Week 11

Contents:

Structure of a technical papers Writing abstract Punctuations Describing graphs and tables Action verb

Structure of Technical papers

http://myweb.ncku.edu.tw/~msju/mml/techwrt.htm http://www.cs.ccu.edu.tw/~ccc/article/TecWrite.htm http://www.cs.columbia.edu/~hgs/etc/writing-style.html

A technical paper should be clear and concise. The goal is to convey ideas and results to the readers in the least possible time and space. Everything about the document should contribute to this goal. The notations and format should be consistent throughout the paper.

It is a very common error to dive into the technical approach or the implementation details without having appropriately framed the problem. You should first say what the problem or goal is, and — even when presenting an algorithm — first state what the output is and probably the key idea, before discussing steps.

A paper usually consists of the following components:

1) Title —It should be concise and to the point. For example, some publications limit the title to less than ten words.

Avoid all but the most readily understood abbreviations. Avoid common phrases like "novel", "performance evaluation"

and "architecture", since almost every paper does a performance evaluation of some architecture and it better be novel. Unless somebody wants to see 10,000 Google results, nobody searches for these types of words.

Use adjectives that describe the distinctive features of your work, e.g., reliable, scalable, high-performance, robust, low-complexity, or low-cost.

If you need inspiration for a paper title, you can consult the Automatic Systems Research Topic or Paper Title Generator.

Structure of a technical paper

2) Abstract —A summary of the paper, including a brief description of the problem, the solution, and conclusions. Do not cite references in the abstract.

3) Keywords —They should be selected such that a computerized search will be facilitated.

4) Introduction —This should contain the background of the problem, why it is important, and what others have done to solve this problem. All related existing work should be properly described and referenced. The proposed solution should be briefly described, with explanations of how it is different from, and superior to, existing solutions. The last paragraph should be a summary of what will be described in each subsequent section of the paper.

5) System Model —The proposed model is described. There will invariably be assumptions made. State the model assumptions clearly. Do the assumptions make sense? Use figures to help explain the model.

6) Numerical results —Based on the model, numerical results will be generated. These results should be presented in such a way as to facilitate the readers’ understanding. Usually, they will be presented in the form of figures or tables.

The parameter values chosen should make sense. All the results should be interpreted. Details on the simulation time, the computer, and the language used in the simulation should also be included.

7) Conclusions —This summarizes what have been done and concluded based on the results. A description of future research should also be included.

8) References —This should contain a list of papers referred to in the paper. If there is a choice, use a reference which is more readily available, i.e., if an author has published a conference version and a journal version of the paper, refer to the journal version. Research reports, internal memos, private correspondences, and preprints are usually hard to access and should be avoided as much as possible.

9) Appendix —Those materials which are deemed inessential to the understanding of the paper, but included for the sake of completeness. Sometimes, detailed mathematical proofs are put in the appendix to make the paper more readable.

10) Figures —The figures may be placed immediately after they are referred to in the text, or placed at the end of the paper. Each figure should be readable without relying on the accompanying description in the text. Thus, all symbols used in the figure should be explained in the figure legend. In addition, do not make the figures and legends too small.

Writing abstract

http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/writing_center/grabstract.html

An abstract is a summary of a body of information in a paragraph—100-350 words for a descriptive abstract, 100-250 words an informative abstract. An abstract expresses the main claim and argument of a paper.

In most disciplines, it never includes bibliographic citations. An abstract concisely highlights or reviews the major points covered along with the content and scope of the writing.

An abstract can also be a useful tool for writers to check that they have a clear grasp of their thesis and argument. If the writer can state the thesis and argument clearly in a few sentences—and in such a way that someone who doesn't know the subject will still be able to understand the main idea—then the writer knows she has a good grasp of the ideas she is trying to express.

An abstract says everything of central importance in a way that gives the reader a clear overview of what is contained in the essay.

Essential elements of the abstract are:

Background: A simple opening sentence or two placing the work in context.

Aims: One or two sentences giving the purpose of the work.

Method(s): One or two sentences explaining what was done. (Described at length only if it is unusual)

Results: One or two sentences indicating the main findings. (Absolutely essential)

Conclusions: One sentence giving the most important consequence of the work. (Telling what the results mean).

