In-Class Assignment on Plain English
Lindsey Burns
March 12, 2008
2. Read what is Plain English carefully and quickly. Try to focus on the following aspects of your reading:
a) Write a short reflection on how you think what you read on plain English will help you write effective technical documents in the future.
How I think what I read on plain English will help me write effective technical documents in the future by not trying to complicate my documents with big words or elaborate sentences. It is also faster to read, write, and I can get my message across to the reader a lot clearer, easier, and a friendlier way. Basically to avoid confusion.
b) Then write a short paragraph as your practice of using plain English. Be sure you will create or imagine a rhetorical context in which you need to use plain English to communicate your idea/message effectively.
Keep sentences short, use active verbs, good use of passives, using the pronouns you and me, appropriate words for the reader, not being afraid to give instructions, avoid nominalization, and to remember to mix writing long sentences with short ones. Basically plain English helped me written with the reader in mind and with the right tone, that is clear and concise. To also make sure I include the agent (which is the person,, group, or thing that is doing the action), noun or object (what the action is doing or done to), and a verb (the action word in the sentence).
I also learned that using an
- Action verb the order in which it appears in a sentence is the agent, verb, then
object.
- Using a passive verb, the order is switched; object, verb, then agent. And to use
words was and by.
And the uses of active and passive sentences.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Monday, March 10, 2008
Revised English Assignment: Business Letter
3451 Broken Bow Ln.
Denton, Texas 79401
(417) 558- 8442
www.CompUSA.com
February 27, 2008
Mr. Buck Wheat
1356 Jefferson Rd.
Clover, TX 79402
Dear Mr. Wheat:
I apologize for the mistake we have made with your computer order here at CompUSA. I received your letter message regarding the computer you purchased recently without the software promised with the product and decided to accept your request about sending you the software.
I accept your request to send you the proper software to upload to your newly purchased computer. This problem might have occurred due to the all the new software we have ordered and gotten and have had to up load to all the computers we already have along with all the new ones we have recently received. All the old computers and all the new computer might have gotten mixed up with ones that have been uploaded with the ones that have not been uploaded.
Your computer along with the other computers that were advertised will be uploaded with the software that was promised to come with the product in the advertisement. We apologize for the inconvenience and time that this has caused you. I appreciate your feedback and will work harder to make sure that this does not happen again. I hope you will continue your business with us again.
Yours Truly,
Lindsey Burns, Manager
Encl: Software to upgrade your computer.
Denton, Texas 79401
(417) 558- 8442
www.CompUSA.com
February 27, 2008
Mr. Buck Wheat
1356 Jefferson Rd.
Clover, TX 79402
Dear Mr. Wheat:
I apologize for the mistake we have made with your computer order here at CompUSA. I received your letter message regarding the computer you purchased recently without the software promised with the product and decided to accept your request about sending you the software.
I accept your request to send you the proper software to upload to your newly purchased computer. This problem might have occurred due to the all the new software we have ordered and gotten and have had to up load to all the computers we already have along with all the new ones we have recently received. All the old computers and all the new computer might have gotten mixed up with ones that have been uploaded with the ones that have not been uploaded.
Your computer along with the other computers that were advertised will be uploaded with the software that was promised to come with the product in the advertisement. We apologize for the inconvenience and time that this has caused you. I appreciate your feedback and will work harder to make sure that this does not happen again. I hope you will continue your business with us again.
Yours Truly,
Lindsey Burns, Manager
Encl: Software to upgrade your computer.
Revised English Assignment: Memo
Memo
Date: February 27, 2008
To: Colleagues
From: Lindsey Burns
Subject: Over usage of the companys copy machine for personal copies.
The purpose of this memo is to alert all employees that the budget for the copy machine is several hundred dollars over budget and the solution to this problem.
Summary:
This memo is to alert employees that (1) the budget to the copy machine is way over the companys budget and (2) describes the solution for employees to fix this problem.
Discussion:
Lilly Ponds, the personal manager, has repeatedly told all employees of the Koller Construction Company to stop using the copy machine for personal use. This has lead to the copy machine budget consistently being over budget by several hundred dollars.
Lilly has asked me to formally inform all employees of the problem at hand and to come up with a brief, feasible plan that will slow the number of personal copies made on the photocopying machine. The plan I have come up with is that everyone will get a personal number that they enter in order to run the copy machine. Everyone will a have the same number of copies that they will be allowed each month. At the end of the month I will get a print out from the copy machine with your number and the number of copies you have made. If you are over your number, that amount will come out of your pay check.
