A Handbook of Writing for

Engineers
Good Style
(110~116)

Speaker: Feng-Hsu Chuang

Diagram
Numerical information
Should elucidate and not interrupt
the flow of the reading.
A diagram should ideally be
integrated into its text, introduced,
presented and then discussed.

Examples
Well-chosen example helps readers
understanding difficult idea and gives
life to the text.
Two rules for using examples:
Must be at correct level for the
readership.
Must be widely understood.

References
References should
show full and accurate bibliographical
details
be consistent in form.

For books
Fisher, Barry: How to document ISO 9000 Quality Systems,
Ramsbury Books, Marlborough, 1995

For articles
Ward, Anthony: Measuring the product innovation process,
Engineering Management, volume 6, number 5, October
1996, pp. 242-6

Improving Style

(1/2)

Good style includes a felicity in

choice of words and a sense of the
rhythm of a passage.
Avoid abstract words as far as
possible.
Use simple, direct language.

Improving Style

(2/2)

Example
The problem was exacerbated by the existence of
unclear perceptions by those engineers involved
in the project of who the client really was.

The engineers involved in the project were unsure

of the clients identity. This made the problem
worse.

Link

(1/2)

More than two sentences which begins

with the same words sound monotonous.
First, weNext, weThenThenand so
on.
Another example is when.

Link words and phrases guide the

reader through the document and
improve the flow for the writing.

Link

(1/2)

Examples
At the same time, on the other hand,
meanwhile, bearing this in mind howerver
Even the engineers involved in the project
were unsure of the clients identity.