Qualities of a Good Abstract

Well developed paragraphs are unified, coherent, concise, and able to stand alone

Uses an introduction/body/conclusion structure which presents the article, paper, or report's purpose, results, conclusions, and recommendations in that order

Follows strictly the chronology of the article, paper, or report

Provides logical connections (or transitions) between the information included

Adds no new information, but simply summarizes the report

Is understandable to a wide audience Oftentimes uses passive verbs to downplay the author a

nd emphasize the information

Voice Scientists have grappled for years over the

appropriate way to talk about discoveries: should it be

"We measured ion concentration in the blood"

or

"Ion concentration in the blood was measured"?

Don’ts Do not commence with "this paper…”, "this report…" or si

milar. It is better to write about the research than about the paper. Avoid use of "in this paper“, what other paper would you be talking about here?

Do not contain references, as it may be used without the main article. It is acceptable, although not common, to identify work by author, abbreviation or RFC number. (For example, "Our algorithm is based upon the work by Smith and Wesson.")

Avoid sentences that end in "…is described", "…is reported", "…is analyzed" or similar.

Do not begin sentences with "it is suggested that…” "it is believed that…", "it is felt that…"or similar. In every case, the four words can be omitted without damaging the essential message.

Do not repeat or rephrase the title. Do not enumerate a list of topics covered; instead, conve

y the essential information found in your paper. Avoid equations and math. Exceptions: Your paper prop

oses E = m c 2. Do not refer in the abstract to information that is not in th

e document. If possible, avoid trade names, acronyms, abbreviations,

or symbols. You would need to explain them, and that takes too much room.

The abstract should be about the research, not about the act of writing.

Where to find examples of abstracts:

The best source of example abstracts is journal articles. Go to the library and look at biology journals, or look at electronic journals on the web.

 Read the abstract; read the article. Pick the best ones, the examples where the abstract makes the article easier to read, and figure out how they do it.

Not everyone writes good abstracts, even in refereed journals, but the more abstracts you read, the easier it is to spot the good ones.

Punctuation

Periods . Commas , Colons : Semicolons ; Question marks ? Exclamation points !

Apostrophes ' Quotation marks " " Hyphens - Dashes -- Parentheses ( ) Brackets [ ]

Semicolon The semicolon ( ; ) is an important punctuation mark in English and has several uses; it is particularly common in formal and/or academic writing. There are several common ways of using the semicolon.

1. Use a semicolon to connect sentences that have closely related ideas.

2. Use a semicolon to connect items in lists if the itemsin the lists contain commas.

3. When sentences are connected by using conjunctive adverbs, the semicolon comes at the end of the first sentence.

1. Use a semicolon to connect sentences that have closely related ideas.

Examples:

He came; he saw; he conquered. She always does her best; that's one reason everyone admires her.

Dave Sperling and his family recently visited a village near Chiangmai, Thailand; Dave's wife, Dao, comes from there.

Almost everyone has heard of the Time Square of New York City; it's one of the most famous tourist attractions in the U.S.A.

John and his wife are newlyweds; they got married only a few days ago.

Special notes1. Periods could also be used for these sentences, but the semicolonsemphasize how closely related the sentences are. (If periods are used, the sentences seem "choppy.") 2. Commas cannot be used to join sentences like the above. 3. Note that when a semicolon is used to join closely related sentences, a lower case (small) letter follows the semicolon, not a capital letter.

4. Most authorities state that when a semicolon is used with parentheses (( )) or with quotation marks (" "), the semicolon should be outside the parentheses or quotation marks:

Bill said, "I was born in a very small town"; he went on to say that it's a friendly place with a population of less than 1,000.

Ms. Jones was probably referring to the state of Washington (which is in the north-western U.S.); a reference to Washington, D.C. doesn't seem very logical to me.

2. Use a semicolon to connect items in lists

if the items in the lists contain commas. Examples:

She's lived in San Antonio, Dallas, and Irving, Texas; Palms, West Los Angeles, and Brentwood, California; Arch Cape and Portland, Oregon; and Phoenix, Arizona.

We invited Bob's girlfriend, Annie; Judy, Ahmed, and Simon; Simon's cousins, Hugo and Peter; our next-door neighbor, Tina, and her husband; and three or four other people.

For the class you'll need two diskettes, either formatted or unformatted; paper, both for the printer and for your class notes; and, of course, the textbook.