Conclusion:
In conclusion due to the copying machine budget being over budget by several hundred dollars a new plan has been implemented to try to solve this problem. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or other possible ideas to fix this problem.
Date: February 27, 2008
To: Colleagues
From: Lindsey Burns
Subject: Over usage of the companys copy machine for personal copies.
The purpose of this memo is to alert all employees that the budget for the copy machine is several hundred dollars over budget and the solution to this problem.
Summary:
This memo is to alert employees that (1) the budget to the copy machine is way over the companys budget and (2) describes the solution for employees to fix this problem.
Discussion:
Lilly Ponds, the personal manager, has repeatedly told all employees of the Koller Construction Company to stop using the copy machine for personal use. This has lead to the copy machine budget consistently being over budget by several hundred dollars.
Lilly has asked me to formally inform all employees of the problem at hand and to come up with a brief, feasible plan that will slow the number of personal copies made on the photocopying machine. The plan I have come up with is that everyone will get a personal number that they enter in order to run the copy machine. Everyone will a have the same number of copies that they will be allowed each month. At the end of the month I will get a print out from the copy machine with your number and the number of copies you have made. If you are over your number, that amount will come out of your pay check.
Conclusion:
In conclusion due to the copying machine budget being over budget by several hundred dollars a new plan has been implemented to try to solve this problem. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or other possible ideas to fix this problem.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Class Activity 14
Name: Lindsey Burns
Date: March 5, 2008
Topic: Instructions on How to Cook a Turkey Dinner
- My topic will be introduced by my title
- The elements will include the introduction of the topic
1. What materials and tools does your reader need?
Turkey Oven
Seasoning Timer or watch
Onions Stuffing
Water String
18 x 20 tin pan
White bread
2. Are there any special terms your reader will need to learn and understand?
Salmonella – which can make you sick if you touch anything raw and don’t wash your hands.
3. What safety information should you include in the instructions?
Be sure to wash your hands after handling the raw turkey
Use oven mitts
Make sure you cut away from your self
4. What kind of graphics would help your reader to carry out this task? What are the major steps in the task?
Chart of the different turkey weights and how long to cook it for and how long you need to thaw it.
Picture of where to stuff the turkey
The temperature set at which the turkey needs to be at to fully cook the turkey
S-T-E-P-S
I. If your turkey is already thawed then you skip to step……….
II. If your turkey is frozen place it in the refrigerator and refer to the below table for how long to let your turkey thaw.
Table for weight, thawing, and cooking time
Thawing Time Cooking time
Weight
III. The stuffing is done the day before the turkey
IV. Get a pan and your loaf of white bread
V. Place your pan in front of you and start pinching off pieces of the bread and place them in the pan.
VI. Do not include crust, just the middle of the bread.
VII. One finished put aside the pan of bread pieces to sit out of the way on the kitchen counter.
VIII. The next day
1. Once you have your turkey and ingredients then you can start on your stuffing and the other preparations.
2. Pre-heat the over
5. At what point in your instructions might a reader become confused or uncertain? How can you address that confusion or uncertainty?
Get the reader to go over the instruction from the beginning and make sure they didn’t leave anything out.
6. Can the task be carried out in the classroom? Why or why not?
No, the task cannot be carried out in the classroom 1, because a turkey is very heavy, and 2, an uncooked turkey with the salmonella could endanger my classmates.
7. How would you conclude this set of instructions?
Now that you have cooked you turkey you can enjoy a wonderful meal!!!
Date: March 5, 2008
Topic: Instructions on How to Cook a Turkey Dinner
- My topic will be introduced by my title
- The elements will include the introduction of the topic
1. What materials and tools does your reader need?
Turkey Oven
Seasoning Timer or watch
Onions Stuffing
Water String
18 x 20 tin pan
White bread
2. Are there any special terms your reader will need to learn and understand?
Salmonella – which can make you sick if you touch anything raw and don’t wash your hands.
3. What safety information should you include in the instructions?
Be sure to wash your hands after handling the raw turkey
Use oven mitts
Make sure you cut away from your self
4. What kind of graphics would help your reader to carry out this task? What are the major steps in the task?
Chart of the different turkey weights and how long to cook it for and how long you need to thaw it.
