To write clear instructions, first make sure you understand exactly how to complete the task. Follow your instructions literally to make sure they will accomplish the task. To write clear instructions, break up the task you're trying to describe into multiple steps that each contain just one action, which will make your instructions easier to follow. Also, start each step with an action word, like in "Cut the apple" or "Drain the pasta," so it's clear what action readers need to take.
You should also make sure you're using simple language and avoiding jargon or technical terms whenever possible. If you do need to use a technical term, give a short definition for readers who may not be familiar with it. To learn how to test your instructions to see if they're clear enough, scroll down!
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We use cookies to make wikiHow great. By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article parts. Related Articles. Article Summary. Part 1. Gather the materials needed. When you're writing instructions, you must first be familiar with the task personally. Get all the tools and supplies you'll need and lay them out in roughly the order you'll need them.
When you write your instructions, you may want to include a list of tools or materials that are necessary to complete the task. Perform the task yourself. Even if you've successfully completed the task several times, it's still a good idea to walk yourself through it before you write your instructions, so you don't forget anything. Make a detailed outline. As you perform the task, take a moment to write down what you've done. This helps you keep the instructions in logical order.
If you're doing the task as you write down the steps, you know exactly what needs to be done and when. Define your audience. Instructions for the same task may be written in different ways depending on who will be reading and attempting to follow your instructions. Career Coach. You'll write differently for teenagers than you will for adults. The instructions for kids working on a project will be different from the instructions for parents helping their kids with a project.
In instructions, you must alert readers to possibilities in which they may damage their equipment, waste supplies, cause the entire procedure to fail, injure themselves or others—even seriously or fatally.
Companies have been sued for lack of these special notices, for poorly written special notices, or for special notices that were out of place. See special notices for a complete discussion of the proper use of these special notices as well as their format and placement within instructions.
Indentation of notices in instructions. In the first example, notice how the notice is indented to the text of the preceding step. In the second example, notice that the severe notice is placed at the beginning before any of the steps. Number, abbreviations, and symbols. Instructions also use plenty of numbers, abbreviations, and symbols.
For guidelines on these areas. I would appreciate your thoughts, reactions, criticism regarding this chapter: your response — David McMurrey.
Instructions Tell them how to do it! Tell us where you are located! Introduction General warning, caution, danger notices Technical background or theory Equipment and supplies Discussion of the steps. Headings Lists Special notices Numbers, abbreviations, and symbols. Writing Instructions One of the most common and one of the most important uses of technical writing is instructions—those step-by-step explanations of how to do things: assemble something, operate something, repair something, or do routine maintenance on something.
Ultimately, good instruction writing requires: Clear, simple writing A thorough understanding of the procedure in all its technical detail Your ability to put yourself in the place of the reader, the person trying to use your instructions Your ability to visualize the procedure in great detail and to capture that awareness on paper Finally, your willingness to go that extra distance and test your instructions on the kind of person you wrote them for.
Some Preliminaries At the beginning of a project to write instructions, it's important to determine the structure or characteristics of the particular procedure you are going to write about. In a task approach also known as task orientation to instructions on using a phone-answering service, you'd have these sections: recording your greeting playing back your messages saving your messages forwarding your messages deleting your messages, and so on These are tasks—the typical things we'd want to do with the machine.
For example, the following are common task groupings in instructions: unpacking and setup tasks installing and customizing tasks basic operating tasks routine maintenance tasks troubleshooting tasks; and so on Common Sections in Instructions The following is a review of the sections you'll commonly find in instructions.
Make sure it does any of the following things but not necessarily in this order that apply to your particular instructions: Indicate the specific tasks or procedure to be explained as well as the scope of coverage what won't be covered. Indicate what the audience needs in terms of knowledge and background to understand the instructions. Give a general idea of the procedure and what it accomplishes.
Indicate the conditions when these instructions should or should not be used. Give an overview of the contents of the instructions. See the section on introductions for further discussion. There are some variations, however, as well as some other considerations: Fixed-order steps are steps that must be performed in the order presented.
For example, if you are changing the oil in a car, draining the oil is a step that must come before putting the new oil. These are numbered lists usually, vertical numbered lists. Variable-order steps are steps that can be performed in practically any order. Good examples are those troubleshooting guides that tell you to check this, check that where you are trying to fix something. You can do these kinds of steps in practically any order. With this type, the bulleted list is the appropriate format.
Alternate steps are those in which two or more ways to accomplish the same thing are presented. Alternate steps are also used when various conditions might exist. Use bulleted lists with this type, with OR inserted between the alternatives, or the lead-in indicating that alternatives are about to be presented. Nested steps. In some cases, individual steps within a procedure can be rather complex in their own right and need to be broken down into substeps. In this case, you indent further and sequence the substeps as a, b, c, and so on.
