Finding the Meaning
by Ms. Grammar
Awk /awk/: An expression which is awkward to manipulate… (dictionary.com)
The definition above is from the programming, but it can also be applied to those snarled, complicated sentences and paragraphs that we all encounter. Technical editors write “awk” in the margin when they find such content. Such problems might be found in an engineering specification we are trying to digest, a white paper we are editing, or in our own writing. Let’s face it, writing clearly is never simple.
Kathy Underwood of the STC Technical Editing SIG offers a great method for dissecting tangled content that involves a simplified diagramming approach.
Learn this approach – you won’t be sorry! Read Technical Stylist’s Tip: The Diagramless Diagram.
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