessary, but does not pe...
It is difficult to escape the influence of technology on modern life. It lurks behind every door: the classroom, home, office, and store. There are many who are resistant to new technology, saying that technology causes harm to society. These claims are often made without the realization that technology also includes important and indispensable parts in their life such as writing and the tools for writing. Writing was one of the first technologies invented. Technology has now become so entrenched in the majority of cultures around the world that it is hard to imagine a life or society without writing. For those that maintain a majority of technology beyond writing is harmful, imagine the difficulty in writing without the help of other technologies, which includes pencils, paper, computers, printing presses, and a number of other technological aids.