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Chapter 20. Writing Definitions, Descriptions, and Instructions © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's 1
What are definitions,
descriptions, and instructions?
Chapter 20. Writing Definitions, Descriptions, and Instructions © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's 3
Use these four strategies when defining
terms for readers from another culture:
Chapter 20. Writing Definitions, Descriptions, and Instructions © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's 4
There are three types of definitions:
• parenthetical
• sentence
• extended
Chapter 20. Writing Definitions, Descriptions, and Instructions © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's 5
Sentence definitions follow a typical pattern:
Chapter 20. Writing Definitions, Descriptions, and Instructions © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's 6
Follow these four guidelines to
write effective sentence definitions:
• graphics • analogy
• examples • negation
• partition • etymology
• principle of operation
• comparison and
contrast
Chapter 20. Writing Definitions, Descriptions, and Instructions © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's 8
Decide where to place the definition:
• in the text
• in a marginal gloss
• in a hyperlink
• in a footnote
• in a glossary
• in an appendix
Chapter 20. Writing Definitions, Descriptions, and Instructions © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's 9
Descriptions are verbal and visual
representations of three types of items:
• objects
• mechanisms
• processes
Chapter 20. Writing Definitions, Descriptions, and Instructions © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's 10
Follow these four principles
when writing descriptions:
Chapter 20. Writing Definitions, Descriptions, and Instructions © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's 11
Answer these five questions to introduce
object or mechanism descriptions:
Chapter 20. Writing Definitions, Descriptions, and Instructions © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's 12
Answer these six questions to
introduce process descriptions:
Chapter 20. Writing Definitions, Descriptions, and Instructions © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's 14
Provide appropriate detail in
process descriptions:
Chapter 20. Writing Definitions, Descriptions, and Instructions © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's 15
End descriptions with a brief conclusion:
Chapter 20. Writing Definitions, Descriptions, and Instructions © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's 16
An example of a process
description based on a graphic
Chapter 20. Writing Definitions, Descriptions, and Instructions © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's 17
Consider five questions
when designing a set of instructions:
Chapter 20. Writing Definitions, Descriptions, and Instructions © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's 19
Examples of a cluttered page design and an
attractive page design for instructions:
Chapter 20. Writing Definitions, Descriptions, and Instructions © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's 20
Understand the four signal words
used in manuals and instructions:
Chapter 20. Writing Definitions, Descriptions, and Instructions © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's 21
Understand the four signal words
used in manuals and instructions (cont.):
Chapter 20. Writing Definitions, Descriptions, and Instructions © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's 22
This is an example of a safety label:
Chapter 20. Writing Definitions, Descriptions, and Instructions © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's 23
A typical set of instructions
includes these four elements:
• title
• general introduction
• step-by-step instructions
• conclusion
Chapter 20. Writing Definitions, Descriptions, and Instructions © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's 24
Consider these guidelines for writing
effective instructions titles:
Chapter 20. Writing Definitions, Descriptions, and Instructions © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's 25
Consider answering these six questions
when drafting introductions for instructions:
Chapter 20. Writing Definitions, Descriptions, and Instructions © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's 27
Follow these six guidelines
when drafting steps in instructions (cont.):
• Include graphics.
• Do not omit articles (a, an, the) to save space.
Chapter 20. Writing Definitions, Descriptions, and Instructions © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's 28
Typical elements in the front matter
of a manual:
Chapter 20. Writing Definitions, Descriptions, and Instructions © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's 29
Typical elements in the
back matter of a manual:
• set of specifications
• list of safety regulations and industry
standards
• tips on maintenance and servicing
• copyright page
• index
• glossary
Chapter 20. Writing Definitions, Descriptions, and Instructions © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's 30
Consider these three questions when
writing instructions for multicultural readers:
Chapter 20. Writing Definitions, Descriptions, and Instructions © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's 31