Special notes

1. Semicolons are very helpful, in sentences such as the ones above, in making the lists less confusing. Without the semicolons, the items in the list would be difficult to understand; using commas alone would not separate the items clearly:

Example: We invited Bob's girlfriend, Annie, Judy, Ahmed, and

Simon, Simon's cousins, Hugo and Peter, our next-door neighbor, Tina, and her husband, and three or four other people. (This sentence is confusing because the items in the list are not clearly separated.)

2. Periods cannot be used instead of semicolons in sentences like those above.

3. When sentences are connected by using conjunctive adverbs, the semicolon comes at the

end of the first sentence. Conjunctive adverbs include connecting words such as however, therefore, besides, consequently, nevertheless, in addition, accordingly, and otherwise; conjunctive adverbs (which are sometimes also called sentence connectors) are especially common in serious business, technical, and academic writing.

Examples:

Sheila might have been sick and unable to come to work; however, I suspect that she took the day off and went shopping.

We're expected to do all the assigned work; in addition, we're required to read and report on three books that we can choose ourselves.

The last three shipments were damaged when they were received; consequently, all new shipments will be inspected just before theyleave the factory.

Maurice found the work very difficult and was often tempted to quit; nevertheless, he kept on trying and eventually did quite well on it.

Special notes

Periods can be used with conjunctive adverbs instead of semicolons. If periods are used, the conjunctive adverbs begin with a capital letter, not a small one:

She was extremely tired. However, she finished her assignment.

She was extremely tired; however, she finished her assignment.

Commas Use commas to keep your writing clear. Omitted or incor

rectly used, commas can cause confusion or even change meaning. Commas should be used with the following elements:

1. Introductory elements 2. Coordinating conjunctions joining independent clauses 3. Elements in a series 4. Coordinate modifiers 5. Nonrestrictive modifiers 6. Parenthetic elements 7. Elliptical constructions

(http://www.mhhe.com/mayfieldpub/tsw/commas.htm)

1. Introductory elements

(1) Transitional Words and Phrases Place a comma after a transitional word or phrase that begins a sent

ence.

Moreover, the opening of an export market would help expand the market for key escrow encryption.

In addition, several companies and individuals have proposed commercial key escrow approaches.

(2) Introductory Clauses Place a comma after an introductory dependent clause.

Although key escrow is voluntary, critics say that the introduction of Clipper points national policy in a disturbing direction.

Use commas to set off transitional words and phrases, introductory clauses, or introductory phrases to signal where the introductory element finishes and the main part starts.

(3) Introductory Prepositional or Verbal Phrases Normally, use a comma after an introductory prepositional or verbal

phrase. However, you may omit the comma after a short introductory phrase if no ambiguity is possible. For the first time, researchers have used DNA analysis to identify the animal tissue in 4,000-year-old rock paintings. Despite the error the experiment was successful. Combining surface area with depth, we calculated the volume of the pond.

Do not place a comma after an introductory participial or gerund phrase if the phrase forms part of the subject or verb of the sentence.

Combining surface area with depth was our principal method for

calculating the volume of the pond.

2. Coordinating Conjunctions Joining Independent Clauses

Unacceptable In almost all illicit markets, only the tip of the iceberg is vi

sible and there is no reason why the nuclear-materials black market should be an exception.

Acceptable In almost all illicit markets, only the tip of the iceberg is vi

sible, and there is no reason why the nuclear-materials black market should be an exception.

Place a comma before a coordinating conjunction that joins two independent clauses. However, if the clauses are very short and closely related, you may omit the comma.

3. Elements in a series

As a simple example of why, consider this 3-element grocery list written without the clarifying last comma: “milk, macaroni and cheese and crackers”. It's not clear whether that means { milk, macaroni and cheese, crackers } or { milk, macaroni, cheese and crackers }.

Use a comma to separate items in a series. Although placing a final comma before the coordinating conjunction is often considered optional, omitting it can sometimes cause confusion. In a 3-or-more-element list, it's better to put comma between each of the items (including the last two), for clarity. Consequently, most scientific and technical writing routinely uses a final comma in a series to prevent possible ambiguities.

His intellectual acuity, diverse interests, frail physique, and ethereal personality made Oppenheimer a man of legendary proportions. [In this sentence, omitting the final comma would not cause confusio

n. Still, it is good practice in scientific and technical writing to always include the final comma in a series.]

Weak Contemporary physics is still exploring neutron stars, black holes an

d the penetration of electrons through potential barriers. [The omission of the final comma before and causes ambiguity: are

black holes and the penetration of electrons through potential barriers specific topics connected to the general subject of neutron stars, or are they separate items?]

