Engineering Communication: From Principles to Practice

✍ Scribed by Robert Irish, Peter Eliot Weiss

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Year: 2013
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 402
• Edition: 2
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Engineering Communication: From Principles to Practice, Second Edition, is a writing and communications text designed to guide engineering students through the process of writing polished and professional documents.

The principles are supported by numerous tips found in marginal boxes, exercises in new "Try This" boxes, and writing samples that clearly demonstrate how each principle can be applied to everyday communication challenges. This resource also includes a series of appendices covering the fundamentals of grammar, plus a new primer on ethics for engineers.

FEATURES

Thoughtfully organized. Organized around eighteen principles of clear communication that can be adapted and applied to a variety of communication tasks, the text ensures that students have the tools they need to develop superior writing and presentation skills.

Applied approach. Students are taught transferable skills rather than simply being given templates to copy, giving them a workable and versatile knowledge of grammatical, effective writing. The book demonstrates how each principle can be applied to everyday communication, and further supports these applications with numerous authentic writing examples.

Helpful learning tools. The text includes numerous tips, exercises, and writing samples. It also includes a series of appendices covering the fundamentals of sentence structure, verbs and verbals, modifiers, joiners, punctuation, fallacies, and a new primer on ethics for engineers, all designed to support students in writing polished and professional documents.

✦ Table of Contents

Contents:

Preface v
Principles of Engineering Communication v
The Second Edition vi
To the Student vi
To the instructor vii
Publisher's Preface viii
Introduction 1

Part I: Setting the Stage for Understanding 16

Chapter 1: Purpose, Genre. and Audience 18
Principle 1: Finding Purpose 19
Principle 2: improvising Genre 26
Principle 3: Constructing Audience 48

Chapter 2: Strategies for invention 57
Principle 4: Developing Credible Argument 57
Principle 5: Applying Rhetorical Patterns 78

Part II: Modes of Control: Organizing Information for Readability 98

Chapter 3: Guiding the Reader through the Document 100
Principle 6: Building Effective Introductions 100
Principle 7: Framing Knowledge 109
Principle 8: Imposing Visible Structure 117
Principle 9: Making Transitions 125

Chapter 4: Creating Clarity and Cohesion 140
Principle 10: Designing Paragraphs 141
Principle 11: Moving from Known to New 155
Principle 12: Modifying Matters 162

Part III: Elements of Refined Communication 179

Chapter 5: Generating Flow 181
Principle 13: Elevating Verbs 182
Principle 14: Positioning the Verb 188
Principle 15: Finding the Real Subject 191
Principle 16: Capitalizing on the Power Position 197

Chapter 6: Engineering Elegance in the Document 199
Principle 17: Determining Sentence Length 200
Principle 18: Mastering Sentence Rhythm 208

Part IV: Applications 219

Chapter 7: Applying the Principles to Written Communication 221
Chapter 8: Applying the Principles to Visual Communication 245
Chapter 9: Applying the Principles to Oral Communication 280
Conclusion: From Principles to Practice 314

Appendices 321
Appendix A: Core Sentence Components: Clauses 322
Appendix B: Sentence Types 328
Appendix C: Action Elements: Verbs and Verbals 337
Appendix D: Optional Sentence Elements: Modifiers 346
Appendix E: Joiners 353
Appendix F: Punctuation 357
Appendix G: A Brief Primer on Ethics for the Engineer 362
Appendix H: Fallacies 369

References 375
Credits 378
Index 379

✦ Subjects

Engineering, communication, textbook, writing, technical writing