Guidelines for Effective Writing

In this section, we list several suggestions for becoming a more effective writer. 

Although this list was compiled with the engineering student in mind, these 

Plan and organize your thoughts before writing. In the words of Strunk and White (4), Plarming must be a deliberate prelude to writing. The first principle of composition, therefore, is to foresee or determine the shape of what is to come, and pursue that shape.  

Prepare an outline. Many writers, especially those that are inexperienced, find it highly desirable to prepare an outline of the proposed work. Such an exercise helps the writer to think through the composition and improve its logic and internal order. It also provides an orderly framework and basis for increased writing productivity and efficiency. 

Avoid a boring structure. Make the paragraph the unit of composition. It should have a main theme and be introduced by a topic sentence. In technical and other types of writing, it is often desirable to divide a composition into chapters, sections, and subsections with appropriate headings or titles. To improve clarity and provide variety of style, present complex data or information as lists or tables rather than in narrative form. 

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