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ENG302 : The Class : Rhetoric : Qualities : Check!
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EFFECTIVE WRITING
Just what is expected in professional, on-the-job writing? Writers in business, industry, and government want to have these qualities of effective writing in their documents:

1. Clearly Defined Purpose: The reader then knows exactly what response is expected. Some typical purposes for writing include persuading, informing, instructing, and recommending.

2. Adequate Factual Support for Purpose: The reader not only knows what to do after reading, but also feels inclined to do it. The reader is neither deluged with facts, nor left wondering about the specifics of the situation.

3. Clear and Appropriate Organization: The reader can progress without having to stop to interpret apparent jumps or gaps in development.

4. Clear Sentences: The reader can understand the relationship of each sentence to the one that follows.

5. Concise Presentation: The reader senses that every necessary point is handled as briefly as possible.

6. Effective Language: The reader is not distracted by such things as awkward or unclear sentences; poor word choice; incorrect grammar, spelling, or punctuation; and various nonstandard language forms.

7. Logical Patterns: Whenever you are working with the logical patterns of induction and deduction, you should be careful not to commit an error in logic.

8. Argumentative Patterns: The inductive and deductive patterns can be used together to form a powerful argumentative team.

9. Other Organizational Forms: The chronological pattern is based on a simple time framework. In the spatial pattern of development, the document is organized around a physical sense of space. Also, the cause to effect pattern, the effect to cause form, and steps in a process are common patterns used in technical writing.

10. Appropriate Use of Standard Formats: The reader recognizes and feels comfortable with the expected forms for business letters, abstracts, proposals, progress reports, documentation, and other formats typical of writing in business, industry, and government.

11. Correctness: The technical document must follow the basic rules of the language, including grammar principles (this involves concepts such as subject-verb agreement, proper word forms, and correct verb tenses) and mechanics (including correct spelling and accurate punctuation) conventions.

Once you have checked over your answers, you should:

Go on to the next assignment, "Writing a Resume"
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