3 keys to successful writing: MAP

1
3 keys to successful writing MAP

• Maintain focus and flow
• Craft topic sentences
• Use transitions
• Provide trail markers
• Maintain parallelism
• Avoid abstraction
• No empty pronouns!
• Use passive voice with caution
• Prune your sentences!

2
Help readers focus their thinking use
parallelism.

• Parallel constructions channel the readers
  attention and aid memory.
• Lists are great way for reader to absorb
  information, but you must maintain parallelism of
  items in list or reader will get

confused.
3
Present parallel ideas in parallel form.

• in lists
• in sentences
• Pay special attention to the first few words of
  each item in list.

4
Check out this set of instructions.

• Repairing the Acid Tank
• Replace tank bottom with 5/8 thick steel plate.
• Porosity holes in ring weldments should be
  cleaned and rewelded.
• According to company specifications, tank
  repainting.

5
Maintaining the parallelism

• Repairing the Acid Tank
• Replace tank bottom with 5/8 thick steel plate.
• Porosity holes in ring weldments should be
  cleaned and rewelded.
• According to company specifications, tank
  repainting.

verb
noun phrase
prepositional phrase
6
I researched and compared the performance
capabilities and FAA records of each aircraft, as
well as conducting a pilot survey.
Can you fix the faulty parallelism in this
sentence?
7
Lists cannot float on their own.

• Lists need context introductions and, often,
  conclusions.
• This list needs to be introduced and grounded
• cost
• efficiency
• time to construct
• Use a complete sentence to introduce a list.

8
Avoid Abstraction
MAP

• even for the most technical material and the
  most technical audiences . . .

9
Passive voice usually makes writing more abstract.

• The evaluation of diamond film based on the final
  criterion will be completed when the analysis of
  the qualities is received from the Institute for
  Advanced Technology (IAT). A request for the
  resource files on diamond film will be submitted
  to Norton Manufacturing. An additional
  comparison of the results received from IAT will
  be compared with information provided by Norton.
  The evaluation of diamond dust will be used for
  the comparison of the other nanocrystalline
  coatings.

10
Can you rework the verb constructions?

• The evaluation of diamond film based on the final
  criterion will be completed when the analysis of
  the qualities is received from the Institute for
  Advanced Technology (IAT). A request for the
  resource files on diamond film will be submitted
  to Norton Manufacturing. An additional
  comparison of the results received from IAT will
  be compared with information provided by Norton.
  The evaluation of diamond dust will be used for
  the comparison of the other nanocrystalline
  coatings.

11
Use passive voice carefully never use it
exclusively.
Once the analysis of its qualities is received
from the Institute for Advanced Technology (IAT),
we will complete our evaluation of diamond film
based on the final criterion. In the mean time,
we will submit a request for the resource files
on diamond film to Bolton Manufacturing, in order
that we may compare the results received from IAT
with information provided by Bolton. Once our
evaluation of diamond film is completed, we can
compare it with the other nanocrystalline
coatings.
12
Passive voice can make writing ambiguous Who is
doing which testing?
The scope of this strategy does not cover testing
all the functionality of the different sub
components. It is expected that each component be
tested prior to the solution integration test.
13
Empty pronouns also make writing more abstract.
In the future, the accountant responsible for the
proofs should initial and date appropriate
reports, sign out in the proof log, and revise
checklist procedures accordingly. This will
clearly indicate who has done the proof and when
it was performed.
procedure
14
Empty Pronouns Exercise

• In the U.S., the chemical and petroleum
  industries consume eight million tons of hydrogen
  annually. This is produced from natural gas by a
  process called stream reforming that extracts
  hydrogen from hydrocarbons. This can occur by
  one of two methods.

15
Turning verbs into nouns makes writing abstract.

• The thermal decomposition of the TMAH occurs
  rapidly at these temperatures and results in the
  formation of trimethylamine and methyl alcohol.
• TMAH decomposes quickly at these temperatures and
  forms trimethylamine and methyl alcohol.

abstract
16
Graphics in DocumentsGuidelines for Labeling

• Visual data cannot be understood without proper
  labeling.
• Label each graphic clearly with a figure or table
  number and a title.
• Place the figure number and title beneath a
  figure (anything not a table).
• Place the table number and title above a table.
• Discuss each graphic in body of proposal.

17
Contaminated Air Inlet
Figure 5.2. Schematic of the experimental
bioreactor
18
Table 2 Example of Table with Modified
Parameters
19

• Cite the source of every borrowed graphic,
  under the title.

20
Figure 2. United States Facilities with No. 2
Emissions Source Environmental Protection
Agency, 2000, ww.epa.gov/airs/mapview.htm