Evaluative Language in Engineering Writing
The Grammar of Persuasion
1st Edition
Published on 16. April 2026
224 pages
978-1-350-47516-8 (ISBN)
Description
This book examines strategic language use in professional engineering written reports, illustrating how writers create a persuasive stance within an objective style. It describes engineering writing through a close analysis of interpersonal language, using Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), complemented with quantitative corpus linguistics methods and interpreted through concepts drawn from Legitimation Code Theory (LCT). This description demonstrates how engineering writers have a strong preference for a certain type of evaluative language, with a dominant stance focused on the worthiness of things and processes. It is also demonstrates that engineering writers make strategic choices in their use of interpersonal language towards a certain aim, particularly in documents written to gain approval of a project by a regulatory body.
This research is focused on engineering writing in the Australian context, but given the globalised nature of the engineering profession, also has relevance internationally. The creation of an objective stance in writing is also relevant to other disciplines.
This research is focused on engineering writing in the Australian context, but given the globalised nature of the engineering profession, also has relevance internationally. The creation of an objective stance in writing is also relevant to other disciplines.
More details
Series
Edition
1. Auflage
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
39 bw illus
ISBN-13
978-1-350-47516-8 (9781350475168)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
05/2026
Bloomsbury Academic
€133.00
Shipment within 15-20 days
Person
Claire Simpson-Smith currently works as a research analyst at Tafe SA, Australia. She completed her PhD at the University of South Australia and formerly taught engineering communication at the University of Adelaide, Australia.
Content
Part I. The Role of Writing
1. Writing in Engineering Practice
2. The Language of Engineering
Part II. Attitude in Engineering Writing
3. Constraint
4. Context
Part III. Engagement in Engineering Writing
5. Stance
6. Strategy
Part IV. Towards Contextualisation
7. Teaching Engineers to Write
1. Writing in Engineering Practice
2. The Language of Engineering
Part II. Attitude in Engineering Writing
3. Constraint
4. Context
Part III. Engagement in Engineering Writing
5. Stance
6. Strategy
Part IV. Towards Contextualisation
7. Teaching Engineers to Write
