ers and scientists must be able to describe complex phenomena with great precision. Such communication requires simple words and straightforward sentences. Concrete words should be chosen to convey information; whereas pompous words and phrases must be avoided. In addition, technical writers should arrange these words in a "logical" and "linear manner (Neufeld 3)." It is the interrelationship between the different words that makes English understandable. Effective writing is the same as controlled writing.
In addition, technical writers should remain aware of their readers. While most engineering and science articles are serious in nature, writers should still try to be interesting. Engineers and scientists are permitted to show the enthusiasm for their work (O'Connor 58).
According to Petroski (1993), "some of the most accomplished engineers of all time have paid as much attention to their words as to their numbers, to their sentences as to their equations, and to their reports as to their designs (423)." Indeed, one way to lose control of technology is to lose control of technological language (Smith 567). Effective communication enables modern technology to function. When language fails, the consequences may be considerable. Mermin (1989) suggests that, in recent years, the use of plain readable English in scientific discourse has been on the decline. The article declares that bad writing is not only "sad and dangerous," but a "calamity for science" in general. The author notes that "bad thinking is vastly easier to cover up if you're allowed to get away with and even enco
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