Improved Contemporary physics is still exploring neutron stars, black holes, a

nd the penetration of electrons through potential barriers.

4. Coordinate Modifiers

Example:

Ebola viruses are known as filose viruses for their long, filament like appearance under a microscope.

[Long and filament like modify the appearance of the virus equally, so a comma is needed between them.]

Use a comma between coordinate modifiers. Modifiers are coordinate if they modify the same word. You can test to see if the modifiers are coordinate by inserting and between them. If the description still makes sense, then the modifiers are coordinate.

5. Nonrestrictive Modifiers

Example:

Infectious diseases, which antibiotics and vaccines once promised to banish from our shores, have returned with a vengeance.

Use commas to set off nonrestrictive modifiers. A nonrestrictive modifier is usually introduced by which and contains information that is not essential to establishing the meaning of what it modifies.

6. Parenthetic Elements

Example:

Oppenheimer became known, of course, for leading the physicists who built the atomic bomb at Los Alamos Laboratory.

Use commas to set off parenthetic elements.

7. Elliptical Constructions

Example:

In the United States there are ninety-two scanners; in Europe, eighty-five; in all of Africa, six.

[The commas indicate the omission of the words there are.]

Use a comma to indicate the omission of a word or words readily understood from the context.

Specialized Uses of Commas (1) In numbers with five or more digits, Anglo-American

usage dictates that there be commas before groups of three digits.

Customers reported a total of 212,413 hardware malfunctions.

(2) Use commas to separate adjacent numbers.

In 1994, 212 cases had been diagnosed.

(3) Use commas to separate items in an address.

Einstein then moved to Princeton, New Jersey.

The branch office address is 958 Ridge Road, Hayes, KS, which is in the northern part of the state.

Portland, Oregon, is the site of the new factory.

(4) Use commas to set off the year in dates expressed in the month-day-year sequence.

Greenberg began the project on July 2,1992. The first meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 5, at the high

school. It rained on Monday, August 20, 1991, before the crop was h

arvested.

(5) Omit commas when only the month and the year are stated. Greenberg began the project in July 1992. The tropical storms of July 1998 were very severe.

(6) In dates written in the day-month-year sequence, the comma is omitted.

Greenberg began the project on 2 July1992.

Colons

Use colons for the following purposes:

1. to introduce and emphasize lists, quotations and explanations and certain appositional elements

2. to express ratios 3. to separate numbers signifying different nouns,

such as in separating units of time or elements in a bibliographic citation

4. to separate titles from subtitles

1. To introduce and emphasize (1) To set off and emphasize lists

Examples: The market for photovoltaic power systems includes the following

items: intrusion alarms, flood monitors, calculators, and telephone call boxes.

Or The market for photovoltaic power systems includes the following

items: - intrusion alarms - flood monitors - calculators - telephone call boxes

Anyone communicating via computer needs a security system that ensures three essential requirements: confidentiality, authentication, and trust.

Begin each element of lists, series, or phrases with lowercase letters.

(2). To set off and emphasize quotations

The contract reads: "DL-400 coaxial cable shall be used for all platform instrument installations at Site 5, unless a specific exception is justified in the approved work order."

Kurt noted: "Even potatoes are probably much better

guarded today than radioactive materials."

Place colons outside quotation marks.

(3). To set off and emphasize explanations and appositional elements

In designing the tachometer, the team first posed a question: What operations are needed on the input signal in order to generate the desired output?

This system currently operates in a strictly one-sided fashion: the machine makes sure the person who inserted the card is its legitimate owner by asking for a secret password, but the cardholder must blindly trust that the machine has not been tampered with.

While thinking about this problem, we were reminded of an access-control system with similar demands that is used successfully worldwide on a daily basis: passports.

2. To express ratios

The ratio of drag torque to bearing friction torque cannot exceed3:1.

The anti-GAP 43, anti-MAP 2, and anti-synaptophysin antibodies were diluted1:1000, 1:300, and 1:100, respectively, in phosphate-buffered saline containing10% bovine serum albumin.

3. To separate units of time

The main thruster engines ignited at 7:05 a.m. EDT.

To separate elements in a citation (in certain documentation styles)

E. F. Lyon, "Airport Surface Traffic Automation," Lincoln Laboratory Journal 4:151 (1991).

Dashes Use dashes--sparingly--to indicate abrupt shifts in

thought and to set off or emphasize appositional or parenthetical elements or interjections. In most cases, use commas or parentheses instead.

