Lately we’ve been addressing precision of language in technical writing. Two posts ago we examined that theme through the lens of the difference between written English and spoken English. We used the context of that difference as background for avoiding the word fine. This colloquialism commonly used in speech conveys too much ambiguity to produce more effective technical writing. In the last post we examined another such word — nice.
This week I’m discussing another word in that same vein — half.
Here we see another example of the distinction between spoken and written English. When spoken, the article a or an often follows half. In speech, this use has found broad acceptance.
However, this use is colloquial. Thus, when used in writing, half a and half an invite less formality than what more effective technical writing requires. This means the writer should revise the example sentence in the cropped graphic above. Here are two alternatives, both of which are acceptable.
This week I’m discussing another word in that same vein — half.
Here we see another example of the distinction between spoken and written English. When spoken, the article a or an often follows half. In speech, this use has found broad acceptance.
However, this use is colloquial. Thus, when used in writing, half a and half an invite less formality than what more effective technical writing requires. This means the writer should revise the example sentence in the cropped graphic above. Here are two alternatives, both of which are acceptable.
The weld took a half minute to fabricate.
The weld took half a minute to fabricate.
The weld took half a minute to fabricate.
It’s very common in speech to employ informal constructs. But more effective technical writing demands that writers avoid informality. So if you want more effective technical writing, you have to avoid half a anything. More precise language means a better presentation of your message to your audience, and that will leave them with a better impression of both you and your brands.
RSS Feed