Picture of where to stuff the turkey
The temperature set at which the turkey needs to be at to fully cook the turkey
S-T-E-P-S
I. If your turkey is already thawed then you skip to step……….
II. If your turkey is frozen place it in the refrigerator and refer to the below table for how long to let your turkey thaw.
Table for weight, thawing, and cooking time
Thawing Time Cooking time
Weight
III. The stuffing is done the day before the turkey
IV. Get a pan and your loaf of white bread
V. Place your pan in front of you and start pinching off pieces of the bread and place them in the pan.
VI. Do not include crust, just the middle of the bread.
VII. One finished put aside the pan of bread pieces to sit out of the way on the kitchen counter.
VIII. The next day
1. Once you have your turkey and ingredients then you can start on your stuffing and the other preparations.
2. Pre-heat the over
5. At what point in your instructions might a reader become confused or uncertain? How can you address that confusion or uncertainty?
Get the reader to go over the instruction from the beginning and make sure they didn’t leave anything out.
6. Can the task be carried out in the classroom? Why or why not?
No, the task cannot be carried out in the classroom 1, because a turkey is very heavy, and 2, an uncooked turkey with the salmonella could endanger my classmates.
7. How would you conclude this set of instructions?
Now that you have cooked you turkey you can enjoy a wonderful meal!!!
Monday, March 3, 2008
Class Activity 13
How to change a tire
What is the audience and purpose of the set of instructions?
-Anyone who has a flat tire. Most likely someone who can life a tire so probably teenagers to adults.
How does the design/organization of the document guide the reader?
-The instructions flows in a paragraph form by spacing in between sentences. Colored headers, italics and bold font styles, and indenting.
Is there enough/too much information in each step?
-There is a good amount of information within the instructions. The other web sites seem to have way more detailing in their instructions. For example in each of the eight steps in the color blue, the sub instructions are detailed but quick to the point.
What kind of language is used in the text? What effect does that language create?
- There are complete sentences. The effect is that the instructions are given but not in an ordering way.
If graphics are used, how effective are they?
- The four document designing principles of headings, highly visual, keeping it simple and keeping the steps close together are shown in these instructions. I really liked the graphics used in these instructions. They are clear and easy to see with the fun colors that they have in them.
Summarize the basic structure for the instruction set.
- The instruction set does include: a title, introduction, safety information, materials/ equipments needed, steps/ procedures/ and conclusion? The title and introduction were clear. There were eight steps. There were warnings, for example, “sometimes the lug nuts are quite difficult to loosen”, and there was a clear conclusion.
The weaknesses of this instruction set?
- I didn’t really seem to find any weaknesses with these set of instructions. The title, introduction, safety information, materials, steps, and conclusion were all present.
There is nothing that I would recommend to the writer for them to improve the instruction except maybe make the font a little bigger, but that was not really a problem.
What is the audience and purpose of the set of instructions?
-Anyone who has a flat tire. Most likely someone who can life a tire so probably teenagers to adults.
How does the design/organization of the document guide the reader?
-The instructions flows in a paragraph form by spacing in between sentences. Colored headers, italics and bold font styles, and indenting.
Is there enough/too much information in each step?
-There is a good amount of information within the instructions. The other web sites seem to have way more detailing in their instructions. For example in each of the eight steps in the color blue, the sub instructions are detailed but quick to the point.
What kind of language is used in the text? What effect does that language create?
- There are complete sentences. The effect is that the instructions are given but not in an ordering way.
If graphics are used, how effective are they?
- The four document designing principles of headings, highly visual, keeping it simple and keeping the steps close together are shown in these instructions. I really liked the graphics used in these instructions. They are clear and easy to see with the fun colors that they have in them.
Summarize the basic structure for the instruction set.
- The instruction set does include: a title, introduction, safety information, materials/ equipments needed, steps/ procedures/ and conclusion? The title and introduction were clear. There were eight steps. There were warnings, for example, “sometimes the lug nuts are quite difficult to loosen”, and there was a clear conclusion.
The weaknesses of this instruction set?
- I didn’t really seem to find any weaknesses with these set of instructions. The title, introduction, safety information, materials, steps, and conclusion were all present.
There is nothing that I would recommend to the writer for them to improve the instruction except maybe make the font a little bigger, but that was not really a problem.
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