English 222: Technical Writing — Task: Technical Writing Sample Analysis

Sample Comparison

1. Start a new file in Microsoft Word.
2. Type your name,  the date, and English 322: Technical Writing at the top of the page.
3. Now create a table in Microsoft Word by choosing Insert>Table from the Table Menu.
4. Make your table 5 columns and at least 15 rows and click OK. If you need to add rows, click in the bottom right corner of your table and press tab. If you need help with making a table, please ask.
5. In the top row, type the headings listed in the sample table below. Make these headings bold (but do not make the whole table bold):

Title of Sample Item	Technical Writing Category	Audience	Format Features	Linguistic Features
Java.sun.com main web page	Definition	Web designers	Bullets	Computer web server terms

1. Now enter into the table each of the technical writing samples people brought to class.
2. Once you are finished, click and drag your rows to resort them by technical writing category. That way, you can group all the definition examples together.
3. Save your file as Name-Sample Analysis.
4. Below your chart, write a definition for “technical writing” based on the analysis you’ve just done. Your definition should cover most of the sample items in the list, though you might feel that you need to exclude some items.