Technical Email
From: Dave Oswald
Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2010
To: Susan Colebank
Subject: Susan: E-mail
Hello Susan,
This email is being sent in regard to the information requested, presenting the differences between technical writing and expository writing methods. The writing elements to be covered in this email are related to the following aspects of writing:
• Audience • Formatting • Purpose • Tone • Personal Experience
I am certain you will find the following information to be of value and this email will serve its intended purpose, to verify my knowledge as it relates to technical writing.
Audience-
Technical writing always has a very specific audience, with a deliverance of facts being the objective. It is critical to address the audience at the right level when creating a technical document. If a document overestimates or underestimates the intended audience, the result is a failed document (Pringle, 2003). For example, a software user manual intended for advanced programmers would be considered annoying by the end user if it wasted time on information that a beginner may find necessary. Similarly, a set of assembly instructions to a child’s toy could be confusing if the instructions are not quite simple to follow.
Expository writing has a targeted audience, similar to technical writing, with a deliverance of the writer’s opinion or experience being part of the objective. “Expository writing informs with an explanation or report” (Chapman & King, 2009, p. 38). The goal of expository writing as it relates to audience is for the writer to share their point of view. A research paper serves as an excellent example as one would include the writer’s interpretation of the research. Another example is a news story in a newspaper, usually including witness accounts or interpretations of events.
Formatting-
It is important to format text using a simple, inviting manner in technical documents. Text should allow ease
Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2010
To: Susan Colebank
Subject: Susan: E-mail
Hello Susan,
This email is being sent in regard to the information requested, presenting the differences between technical writing and expository writing methods. The writing elements to be covered in this email are related to the following aspects of writing:
• Audience • Formatting • Purpose • Tone • Personal Experience
I am certain you will find the following information to be of value and this email will serve its intended purpose, to verify my knowledge as it relates to technical writing.
Audience-
Technical writing always has a very specific audience, with a deliverance of facts being the objective. It is critical to address the audience at the right level when creating a technical document. If a document overestimates or underestimates the intended audience, the result is a failed document (Pringle, 2003). For example, a software user manual intended for advanced programmers would be considered annoying by the end user if it wasted time on information that a beginner may find necessary. Similarly, a set of assembly instructions to a child’s toy could be confusing if the instructions are not quite simple to follow.
Expository writing has a targeted audience, similar to technical writing, with a deliverance of the writer’s opinion or experience being part of the objective. “Expository writing informs with an explanation or report” (Chapman & King, 2009, p. 38). The goal of expository writing as it relates to audience is for the writer to share their point of view. A research paper serves as an excellent example as one would include the writer’s interpretation of the research. Another example is a news story in a newspaper, usually including witness accounts or interpretations of events.
Formatting-
It is important to format text using a simple, inviting manner in technical documents. Text should allow ease