*Notes in Technical English*

Subject-Verb Agreement
RULE 1. Collective nouns may take either a singular or plural verb inflection depending on the meaning.
Example:
a. Our school team has won its game.
b. Our school team have won all their games.

RULE 2. Some common and proper nouns ending in -S including -ICS nouns and certain diseases are always
conceived as single entity take a plural verb.
Example:
a. The recent news is exciting
b. Measles is a contagious disease.

RULE 3. Title of works even when plural in form are conceived of as single entities.
Example:
a. The Ten Commandments is a beautiful movie.
b. The Syntax Files is good reading for those in linguistics.

RULE 4. Nouns occurring in sets of two taken the singular when the noun “pair” is present but take the plural
when “pair” is absent.
Example:
a. That pair of Lee jeans is expensive.
b. My glasses are missing.

RULE 5. Fractions and percentages takes a singular verb inflection when modifying a non-count noun and a
plural verb when they modify a plural noun.
Example:
a. More than half of the cake is eaten.
b. Twenty percent of the students are not joining the field trip

RULE 6. “A number” normally takes the plural, “the number” takes the singular.
Example:
a. A number of parents are coming for the meeting.
b. The number of signatories is substantial to merit approval of the motion.

RULE 7. When we use a number and a plural noun to take about two or more things, we usually use a plural
verb. We are singular verb with “one”.
Example:
a. Seven days make up a week.
b. One solid evidence is enough to prove his dishonesty.

RULE 8. When we are talking about an amount of money or time, or a distance, speed or weight, we usually
use a number a plural noun and a singular verb.
Example:
a. Five hundred dollars is a lot of money.
b. Three years is a long time to wait for a family member from abroad to come home.
RULE 9. Arithmetic operations take the singular because they are perceived as reflecting a single numerical
entity on both sides of the equation or equal sign.
Example:
a. Two plus two is/equals four.

RULE 10. The quantifiers a lot (of) lots of and plenty of take of a singular verb if the subject noun is non-count
by plural
verb if the subject head noun is plural.
Example:
a. A lot of sound views were advanced during the discussion.
b. A lot of nonsense is evident from uninterested participants.

RULE 11. Traditional grammar states that when used as a subject none (meaning not one) is always singular
regardless of what follows in a prepositional phrase (in, on, at, of, etc…).
Example:
a. None of the boys joins the mountaineering group.
b. None of the rice is eaten yet

RULE 12. Traditional grammar maintains that the antecedent of the relative pronoun is the noun before.
Example:
a. Alice is one of the graduate students who have finished her master’s degree

RULE 13. For correlates either….or and neither….nor, traditional grammar agrees for a proximity rule.
Example:
a. Either my friend or my classmates are expected to help me with my project.
b. Neither my classmates nor my friend volunteers lend support.

RULE 14. A singular noun or pronoun should take a singular verb inflection regardless of what else occurs
between the subject and the verb.
Example:
a. Jimmy, along with his co-teachers, conducts a cleanliness campaign in the barangay.

RULE 15. In questions, subjects don’t always come before verbs. Identify accurately the subject before
deciding on the proper verb to use.
Example:
a. Does your father usually go jogging?
b. What are the pages our teacher wants us to read?
Does -singular-present
Do- plural-present
Did- singular/plural-past

FRAGMENTS- are incomplete sentences. Usually, fragments are pieces of sentences that have become
disconnected from the main clause.
Example:
a. Run as fast as he could
b. Knowing that he was in big trouble
 c. That he loved her
RUN-ONS- run-on sentences occurs when two complete sentences are squashed together without using a
coordinating conjunction or proper punctuation, such as period or semi-colon.
Example:
a. I love to write papers I would write one every day if I had the time.
b. Kelly likes to cook, she makes chicken every day
F- for B-but
A-and O-or
N-nor Y-yet
S-so

PARALELLISM- repetition of a chosen grammatical form within a sentence.

