COMMUNICATION SKILLS NOTES
Tenses
The question is really two parts:
1. Tense and Voice → Why they matter in technical writing.
2. Connect it with Sudha Murty’s “How I Taught My Grandmother to Read” (from your
Communication syllabus).
1. Tense in Technical Writing
● Consistency: Technical writing (lab reports, manuals, project docs) must use a
consistent tense.
● Present tense → for facts, definitions, and general truths.
○ Example: “Water boils at 100°C.”
● Past tense → for methods and results already done.
○ Example: “The experiment was conducted in three stages.”
● Future tense → for recommendations or upcoming tasks.
○ Example: “The system will be upgraded in the next phase.”
👉 Relevance: Clear tense use avoids confusion about whether something is a fact, an
observation, or a plan.
1
,2. Voice in Technical Writing
● Active voice (preferred in technical writing):
○ Clearer, direct, less wordy.
○ Example: “We conducted the survey.”
● Passive voice (used when focus is on the action, not the doer):
○ Example: “The survey was conducted.”
● Balance: Overuse of passive makes writing dull; technical writing often uses active for
clarity, passive only when necessary.
3. Connection with Sudha Murty’s Story
In “How I Taught My Grandmother to Read”:
● The narrative is in past tense, because Sudha Murty recalls events from her childhood.
This makes the storytelling clear and time-bound.
● The story also uses active voice (e.g., “I taught my grandmother to read”) which makes it
personal and engaging.
● If the same story were told in a passive voice (“My grandmother was taught to read by
me”), it would lose its warmth and directness.
👉 Exam relevance: Just like Sudha Murty’s use of tense and voice makes her narrative
effective, in technical writing too, choosing the right tense and voice ensures clarity, precision,
and impact.
4. Quick Exam Note (5–6 lines)
Tense and voice are vital in technical writing for clarity and accuracy. Present tense states facts,
past tense describes completed actions, and future tense shows plans. Active voice makes
writing direct and clear, while passive voice is used when the doer is less important. In Sudha
Murty’s “How I Taught My Grandmother to Read”, past tense and active voice make the narrative
lively and personal. Similarly, in technical writing, proper tense and balanced voice help in
conveying information effectively.
2
, Sentence Structure: Types & Transformation
1. Types of Sentences by Structure
● Simple Sentence:
○ Has one independent clause (subject + verb + complete idea).
○ Example: “She closed her eyes.”
● Compound Sentence:
○ Has two or more independent clauses, joined by a coordinating conjunction (and,
but, or, so, yet, for, nor).
○ Example: “He smiled, and she turned away.”
● Complex Sentence:
○ Has one main clause + one or more subordinate clauses (joined by
subordinating conjunctions like because, although, when, if, since).
○ Example: “She did not realize that he was blind.”
2. Transformation of Sentences
Changing one form into another without changing the meaning:
● Simple → Compound:
○ Simple: “On seeing the train, he ran.”
○ Compound: “He saw the train, and he ran.”
● Compound → Complex:
○ Compound: “He is poor but he is honest.”
○ Complex: “Although he is poor, he is honest.”
3
Tenses
The question is really two parts:
1. Tense and Voice → Why they matter in technical writing.
2. Connect it with Sudha Murty’s “How I Taught My Grandmother to Read” (from your
Communication syllabus).
1. Tense in Technical Writing
● Consistency: Technical writing (lab reports, manuals, project docs) must use a
consistent tense.
● Present tense → for facts, definitions, and general truths.
○ Example: “Water boils at 100°C.”
● Past tense → for methods and results already done.
○ Example: “The experiment was conducted in three stages.”
● Future tense → for recommendations or upcoming tasks.
○ Example: “The system will be upgraded in the next phase.”
👉 Relevance: Clear tense use avoids confusion about whether something is a fact, an
observation, or a plan.
1
,2. Voice in Technical Writing
● Active voice (preferred in technical writing):
○ Clearer, direct, less wordy.
○ Example: “We conducted the survey.”
● Passive voice (used when focus is on the action, not the doer):
○ Example: “The survey was conducted.”
● Balance: Overuse of passive makes writing dull; technical writing often uses active for
clarity, passive only when necessary.
3. Connection with Sudha Murty’s Story
In “How I Taught My Grandmother to Read”:
● The narrative is in past tense, because Sudha Murty recalls events from her childhood.
This makes the storytelling clear and time-bound.
● The story also uses active voice (e.g., “I taught my grandmother to read”) which makes it
personal and engaging.
● If the same story were told in a passive voice (“My grandmother was taught to read by
me”), it would lose its warmth and directness.
👉 Exam relevance: Just like Sudha Murty’s use of tense and voice makes her narrative
effective, in technical writing too, choosing the right tense and voice ensures clarity, precision,
and impact.
4. Quick Exam Note (5–6 lines)
Tense and voice are vital in technical writing for clarity and accuracy. Present tense states facts,
past tense describes completed actions, and future tense shows plans. Active voice makes
writing direct and clear, while passive voice is used when the doer is less important. In Sudha
Murty’s “How I Taught My Grandmother to Read”, past tense and active voice make the narrative
lively and personal. Similarly, in technical writing, proper tense and balanced voice help in
conveying information effectively.
2
, Sentence Structure: Types & Transformation
1. Types of Sentences by Structure
● Simple Sentence:
○ Has one independent clause (subject + verb + complete idea).
○ Example: “She closed her eyes.”
● Compound Sentence:
○ Has two or more independent clauses, joined by a coordinating conjunction (and,
but, or, so, yet, for, nor).
○ Example: “He smiled, and she turned away.”
● Complex Sentence:
○ Has one main clause + one or more subordinate clauses (joined by
subordinating conjunctions like because, although, when, if, since).
○ Example: “She did not realize that he was blind.”
2. Transformation of Sentences
Changing one form into another without changing the meaning:
● Simple → Compound:
○ Simple: “On seeing the train, he ran.”
○ Compound: “He saw the train, and he ran.”
● Compound → Complex:
○ Compound: “He is poor but he is honest.”
○ Complex: “Although he is poor, he is honest.”
3
