The ministry of higher and secondary specialized education of the republic of uzbekistan the regional center for training and professional

1. Be concise
In English we prefer shorter sentences and in technical English this is even more 
important. The ideas we are trying to communicate are often complex and so we 
need the language to be as clear as possible to avoid confusion. To achieve this, 
use the simplest conjunctions where possible. 

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For example: 
• 
‘To tighten the bolt, screw it clockwise’ 
• 
‘Tighten the bolt by screwing it down’ 
2. Be precise 
When it comes to technical writing, accuracy is important. Eliminate any doubts by 
using the active voice so it is clear who is doing what. 
For example: 
• 
‘The rising temperature increases the pressure in the machine’ (instead of ‘The 
pressure in the machine is increased’). 
Use the passive only when you are certain it is obvious to any potential reader who 
the subject is, when it is stated in the text already, or when it does not matter. 
For example: 
• 
‘The pressure in the machine increases and the plastic is forced through the 
tube.’ 
3. Consider your audience 
Perhaps the people you are speaking with (or writing to) do not have the same level 
of technical knowledge as you, so make sure you have included an appropriate 
amount of background knowledge. 
Make sure that any technical terms and acronyms are easily understood. Also 
consider whether your audience use a different measuring system to yours. For 
example, some British and American companies still use the Imperial system 
whereas most European companies use the metric system. You may need to 
specify which system you are using when working with measurements. 
The same applies to dates and numbers. For example, with dates, using the 
example of the 1st of April 2009: 
• 
British English - would be written as 01/04/2009 (day/month/year) 
• 
American English - be written as 04/01/2009 (month/day/year) 

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Ordinary numbers can be confusing too. In British and American English we use a 
comma (,) for thousands, e.g. 9,000,000 (nine million); and a dot (.) to show a 
decimal place, eg 6.92% (six point nine two percent). This is different from the 
system in many other countries, where they use a comma for decimals and a dot 
for thousands.