Example:
a. I like to jog, bake, paint, and watch movies.
b. I like jogging, baking, painting, and watching movies.

TO (infinitives) -ING (gerunds)

To jog Jogging
To bake Baking
To paint Paining
To speak Speaking

MISPLACED MODIFIER- is a word, phrase, or clause that is improperly separated form or word it
modifies/describes.
Example:
a. He nearby above the car for six hours a day
b. Only Pastor Johnson gave me $5 to clean all his sidewalks.

DANGLING MODIFIER- is a word or phrase that modifies a word not clearly stated in the sentence
Example:
a. While driving to work, a car accident was witnessed on the highway.
b. While driving to work, Jane witnessed a car accident on the highway.

TECHNICAL WRITING

•It is a communication written for and about business and industry, focusing on products and services.
•It is written in the work environment.
•It is not literature.
•It is not journalism.

It is an instructional manual for repairing machinery.

It is a memo listing meeting agenda.
It is a letter from a vendor to a client
It is a recommendation report proposing a new computer system
 INTRODUCTION TO TECHNICAL WRITING

Significance of technical writing

● skill

● everyone’s confronted with a variety of writing activities

● beat patrol reports , fill up routing slips, write traffic accident reports

Technical writing

-Greek word “techne” means skills

-form of technical skill
3 main elements of technical writing

● Subject matter

● Study/investigation

● Organization and presentation of the information gathered

Primarily aim is to convey a particular piece of information

Technical writing
 Technical writer
Technical communication

skill expertise

Produce quality outputs

Technical communication- is a form of communication

-it conveys a particular purpose research, investigate, record, disseminate information

-it has a particular group of specific readers. (ex. criminology instructors, director general, chief of police)

Basic principles of Good Technical Writing

-has a specific reader

-has a specific purpose (goal/objective)

-uses a similar language

-produces reports that are presentable

Two important factors of Technical Communication

1.Purpose
-complete a specific task and decision on the part of the writer and a reader.

-analysis of the events and implications

-convinces, persuades and influence readers

2.Subject
-objective information

-what to do, and how to do a particular reading task

-gives information about recorded data (5 W’s and 1 H)

Qualities of a Good Technical Report

● Brevity- shortness of the writing material

● Clarity- ideas or simplified by making it easier for the readers to understand

● Completeness- ideas in the paragraph are entirely and free from inconsistencies and errors in any form.

● Accuracy- exactness and correctness of writing, result a precision conformity to grammar and adherence
to writing standards.

Technical communication
-it requires quality of content, language, and format.
Communication
media- 1. Writing or 2. Speaking
-the most important aspect of communication id to disseminate information through writing, speech and other
medium to an audience.

Technical communication

Technical
communicator cv
(people)

medium
feedback

receiver

Technical communicator
-design reading materials, edit proposals, write manuals, create web pages, write lab reports, write newsletter,
and submit various kinds of professional documents

Technical communicator

Publishes
(reports, technical writings)

Creates
(reports, writings)
 Technical document

paper)
Characteristics of a Good Technical Communicator

Know his audience well- technical writer is the position to suggest and implement solutions to problems that
nobody else identifies.

Serves as a “go-between”- technical writer bridges the gap

A generation of truth- TW is a technical writer chooses what will be written

A good teacher- technical writer excel in explaining difficult concepts for reader

Has an excellent eye details- technical writer knows punctuations, syntax, and style and can explain the rules
governing them.

Knows how to coordinate- technical writer knows how to coordinate with the collaborative work of graphic
artists, programmers, printers, and subject matter experts.

Has enough expertise- technical writer is an expert in understanding the audience’s background and needs.

BASIC ELEMENTS OF GRAMMAR

NOUNS

Abstract nouns- non-physical that one cannot readily perceive (concepts)

● nationalism

● terrorism

● delinquency

● morality

● love

● credibility

Concrete nouns- one can physically see, touch, taste, hear, or smell

● criminal

● police officer

● jail

● courtroom

● patrol car

● dead body

● police station

Compound nouns-composed of two or more words acting as single unit.

