1、Objectives and OutcomesLearn how to use definitions in business writing:Informal definition Formal definition Guidelines for technical definitionI.IntroductionTechnical writing involves using many special terms that audience may not be familiar with.To make your writing easy to understand,you should
2、 explain the meaning of the terms that are new to readers.A definition gives a precise meaning of a new term by identifying its particular qualities and by distinguishing it from all others.You should generally provide definitions for the following terms.Technical term专业术语:a word with specialized me
3、aning.E.g.tariff(tax on imports or exports);myocardial infarction(heart attack)Semi-technical term 半专业术语:a word with different meanings in different disciplines.E.g.power:1)electricity;2)rate of doing work;3)exponent;4)military strength.Jargon行话:a general word that is used in a special trade with sp
4、ecial meaning.E.g.bull(investor expecting stock prices to go up)and bear(investor expecting stocking prices to go down)II.Informal Definition 非正式定义非正式定义An informal definition is a synonym:a familiar word or phrase substituted for an unfamiliar one.It is usually used in the form of a parenthesis or a
5、n appositive after the term it explains.An appositive has the same meaning as and is in the same grammatical level with its antecedent.Examples:A compound microscope 复显微镜 has two lenses:an objective lens 物镜 and an ocular(eyepiece)lens 目镜.The optimum(most favorable)cutting speed of cast iron 铸铁，生铁 is
6、 100 feet per minute.In industry,certain alloys 合金 or mixtures of metals are said to have been developed.Oxygen must enter the blood and reach every body cell so that foods may be burnedmore precisely,oxidized 氧化.Speculators in the security market are generally classified into two categories:bulls(p
7、eople who believe the price will go up)and bears(people who believe the price will go down).Points of note:Not only nouns,but also adjectives and verbs,can have an informal definition.Informal definitions provide readers with a quick and handy explanation of a difficult term in the text.It is especi
8、ally useful when the writer does not wish to interrupt the flow of the presentation with a long and formal definition.III.Formal Definition 正式定义正式定义A formal definition is a precise,detailed explanation of the term in question.It generally consists of three parts organized in a specific form:The term
9、+the class word+distinguishing characteristics The termthe word to be defined The word of class 类别词the group or category of similar items The distinguishing characteristics 区别性特征essential qualities that set the term apart from all other terms of the same class.Examples of Formal Definition TermClass
10、 wordDistinguishing CharacteristicsA pediatricianA telescopeA monopolyA turnoveris a doctoris an instrumentis a large companyis an amount of moneywho treats diseases of infants and children.for magnifying distant objects.controlling all or most of a business activity.taken by a business in a particu
11、lar period.Practice:Explain the following technical terms with a formal definition.(1)A camera is device used for taking photos.(2)A computer is an electronic machine that processes information automatically according to a program.(3)A stomach is an organ in the body of animals for storing and diges
12、ting food.(4)A heart is an organ inside the body that works as a pump to keep the blood circulation throughout the body.(5)A market is an area in which commercial dealings are conducted.(6)An advertisement isan announcement in a public medium for promoting a product or service.(7)Currency is a syste
13、m of money that a country uses.(8)Business iswork that you do as part of your job and not for pleasure.(9)Tariff is a tax or duty to be paid on a particular class of imports or exports.(10)Customs arean official department that checks goods coming into a country and collects any taxes on them.IV.Gui
14、delines for Definition Writing1.Specifying the Class WordThe class word identifies a group or category of similar terms.E.g.A table is a piece of furniture.A stethoscope is a medical listening instrument.When determining a class,you should try to choose a precise and specific term rather than a gene
15、ral one.E.g.a hammer:an object;a tool;a hand tool a computer:a machine;an electronic machine a bacterium:an organism;a microorganism The more specific a class is,the fewer things there are in the class,and the simpler it is to determine distinguishing characteristics.2.Determining Distinguishing Cha
16、racteristicsThe distinguishing characteristics identify the essential qualities that set the term apart from all other terms of the same class.To be accurate,this part must state the properties,qualities,uses or origins that are essential for the term.Otherwise,the definition may be inadequate or mi
17、sleading.E.g.A school is a place where you can find desks and chairs.A man is an animal with eight fingers and two thumbs.To avoid confusing peripheral information with the essential distinguishing characteristics,you must have an understanding of the essence of the term being defined.The definition
18、 can be improved by stating a terms most distinguishable characteristics.A school is a place where children receive an education.A man is an animal with the ability to make and use tools,to speak and to reason.3.Definition and ExampleA definition is a statement of the meaning of a term,but not an ex
19、ample.E.g.Conduction occurs when you hold a glass in your hand and it becomes warmer.A scientific law is a law like Newtons Law of mechanics.Instead of directly explaining the meaning of the term the sentences give examples.They can be improved by adding a definition.Conduction is a phenomenon of tr
20、ansmitting energy through a material.For example,when you hold a glass in your hand for a while,it becomes warmer.A scientific law is a law of nature or human activities,such as Newtons Law of mechanics.4.Avoiding Circular Definition 避免循环避免循环定义定义A circular definition is one that defines a term with
21、another derived from the same root.循环定义是使用和被定义词同源（或同根）的词语来下定义。E.g.An astronomer is one who studies astronomy.CT is a machine that takes CT pictures.The distinguishing characteristic is presented with a word from the same root as the term being defined,e.g.astronomerastronomy.They can be improved by
22、using words readers may be familiar with.An astronomer is a scientist who studies the science of the universe,esp.heavenly bodies.CT is an X-ray machine controlled by a computer system that can take pictures of the body tissue layer by layer.5.General ReferenceDefinitions are general statements and
23、so definite article“the”is not used with the subject or the predicative in the definition.Carbon is a non-metallic element with six protons in the nuclear and six electrons around it.A microscope is a device that produces a magnified image of a very small object.6.Placement of DefinitionsDefinitions
24、 are usually placed in the text immediately after the terms they define.However,too many definitions or too long a definition may disturb a reader who does not need them.Here are several suggestions.(1)If the definition is short or if you feel most of your audience need the definition,place it in th
25、e text with the defined word.(2)If your definition is longer than a sentence or two and your audience is a mixed one(part expert and part lay),you may put your definition in a footnote 脚注 at the bottom of the page or in an endnote 尾注 at the end of your document.(3)If you have to provide many short d
26、efinitions and you believe that not all of your audiences need them,you should place the definitions in a glossary术语表.When you use a glossary,be sure to draw your readers attention to it in the table of contents.(4)If you have some lengthy definitions(more than two hundred words each)for some but no
27、t all of your audience,place them in an appendix 附录.At the points in your text where readers may need the definitions,be sure to tell readers where to find them.V.Summary:Definitions make technical terms easy to understand.An informal definition is a synonym used as a parenthesis or an appositive af
28、ter the term it explains.A formal definition follows the pattern“Term+class word+distinguishing characteristics.”The class word should be precise and specific.The distinguishing characteristics should identify the essential qualities that set the term apart from all other terms of the same class.A d
29、efinition is different from an example.Avoid a circular definition,which defines a term with a word derived from the same root.Extra Exercises:Capital is money or property that is used to start a business.Credit is an arrangement with a shop or bank that allows you to buy something and pay for it la
30、ter.Revenue is money that a government receives from tax.A blog is a website containing a diary or journal on a particular subject.Internet is A international computer network providing electronic information from computers via modem links.A virtual community is a communication group established on the Internet.