And finally there exist instructions that really cannot use numbered vertical list and that do little if any straightforward instructional-style directing of the reader. Some situations must be so generalized or so variable that steps cannot be stated. Graphics in Instructions Probably more so than in any other form of writing except maybe for comic books , graphics are crucial to instructions. Format in Instructions Headings.
Revision Checklist for Instructions As you reread and revise your instructions, watch out for problems such as the following: Make sure you provide real instructions—explanations of how to build, operate, or repair something. Write a good introduction—in it, indicate the exact procedure to be explained, indicate audience requirements, and provide an overview of contents. Keep in mind that poorly or carelessly designed instructions leave your or your company liable for damages.
They also destroy your credibility and authority. Before you submit any instructions for final review, be sure you get other eyes on them. For small or routine procedures, it may be enough to have a coworker look them over, but more complex instructions should always be tested for usability. Make sure that you have read the chapter on Usability and carried out the necessary testing before your instructions go to publication and distribution. Skip to content As you know, instructions are those step-by-step explanations of how to do something: how to build, operate, repair, or maintain different items.
When you finish this section you will be able to: Analyze and evaluate a set of technical instructions Write clear and accurate instructions with an introduction and conclusion Develop and design an instruction manual for a specific audience For something seemingly so easy and intuitive, instructions are some of the worst-written documents.
Ultimately, good instruction writing requires: Clear, concise writing A thorough understanding of the procedure in all its technical detail Your ability to put yourself in the place of the reader, the person trying to use your instructions Your ability to visualize the procedure in great detail and to capture that awareness on paper Your willingness to go that extra distance and test your instructions on the kind of person you wrote them for. For example, the following are common task groupings in instructions: unpacking and setup tasks installing and customizing tasks completing basic operating tasks handling routine maintenance tasks troubleshooting tasks; and so on Writing Style The way you actually write instructions, sentence by sentence, may seem contradictory to what previous writing classes have taught you.
For the most effective instructions, begin each step with an action verb! Title Keep it simple but clearly identify the task that will be performed. Introduction The goal of the introduction is to give general information about the process. Visuals Your reader will need visuals to refer to and act as a guide through the process. Step-By-Step Instructions Use a numbered list of step-by-step instructions for completing the process. Troubleshooting A troubleshooting section helps the reader solve common problems.
Other Back Matter Your set of instructions may include a list of references, a glossary or appendix, an index, or technical specifications. Warnings Just because this is listed last in this section does not mean it is any less important than the other parts of the document or that it must be placed last in the document. Writing Steps Discussion of the steps. There are some variations, however, as well as some other considerations: Fixed-order steps are steps that must be performed in the order presented.
For example, if you are changing the oil in a car, draining the oil is a step that must come before introducing new oil. These are numbered lists usually, vertical and numbered lists. When in doubt, structure your instructions in this format. You may then use notes to indicate if there is any leeway to perform the steps in another sequence. Variable-order steps are steps that can be performed in practically any order.
Good examples are those troubleshooting guides that tell you to check this or that where you are trying to fix something. You can do these kinds of steps in practically any order.
With this type, the bulleted list is the appropriate format. Alternate steps are those in which two or more ways to accomplish the same goal are presented. Alternate steps are also used when various conditions might exist.
Use bulleted lists with this type, with OR inserted between the alternatives, or the lead-in indicating that alternatives are about to be presented. Nested steps. In some cases, individual steps within a procedure can be rather complex in their own right and need to be broken down into substeps. In this case, you indent further and sequence the substeps as a, b, c, and so on.
And finally some instructions really cannot use numbered and vertical lists because they do little, if any, straightforward instructional-style directing of the reader.
Some situations must be so generalized or variable that steps cannot be stated. Supplementary discussion Often, it is not enough simply to tell readers to do this or that. They need additional explanatory information such as how the task should look before and after the step; why they should care about doing this step; what mechanical principle is behind what they are doing; even more micro-level explanation of the step—discussion of the specific actions that make up the step.
The problem with supplementary discussion, however, is that it can hide the actual step. You want the actual step—the specific actions the reader is to take—to stand out. There are at least two techniques to avoid this problem: you can split the instruction from the supplement into separate paragraphs; or you can bold the instruction. Figure 1: Instructions Indentation of notices in instructions.
Speeds up the learning curves. Minimize human variability. Increase instruction use rate and comprehension Reduce product returns. Decrease assembly time- increase customer satisfaction Ease technical support. Visualize and generalize data into understandable trends Increase integrity of reports and memos Promote professionalism Ensure universal understanding Benefits of Visual Instructions in Academia: Make abstract ideas visible and concrete.
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