● fingerprint

● shot gun
 ● police officer in charge

● director general

Common nouns- any one of people, places, or things (name of the things)

*first letter is small

● victim

● cop

● explosives

● station

● district

Proper nouns- name of specific person, place, or things

*first letter is capital

● College of Criminology

● Philippine National Police

● Cauayan City Police Station

Collective nouns- a group of people or things, its meaning maybe singular or plural

● council

● delegation

● jury

● team

● committee

PRONOUNS- use to replace the nouns

Personal pronouns-refer to people, places, and things

● First person-I, me, mine, us, our, ours

● Second person- You, your, yours

● Third person- he, she, it, him, her, his, hers, its, they, them, their, theirs

Relative and Intensive Pronouns- same from and end in:

● self or -selves , myself -ourselves, yourself -yourselves, -himself, herself, itself, themselves
Demonstrative Pronouns- use to point out nouns

● this, that, these, those

Relative Pronouns- used to begin a subordinate clause

-that, which, who, whom, whose

● example: Jimmy a caretaker, whom I love the most.

Interrogative Pronouns- used to begin a direct or indirect question

● what, which, who, whom, whose

Indefinite Pronouns- refer to people, places, or things often

● anybody, everyone, nothing, all, each, nobody, someone

VERBS

Action Verbs- express either physical or mental action

● the suspect attempted to jump over the fence

Linking Verbs- express a condition showing that something exist

-is, was, were

example:

● John Raymond is an outstanding law enforcer

● They are both senior officers of PNP

Be Verbs

is-was

are-were

-express the condition of the subject and sometimes they merely express existence

example:
 ● The suspects are inside the interrogation room

Transitive Verbs- direct actions toward someone or something

*there must be a receiver of an action

examples:

● he filed an affidavit of complaint

● the medical examiner made an autopsy report of the victims

Intransitive Verbs- do not direct action toward someone or something.

examples:

● the drug pusher escaped

● she works for the drug syndicates

ADJECTIVES- describes words, they modify a noun, verb, and other adjective

-qualify the meaning a noun or pronoun by giving description about its appearance, location, and other
characteristics.

examples:

● a white patrol

● the first witness

● two .45 caliber pistols

● P100, 000 ransom

ADVERBS- modifiers, as they describe words and make them more specific in a sentence.

examples:

● the SOCO team secured the crime scene behind the building.

● the victim was found dead at around 2 o’clock yesterday

● the judge officially dismissed the session

● the conclusion of the investigators is extremely important

PREPOSITIONS

Accompaniment

● the suspect was with his friend when he was arrested

Appeal
 ● you need to confess with an honesty

Cause

● he was given a citation for violating traffic rules

Condition

● the corpse was in a state of decomposition

Degree

● he won the case by the unanimous decision by the jury.

Destination

● they went up to the attic to investigate.

Direction

● the fire truck headed toward the burning building

Instrument

● she killed the girl a .45 caliber pistol.

Manner

● the perimeter of the crime was secured by the police.

Place

● the drug laboratory was found in Mandaue City.

Purpose

● the criminology students are working for a project.

Source

● we have the police filed from the PDEA

Time

● the first batch of interns______

(in, on, at)

CONJUNCTION

Coordinating Conjunctions- used to join or connect other words in a sentence.

-FANBOYS
example:

● the police caught the drug pusher and the drug user.

Correlative Conjunctions -used to join elements of equal grammatical weight

● both…, and…, either…or, neither…nor

Subordinate Conjunctions- used to join two complete ideas by making one of the ideas

● after, because, provided, unless, although, before, since, until

INTERJECTIONS- used to express emotions or feeling.

List of Common Interjections

● example: ah, dear, hey, ouch, well, aha, goodness, hurray, psst, whew, alas, gracious, oh, tsk, wow, gee,
good, oh my, yuck, yippee, gosh, really, great, huh.