Technical subjects make use of jargons which the average individual may not be aware of. The technical terms used in these subjects need to be rewritten or described in simpler ways so that people with no background on these subjects will be able to understand their meaning with minimal difficulty. If the aim is to make a technical piece of writing available for general audience reading, it is therefore important to avoid using heavy words and to keep away from writing lengthy sentences that only further increases the difficulty level of the reading material. Apparently, toning down the complexity of specialized writings does not mean doing so at the expense of the quality of the content. The trick is to write in layman’s terms without sacrificing the message in the medium.
First, the technical terms should be substituted with terms that are more commonly used in everyday conversation. Synonyms can be used to achieve that end. In cases when synonyms do not apply, technical terms can be described using key concepts that the average individual can relate to with ease. While lexical definitions can also be technical in nature to a certain extent, they can also provide easy recognition on the part of the intended audience. Comparing technical terms with widely used descriptive phrases can also be a way to transform jargons into terms that the general audience can easily understand. The idea is to lessen the complexity of the terms involved through several linguistic devices so that technical barriers, so to speak, can be minimized or removed.
The Term Paper on Types of Writing 3
Compare and Contrast This type of writing allows the writer to point out similarities and differences about topics, subjects or objects. Compare means to identify how your topics are alike or similar. You state what they have in common. On the other hand, contrast means to identify what is different about your your topic. When contrasting, you state what makes the topic, subject or object unique ...
Second, the length of sentences should be short but concise so that it will not bore the reader and it will still maintain the essence of the message. In writing for a general audience, compound-complex sentences should be avoided as much as possible so that readers will not lose sight of the flow of the discussion. It is important to break down complex sentences into simpler ones so that general readers are able to keep track of the written ideas. Basic sentence structure will suffice in creating succinct sentences that are not only reader-friendly but also direct to the point. For instance, a simple sentence composed of not more than ten or twenty words is sufficient enough to maintain the focus of the reader.
Third, paragraphs should be relatively shorter than those found in special interest publications. A paragraph of four to six sentences—a topic sentence at the beginning, two to four supporting sentences in the middle, and a concluding or summary sentence at the end—will do. It is important to devote one key idea to one paragraph so that readers will not get confused about the separate points being addressed. Incorporating several key ideas into a single paragraph can only lengthen the entire paragraph and, therefore, baffle the reader as to what exactly the paragraph is meant to convey. Keeping paragraphs shorter is one way to prevent alienating the reader from the reading material tackling a purely technical subject.
Lastly, the article should make use of an interesting introduction that will capture the reader’s attention. The introduction can be in the form of an anecdote or an intriguing story that is related to the subject of the article. The technical topic of the article should not be immediately exposed, so to speak, in the first few sentences of the introduction so that the readers will not hesitate to continue reading the rest of the article. The introductory anecdote or story can be reiterated in the concluding or closing paragraphs so that the readers will be encouraged to treat the subject as a light issue that any person can understand and not as a form of mental torture that only elite people can comprehend.
The Essay on A Very Short Introduction
The book entitled “Politics: A Very Short Introduction” is written by one of the greatest Emeritus Professor of Political Science at the London School of Economics and Political Science whose name is Kenneth Minogue. In a sense, Professor Kenneth Minogue is widely known for his profound words and distinct beliefs and illustration when it comes to politics. Thus, for most of his publications, ...
