TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
I am happy to say somehow I made it through the public school system knowing
exactly what a noun was. I could even diagram my sentences. I am also happy
to
say I am one semester away from having a bachelor's degree in english, with
technical writing emphasis.
______________________________
I didn't know much about grammar until college, when my "Modern Grammar"
teacher taught us variants from the traditional way of teaching grammar. I
finally got the clue after working with transformation grammar. BTW, I
can't diagram a sentence to save my life. Nor do I want to.
No lie--I actually had a participant (engineer) in my tech. writing class
ask if we could do some sentence diagramming! Again, the analytical
personality is good at breaking things apart, and he was good at diagramming
sentences. He'd succeeded in that part of the English class, even though he
had difficulty with the creative writing part (which, of course, gave him
the idea that he was not a good writer). Of course, many engineers can
write well. They just don't like to do, "If I were a tree, what tree would
I be?" essays.
Kayla Westra
Black & Veatch
13718westr -at- kcpbldg01 -dot- bv -dot- com
