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Congratulations! You've completed the pre-class portion of Technical Writing
One, which covered the following fundamental principles of technical writing:
Use commas to force short pauses within a sentence or
to separate items in a list.
Use a period to separate distinct thoughts; use a semicolon
to unite highly related thoughts.
Use a colon instead of a period in a sentence that introduces
a list.
If your organization offers the instructor-led portion of Technical Writing One,
you're now ready for that class. If your organization doesn't offer the
instructor-led portion of Technical Writing One, note that Google occasionally
offers the course. See theAnnouncements pagefor
details.
[[["Easy to understand","easyToUnderstand","thumb-up"],["Solved my problem","solvedMyProblem","thumb-up"],["Other","otherUp","thumb-up"]],[["Missing the information I need","missingTheInformationINeed","thumb-down"],["Too complicated / too many steps","tooComplicatedTooManySteps","thumb-down"],["Out of date","outOfDate","thumb-down"],["Samples / code issue","samplesCodeIssue","thumb-down"],["Other","otherDown","thumb-down"]],["Last updated 2025-08-22 UTC."],[[["\u003cp\u003eTechnical Writing One emphasizes clear and concise writing by focusing on consistent terminology, active voice, specific verbs, and single ideas per sentence.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eThis course teaches effective communication through proper list usage, introductory elements, impactful opening sentences, and targeted paragraph structure.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eUnderstanding audience needs and tailoring documentation accordingly are crucial aspects of technical writing discussed in the course.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eTechnical Writing One is divided into pre-class and in-class components, with options for public courses if in-class sessions are unavailable within your organization.\u003c/p\u003e\n"]]],["Technical writing involves consistent terminology and avoiding ambiguous pronouns. Use active voice, specific verbs, and single-idea sentences. Convert long sentences to lists and eliminate unnecessary words. Employ numbered lists for ordered items and bulleted lists for unordered ones, ensuring parallel list items. Start numbered lists with imperative words and introduce lists and tables properly. Focus paragraphs on a single topic, and tailor the document to audience needs. Highlight the key points at the beginning.\n"],null,["# Summary of Technical Writing One pre-class\n\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\n| **Estimated Time:** 2 minutes\n\nCongratulations! You've completed the pre-class portion of Technical Writing\nOne, which covered the following fundamental principles of technical writing:\n\n| Section | Lesson |\n|--------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|\n| [Words](/tech-writing/one/words) |\n| [Words](/tech-writing/one/words) | Define new or unfamiliar terms. |\n| [Words](/tech-writing/one/words) | Use terms consistently. |\n| [Words](/tech-writing/one/words) | Avoid ambiguous pronouns. |\n| [Active voice](/tech-writing/one/active-voice) |\n| [Active voice](/tech-writing/one/active-voice) | Prefer active voice to passive voice. |\n| [Clear sentences](/tech-writing/one/clear-sentences) |\n| [Clear sentences](/tech-writing/one/clear-sentences) | Pick specific verbs over vague ones. |\n| [Clear sentences](/tech-writing/one/clear-sentences) | Reduce *there is* and *there are*. |\n| [Short sentences](/tech-writing/one/short-sentences) |\n| [Short sentences](/tech-writing/one/short-sentences) | Focus each sentence on a single idea. |\n| [Short sentences](/tech-writing/one/short-sentences) | Convert some long sentences to lists. |\n| [Short sentences](/tech-writing/one/short-sentences) | Eliminate unneeded words. |\n| [Lists and tables](/tech-writing/one/lists-and-tables) |\n| [Lists and tables](/tech-writing/one/lists-and-tables) | Use a numbered list when ordering is important and a bulleted list when ordering is irrelevant. |\n| [Lists and tables](/tech-writing/one/lists-and-tables) | Keep list items parallel. |\n| [Lists and tables](/tech-writing/one/lists-and-tables) | Start numbered list items with imperative words. |\n| [Paragraphs](/tech-writing/one/paragraphs) |\n| [Paragraphs](/tech-writing/one/paragraphs) | Establish a paragraph's central point in the first sentence. |\n| [Paragraphs](/tech-writing/one/paragraphs) | Focus each paragraph on a single topic. |\n| [Audience](/tech-writing/one/audience) |\n| [Audience](/tech-writing/one/audience) | Determine what your audience needs to learn. |\n| [Audience](/tech-writing/one/audience) | Fit documentation to your audience. |\n| [Documents](/tech-writing/one/documents) |\n| [Documents](/tech-writing/one/documents) | Begin a document by stating its scope, audience, and key points. |\n| [Documents](/tech-writing/one/documents) | Aim the document at your audience. |\n| [Punctuation](/tech-writing/one/documents) |\n| [Punctuation](/tech-writing/one/documents) | Use commas to force short pauses within a sentence or to separate items in a list. |\n| [Punctuation](/tech-writing/one/documents) | Use a period to separate distinct thoughts; use a semicolon to unite highly related thoughts. |\n| [Punctuation](/tech-writing/one/documents) | Use a colon instead of a period in a sentence that introduces a list. |\n\nIf your organization offers the instructor-led portion of Technical Writing One,\nyou're now ready for that class. If your organization doesn't offer the\ninstructor-led portion of Technical Writing One, note that Google occasionally\noffers the course. See the [Announcements page](/tech-writing/announcements) for\ndetails."]]