Example: Although we have made these comments with specific

reference to water--only because of our familiarity with water--all pure substances exhibit the same behavior.

In typewritten documents, use two hyphens (--) with no spaces between or around them to form a dash.

Hyphens

Use hyphens to link 1. certain prefixes, letters, and numbers with nouns 2. compound nouns 3. compound modifiers 4. spelled-out numbers

Also use hyphens for the following purposes: to clarify the meaning of certain words to divide words to express to or through between two letters or numbers for specialized scientific notation

Ex, com-pu-ter, light-year, hyper-tension

Ex. pages 25-63, 1901-1911

Ex, carbon-14 (chemical elements)

1. To Link Certain Prefixes, Letters, and Numbers with Nouns Use hyphens to connect certain prefixes to

nouns. In most scientific and technical styles, the following prefixes are usually followed by a hyphen:

all- ex- half- quasi- self- hex-

However, scientific and technical writing styles omit the hyphen between most prefixes, especially prefixes that are not words themselves.

http://www.mhhe.com/mayfieldpub/tsw/hyphen.htm

Use hyphens to connect numbers or

letters used as prefixes to a noun.

The following list of prefixes that normally are not

followed by a hyphen:

aero after ante anti astro auto bi bio chemo co

counter de electro exo extra geo hemo hyper

hypo in infra inter iso macro meta micro mid mini

multi non over phto physio poly post pre pro

pesudo re semi sub super supra trans un

Example: the T-cell 10-cylinder

2. To Link Compound Nouns Use a hyphen to link compound nouns, especially when the lack of a hyphen would change the meaning of the term.

Examples: light-year light year

[The first term is a unit of measurement, not of time; the second pair of words, on the other hand, may indicate a year that is not heavy.]

3. To Link Compound Modifiers Use a hyphen to connect compound modifiers to promote clarity and prevent ambiguity.

Examples:

laser-alignment process [compound modifier + noun] laser alignment [modifier + noun] the two-tube combiner wire-grid aperture cap [aperture cap for a wire grid] wire grid-aperture cap [a wire cap for a grid aperture] wire-grid level adjustment wire grid-level adjustment heavy-water cavity [a cavity for heavy water] heavy water cavity [a water cavity that is heavy]

4. To Link Spelled-Out Numbers

Use a hyphen to join spelled-out numbers from 21 through 99 and spelled-out fractions.

Examples:

twenty-one moving parts the thirty-third experiment four-fifths of the subjects

Basic sentence punctuation patterns

punctuation patterns:

1. IC, cc IC.

2. IC; IC.

3. IC; trans, IC.

4. DC, IC.

5. IC DC.

IC = independent clause (S+V and can stand alone)

DC = Dependent clause (is introduced by a signal word)

Cc = coordinate conjunction (and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet)

Trans = transitional expression

Describing Graphs and TablesA graph is a visual, concise means of presenting information; a table presents facts and figures in compact form.

http://pioneer.netserv.chula.ac.th/~pkanchan/html/graph.htm http://www.writefix.com/graphs/index.htm http://www.eslflow.com/describinggraphstables.html

http://adw.hct.ac.ae/site_ilc/sites_ielts/graphsite/index.htm

There are three basic kinds of graphs: a circle or pie graph, a bar graph, and a line graph.

Circle/Pie GraphIn studying circle graphs, you should determine: what the entire circle represents, what the various parts of the circle represent and how the percentages compare.

Bar GraphWhen studying bar graphs, you should ask: what the subject of the graph is, how the various parts relate to this subject and what the relative percentages that each bar represents

are.

Line Graph Line graph are made up of three important parts--the

vertical axis, the horizontal axis, and the diagonal line, which shows the relationship between the figures on the vertical axis and those on the horizontal.

In studying line graphs, you should: determine the topic of the graph and look at the axes and diagonal line to understand the

relationship that is being illustrated.

Tables When reading tables, you should: determine the subject and establish what each category and subcategory

represents.

Making Inferences from Graphs and Tables

Graphs and tables are visual representations which can give information both directly and indirectly. In other words, readers sometimes may have to make inferences or draw conclusions based on the data given as well as their knowledge of the world.

Following are some expressions we may use when making inferences: From the information given, I conclude that ~ infer that ~ assume that ~ From the information given, it can be decided that ~ concluded that ~ inferred that ~ assumed that ~ The information (in the text/ in Figure…) implies that ~ suggests that ~ hints that ~

Verb forms used with inferences

Present Tense may/might/could/ must

Example: " I can smell gas. The pipe must be broken.

Past Tense may/might/could/must + have + pp.

Example: The multiple explosion at the LPG filling station near Klong Ton must have been caused by a gas leak. The station attendants may have been careless with the gas.

Describing Graphs and TablesThe information contained in a graph or a table can also be expressed in words. The following are some useful expressions describing graphs and tables.

make up account for   be responsible for   contribute to   constitute  

Example:

According to Figure 1, food garbage makes up 17% of the total solid waste collected in the United States in 1975.

When comparison is involved, these expressions may be used:

Example:

There is/was/has been a steady decline in oil price.

Adjective Nounslight rise

slow increase

steep rise

gradual decrease

steady decline

marked fall

dramatic drop

sharp drop

sudden drop

considerable drop

rapid drop

Verb adverbrise slightly

increase slowly

decrease gradually

decline steadily

fall markedly

drop dramatically

drop considerably

Climb steadily

fluctuated slightlyExample:

It can be seen from Figure 3 that the concentration of sulfur dioxide increases sharply from September and falls dramatically from December.

Useful language for interpreting graphs The graph illustrates / shows the rise in . . . The graph illustrates / shows that . . . It is estimated that . . . Which factor comes top / bottom / second from the bottom? Compare the data in the bar graph / chart. Give the percentages of several factors. Which factor is the highest /

the lowest? The trend (in customer numbers) was upward X downward. There was / has been a downward trend in customer numbers. The trend was flat. The present trend is maintained. Production started the year in a stable position, but then plunged / pl

ummeted / slumped in the third quarter. It has now flattened out / levelled out / bottomed out at

a level of . . .

Production showed a marginal rise in the first three quarters, but then suffered a sharp drop.

Production has experienced a strong, steady growth over the whole year.

Production grew rapidly in the first quarter, but reached a plateau of about . . . Since then it has

remained more or less stable. / Since then, it has quickly dropped. Production started climbing steadily / began to rise rapidly but levell

ed off / flattened off at a level of around . . . Since then it has fallen steadily.

Sales rocketed. Prices are soaring / rocketing / skyrocketing. Customer numbers (have) soared. There was / has been a steep rise in customer numbers. Customer numbers hit / reached a peak. There was a peak in customer numbers. There was a slight dip in customer numbers. There was a steady fall / decline in customer numbers.

Production has fluctuated all year. Customer numbers were erratic. Customer numbers rose. There was a gradual rise in customer numbers. There has been a slight increase in production over the year. Numbers fell steadily. Production has dropped slowly but steadily over the year. The number of customers fell dramatically. Production fell sharply / considerably in / over the last quarter,

reaching a low of . . . Since then it has staged a partial recovery. There was a rapid / considerable / dramatic / sharp drop in

production in the first two quarters. Customer numbers dipped / plunged. Customer numbers fluctuated slightly X wildly. There were considerable / wild fluctuations in customer numbers.

Example 1

Example 2

Action Verbs

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/543/02/

An action verb expresses achievements or something a person does in a concise, persuasive manner.

Why is it Important to Use Action Verbs

in Workplace Writing?

You should use action verbs in workplace writing because they make sentences and statements more concise. Since concise writing is easier for readers to understand, it is more reader-centered. Because reader-centered writing is generally more persuasive, action verbs are more convincing than non-action verbs.

Which sentence below is more concise ?

- Was the boss of a team of six service employees

- Supervised a team of six service employees

Because concise writing is easier for readers to understand, the job description using an action verb is more powerful and persuasive.

Using a non-action verb – less conciseThis sentence contains ten words, and it focuses action on a form of the verb "to be" (was).

Using an action verb – more concise.This sentence seven words, and it focuses action on an action verb (supervised).

Examples of action verbs in resume job descriptions:

Accelerated introduction of a new technology, which increased productivity by 15%

Organized consumer databases to efficiently track product orders

Supervised a team of six service employees.

Use action verbs in resumes to describe all skills, jobs, or accomplishments. Using action verbs will allow you to highlight the tasks you can do. Word choice is critical in order to describe what you have done and to persuade potential employers to give you an interview.

