Tone & Professionalism

Tone & Professionalism

In writing studies, the word tone refers to the writer’s relationship to the subject and audience as it is reflected in the text. In terms of tone, technical writing should be:

• Professional, meaning that the writing is suitable for the business relationship the writer has with the reader. 

• Knowledgeable, meaning that the writing demonstrates the writer’s proficiency in the topic they are writing about. 

• Accessible, meaning that the writing is easily understandable to the target audience. 

• Objective, meaning that the writing is a neutral representation of the facts. 

When you write, ask yourself these questions:

1. Who is my audience? Engineers write for a variety of audiences, including

• Other engineers

• Non-engineer coworkers

• Funding agencies

• Government officials

• Clients

• Community members

2. What is my purpose for communicating with my audience? Technical writing is done for a variety of purposes. A technical writer’s purpose could be 

• To inform the audience about a project’s progress or results

• To request funds or other resources to conduct research

• To explain the operation of a piece of equipment

• To instruct the audience about an experimental procedure

3. What is my purpose for writing? Technical writing takes many forms, such as 

• Reports

• Specifications

• Proposals

• Patents

• Posters

• Correspondence (emails, letters, etc.) 

Because your exact response to each of these questions will vary with each writing situation, your approach to maintaining a professional, knowledgeable, accessible, and objective tone will also depend on the situation. 

For example, when writing for non-expert audiences (such as your non-engineer coworkers or community members), you should avoid needless jargon. When jargon is unavoidable (i.e. when a technical term cannot be substituted for layman’s terms), you must define terms that may be unfamiliar to the audience. On the other hand, when writing to an expert audience, you can use technical terms more freely because the audience is more likely to understand them.

The following sample sentences demonstrate common issues in technical writing that detract from professional, knowledgeable, accessible, and objective tone. Each sentence has been revised to demonstrate more appropriate wording. 

Professional Tone

Sample: In order to address the design problem, we must first understand just what exactly hypersonic speeds are. 

Revised: A clear understanding of hypersonic speed is critical for the completion of this project. “Hypersonic speed” refers to speed at or above Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound [1]. 

Explanation: In the sample sentence, the writer is attempting to broach the topic of hypersonic speed as a point of discussion, but their tone is too conversational for a technical report. The revised sentences broach the topic, emphasizing its importance for the project, and clearly define hypersonic speed as the term will be used throughout the rest of the document.  

Knowledgeable Tone

Sample: Although window air conditioning units draw significantly less power, they can only cool one small room in a house. A single central air conditioning unit is therefore more efficient for a modest single family home. 

Revised: While a 2 ton central air conditioning unit draws about 2,000 watts per hour, a window air conditioning unit draws about 800 watts per hour. However, these window units can only cool about 350 square feet. Therefore, a single central air conditioning unit is more efficient to cool a 1,400 square foot house.  

Explanation: In the sample sentence, the writer is clearly comparing window air conditioning units and central air conditioning units; however, their lack of specificity about power draw and area that can be cooled by each type makes the comparison imprecise. In the revised sentence, the writer demonstrates their knowledge by including specific units of measure for both values.  

Accessible Tone

Sample: Our marketing department will disseminate surveys and conduct a market analysis to determine the demographic makeup and spending habits of our customer base.

Revised: Our marketing department will gather data about our customers.  

Explanation: The sample sentence is filled with unnecessary jargon, while the revised sentence gets the point across more clearly and quickly. Note that what counts as “jargon” depends on the context and audience. In this case, an audience of engineers likely won’t find dense information about marketing useful. It would, however, be appropriate to use engineering jargon in a technical report written for an audience of engineers. 

Objective Tone  

Sample: The team is designing an assistive mobility device for a client who enjoys hiking but, unfortunately, does not have the ability to walk properly due to a tragic accident. 

Revised: The team is designing an mobility device for a client who requires assistance traversing uneven terrain while hiking. 

Explanation: The language in the sample sentence (specifically, the words “unfortunately” and “tragic”) reflect the writer’s feelings about the client’s situation. The revised sentence, on the other hand, more appropriately reflects the facts that have bearing on the design project.