home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
Magnum One
/
Magnum One (Mid-American Digital) (Disc Manufacturing).iso
/
d10
/
typinstr.arc
/
TYPTEST3.DAT
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1991-03-20
|
1KB
|
16 lines
14,6
Numbers, units of measure, mathematical equations, and symbols are used far
more frequently in technical documents than they are in ordinary composition.
They must be written clearly and consistently. Using too many symbols invites
confusion. "Containers hold 75# of #5 carbon black", for instance, should be
expressed as, "containers hold 75 pounds of no. 5 carbon black". Use specific
and concrete terms rather than vague generalities: "He ran the 100-yard dash
in 10.2 seconds" and "Aircom's Scrubbing System saves Samson $7,000 per day."
Mathematical equations and expressions must be typed in one consistent style.
Operational signs (=, +, -, <, >) are usually preceded and followed by a space
(y = mx + b), but no space follows a plus or minus sign indicating positive or
negative value (X = -71). Be concise. Many technical writers think that long,
jargon-filled documents seem important. They are wrong. The First Amendment to
the U.S. Constitution contains 45 words; Newton's first law of motion contains
29. A personal letter written in Texas in 1976 was 1,113,747 words long!