Categorized List of Action Verbs

This categorized list contains action verbs you can use to compose concise, persuasive, reader-centered resumes, cover letters, or other types of workplace documents. The examples are illustrations that overview the uses of action verbs in professional writing.

Action verb - Communication Skills

Negotiated price reductions of up to 30% with key suppliers

Interpreted financial information from the company’s annual report

Translated all relevant company information into three different languages

Other words: Advocated, Clarified, Corresponded, Encouraged,

Interpreted, Negotiated, Persuaded, Presented, Publicized, Solicited, Spoke, Translated

Action verb - Creative Skills

Created an interior design layout for a 500 square foot retail venue

Introduced a new method of navigating through the A Software Program

Presented a new research project to the managers at the location

Other words: Acted, Applied, Composed, Created, Established,

Founded, Improvised, Introduced, Navigated, Originated, Presented

Action verb - Data / Financial Skills

Computed and recorded inventory valuation on a monthly basis

Documented inventory counts at the end of each working day

Verified the amount owed to the creditor in the Accounts Payable account

Other words: Adjusted, Allocated, Budgeted, Compared, Computed,

Counted, Documented, Estimated, Forecasted, Inventoried, Invested, Predicted, Projected, Quantified, Recorded, Retrieved, Verified

Action verb - Helping Skills

Assisted customers with choosing appropriate products Trained new employees in the plant through

demonstration techniques Volunteered in the nursing home every weekend to

serve the community

Other words: Aided, Assisted, Built, Demonstrated, Facilitated,

Familiarized, Helped, Performed, Represented, Solved, Supported, Trained, Upheld, Volunteered, Worked

Action verb - Management / Leadership Skills

Administered a variety of surveys to collect data about the employees

Implemented a safety communication program to promote safety awareness

Recommended an alternative solution to one of the company's problems

Other words: Achieved, Administered, Assigned, Attained, Challenged,

Coordinated, Decided, Delegated, Established, Executed, Handled, Headed, Implemented, Incorporated, Intervened, Launched, Led, Managed, Mediated, Motivated, Organized, Oversaw, Planned, Prioritized, Recommended, Scheduled, Supervised, United

Action verb - Efficiency Skills

Eliminated unnecessary cost of each unit of production Maximized profits by 15% during the month of July Heightened the level of employee moral through

program incentives Other words: Accelerated, Allocated, Boosted, Centralized,

Downsized, Edited, Eliminated, Enhanced, Expanded, Expedited, Heightened, Lessened, Leveraged, Maximized, Merged, Optimized, Outlined, Outsourced, Prevented, Prioritized, Reorganized, Reduced, Revised, Simplified, Standardized, Stream-lined, Synthesized, Systematized, Upgraded

Action verb - Research Skills

Examined a new mechanism that may reduce sickness on the campus

Identified a major defect in a microscopic organism last month

Surveyed a group of Purdue students with regard to Product A

Other words: Analyzed, Collected, Compared, Controlled, Detected,

Diagnosed, Evaluated, Examined, Gathered, Identified, Investigated, Located, Measured, Organized, Reported, Replicated, Researched, Reviewed, Searched, Surveyed, Wrote

Action verb - Teaching Skills

Defined a new product strategy and discussed how it would be implemented

Instructed Department B on how to reduce inventory and raise net sales

Prepared a tutorial manual for an English class last semester

Other words: Aided, Advised, Clarified, Communicated, Defined,

Developed, Encouraged, Evaluated, Facilitated, Fostered, Guided, Helped, Incorporated, Informed, Initiated, Instructed, Lectured, Prepared, Supported, Supervised, Stimulated, Taught

Action verb - Technical Skills

Assembled an entire computer programming simulation for my CPT course

Designed a new form of Widget C for a manufacturing facility

Programmed three new computer programs tailored for a network system

Other words: Analyzed, Assembled, Built, Calculated, Computed,

Conducted, Designed, Devised, Engineered, Maintained, Operated, Programmed, Reengineered, Remodeled, Transmitted

Web links

http://penscanner.bellus.com.tw/howtothesis-2.html (Technical writing)

http://pioneer.netserv.chula.ac.th/~pkanchan/html/eap2.htm (English for Academic Purposes -Science)

http://www.cs.washington.edu/homes/mernst/advice/write-technical-paper.html (Writing a technical paper)

http://infolab.stanford.edu/~widom/paper-writing.html (tips for writing technical papers)