1.4: Got it? Then head for the exercises and activities below.
- Page ID
- 51518
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Exercise 1
Locate some examples of what you consider technical writing. These may include correspondence, journal articles, lab reports, web pages, or advertisements. In small groups with other classmates, discuss how the documents reflect the characteristics of technical writing. After your group has analyzed the document, present it to the entire class and explain how it meets the characteristics of a technical document.
Exercise 2
Locate some of the free readability tools on the Internet and apply one to a section of writing, such as this text, to evaluate the reading level. What do you think is an ideal readability level for a banks web site; a college history text, or even the schools website? In a memo to your instructor, discuss the importance of readability measures in creating useful technical documents.
Exercise 3
Locate an instruction manual for a product you may own. Analyze it against the standards listed in the chapter for good technical writing. Submit your analysis in a memo to your instructor.