Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Ideas for clear technical writing

January 1, 1984

The three greatest obstacles to clear technical-report writing are probably (1) imprecise words, (2) wordiness, and (3) poorly constructed sentences. Examples of category 1 include abstract words, jargon, and vogue words; of category 2, sentences containing impersonal construction superfluous words; and of category 3, sentences lacking parallel construction and proper order of related words and phrases. These examples and other writing-related subjects are discussed in the report, which contains a cross-referenced index and 24 references.

Publication Year 1984
Title Ideas for clear technical writing
DOI 10.3133/ofr83867
Authors B.P. Robinson
Publication Type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Series Title Open-File Report
Series Number 83-867
Index ID ofr83867
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse