Composition The kind of writing you as engineers concerned with will be expository writing. Exposition (which means to “make known” or “to reveal”) is a type of writing whose primary purpose is to inform and explain things to the readers. Informing the readers can be achieved in different ways, such as: -Defining terms (Definitions) - Classifying concepts into basic types (Classification and Partition) - Comparing and contrasting two processes (Comparison and Contrast) - Examining the causes of a problem and analyzing its effects. (Causal Analysis)
Definitions
Short
Synonym/ Phrase
Extended
Sentence (or formal definition)
What is a definition? • Definition is writing that explains what a word or term means. • Having a clear understanding of what a word or term means can avoid confusion and mistakes. Some words, like table, book, tree, have definite, concrete meanings. Such words are often defined in just a few carefully chosen words in a dictionary and you can depend on the dictionary definition for their meanings.
Why do we need to write definitions in writing? The primary reason to include definitions in your writing is to avoid misunderstanding with your audience (reader). Writing definitions in your writing helps you convey what you want to say and to avoid confusion.
Short definitions consist of a single word, a phrase or a sentence, like those in a glossary or a dictionary. A) Synonym and Phrase Definitions Examples -The field of robots is designed to give to robots visual perception (sight). -Modems, devices linking computers with each other or with information services, are becoming increasingly powerful and sophisticated .
Sentence definitions (or formal definition)
Term
Class
Specific Differences
The term is the particular word or expression that needs defining. The class is the group to which this word belongs. The specific differences are those features of the term that make it different from all other terms that belong in the same class. The specific differences are usually given in the relative clause or prepositional phrase that follows the class.
We normally write formal definitions like this:
Term
Verb
Class
Distinguishing features
Change
is
a type of process
which involves passing from one state or Phase to another
Here is another way of writing a formal definition: Class
Distinguishing features
Verb
Term
The process
which involves passing from one state or phase to another
is called
change
Identify the term, class, and specific differences in the following definitions. 1) Computer hardware can be defined as the machinery and equipment used in computer applications. 2) A bus can be defined as a vehicle which is used to transport people from one place to another.