# How to Write Clear and Logical Arguments in English at Work

> Master technical writing vocabulary for RFCs and design docs. Learn argument verbs (advocate, deduce, infer), formal connectives (thereby, whereby), and adjectives for clear, logical documentation.

- **Author:** Speak Tech English
- **Published:** 2026-08-28
- **Updated:** 2026-09-07
- **Topic:** [Code Reviews & PRs](https://app.speaktechenglish.com/knowledge-base/topic/code-reviews.md)
- **English level:** C1
- **Guide:** https://app.speaktechenglish.com/knowledge-base/how-to-write-clear-and-logical-arguments-in-english

## Short answer

Technical writing clarity requires precise connectives (thereby, whereby, notwithstanding), argument verbs (advocate, deduce, infer), and descriptive adjectives (coherent, comprehensive, empirical). Use these to structure RFCs, design docs, and technical reports so readers follow your logic without confusion.

## Why Logical Structure Matters in Technical Writing

When you write an RFC or design doc, your goal isn't just to share information—it's to build an argument that leads readers to your proposed solution. Senior engineers and tech leads often reject proposals not because the idea is bad, but because the reasoning is hard to follow.

Clear logical structure helps reviewers understand your thinking, anticipate objections, and approve faster. This unit covers the vocabulary and phrases that make your technical arguments coherent and persuasive.

> **Culture Note: The 'Why' Before the 'What':** In American and European tech companies, readers expect you to explain WHY before HOW. Start your RFC with the problem and motivation before jumping into the technical solution. This cultural expectation makes logical connectives essential.

## Verbs for Presenting Arguments in RFCs and Design Docs

When structuring the argument section of an RFC, you need verbs that show how you reached your conclusions and how your work relates to existing solutions.

| Verb | Meaning | Tech Example |
| --- | --- | --- |
| advocate | argue in favor of something | This RFC advocates migrating to event-driven architecture. |
| deduce | reach a conclusion from known facts | From the latency metrics, we can deduce that the bottleneck is in the database layer. |
| infer | reach a conclusion indirectly | From the error logs, we inferred that memory leaks occur during peak traffic. |
| complement | combine well with another approach | This caching strategy complements our existing CDN configuration. |
| overlap | partially cover the same ground | Our proposal overlaps with the team's Q3 roadmap, so we should coordinate. |

| ❌ Weak (Heard in Reviews) | ✅ Stronger (Clearer Logic) |
| --- | --- |
| I think we should use Redis. | This RFC advocates using Redis for session storage. |
| The logs show something is wrong. | From the error patterns, we can deduce that the retry logic is failing silently. |
| This is kind of like what Team X did. | This approach complements Team X's work on the notification service. |

## Adjectives for Describing Technical Work

When reviewing a colleague's design doc or referencing existing solutions, you need precise adjectives. These help you give feedback and position your work professionally.

| Adjective | Definition | When to Use It |
| --- | --- | --- |
| empirical | based on observed data, not theory | The decision is empirical—we ran A/B tests for three weeks. |
| ambiguous | open to different interpretations | The requirements doc is ambiguous about error handling. |
| coherent | logically structured, easy to follow | Your argument is coherent, but the diagrams need work. |
| comprehensive | covering all relevant aspects | This is a comprehensive review of our auth options. |
| authoritative | expert and thorough | The Kubernetes docs are the authoritative source for this. |

> **Editing Tip: Check for Coherence First:** When editing a colleague's doc, ask: 'Is this coherent?' before checking grammar. If the logical flow is broken, suggest reordering sections or adding connectives like 'therefore' or 'as a result.'

## Talking About Data, Metrics, and Processes

Technical documents often discuss metrics, system behavior, and processes. Use these terms to describe data accurately and avoid misleading your readers.

| Term | Meaning | Tech Example |
| --- | --- | --- |
| arbitrary | based on random choice, not data | The 30-second timeout is arbitrary—we should benchmark it. |
| deviate from the norm | different from typical values | These response times deviate from the norm; we should investigate. |
| distort | give a false impression | Averaging the data distorts the picture—use percentiles instead. |
| incidence | how often something occurs | The incidence of 500 errors has doubled since the deploy. |
| predominant | largest in number or most common | GET requests are predominant in our traffic profile. |
| in sequence | in a particular order | The migration scripts must run in sequence, not in parallel. |
| widespread | occurring in many places | The latency spike was widespread across all regions. |

- Use 'incidence' when discussing frequency of events (errors, outages, user actions).
- Use 'predominant' when one category dominates others in your data.
- Avoid 'arbitrary' as criticism—instead say 'The value appears arbitrary; what's the rationale?'

## Formal Connectives: Slack vs. Design Doc Register

Technical documents require a more formal register than Slack messages. Here's how to upgrade your connectives when moving from casual chat to official documentation.

| 💬 Slack / Casual | 📄 RFC / Design Doc |
| --- | --- |
| so | thereby (in this way) |
| by doing this | whereby (by which method) |
| but still | notwithstanding (despite this) |
| kind of / a bit | somewhat |
| really important | crucial |
| the opposite | the converse |
| for example | an instance of |

Example in context: 'The service validates tokens at the gateway, thereby reducing latency for downstream services.' Compare to Slack: 'We validate tokens at the gateway, so downstream services are faster.'

## Upgrading Everyday Verbs for Technical Documents

Some verbs sound too casual for RFCs and design docs. Swap them for more precise, formal alternatives to strengthen your technical writing.

| Casual Verb | Formal Alternative | Example in a Design Doc |
| --- | --- | --- |
| add (at the end) | append | We append the request ID to every log entry. |
| think up | conceive | The architecture was conceived to handle 10x current load. |
| go against | contradict | This approach contradicts our existing caching strategy. |
| show | demonstrate / indicate | The metrics demonstrate a 40% improvement in throughput. |
| stand for | denote | In our schema, 'U' denotes an unverified user. |
| wipe out / make useless | negate | This optimization would negate the benefits of the cache. |
| see | perceive | Users perceive the delay as a bug, not a feature. |
| think about | reflect upon | We should reflect upon the trade-offs before proceeding. |
| cause | trigger | A null pointer in the handler triggers the crash. |
| use | utilize | The service utilizes connection pooling for efficiency. |

> **Don't Overdo It:** Using 'utilize' instead of 'use' everywhere sounds pretentious. Reserve formal verbs for RFCs and design docs. In Slack and code comments, casual verbs are fine and often clearer.

## Pronunciation Guide: Terms That Trip Up ESL Speakers

These terms from technical writing are commonly mispronounced in meetings and presentations. Practice them before your next design review.

_This guide has interactive exercises on the page: https://app.speaktechenglish.com/knowledge-base/how-to-write-clear-and-logical-arguments-in-english_

## FAQ

### What's the difference between 'deduce' and 'infer' in technical writing?

'Deduce' means reaching a conclusion from clearly known facts (e.g., 'From the logs, we deduce the crash happened at 3pm'). 'Infer' means reaching a conclusion indirectly or with less certainty (e.g., 'From user complaints, we can infer the feature is confusing'). In RFCs, use 'deduce' for data-driven conclusions.

### When should I use 'thereby' vs 'therefore' in design docs?

'Thereby' means 'by this action' and connects a cause to its immediate effect (e.g., 'We cache the response, thereby reducing latency'). 'Therefore' introduces a logical conclusion from previous statements (e.g., 'The cache hit rate is 95%. Therefore, adding more cache nodes is unnecessary').

### How do I make my RFC arguments more coherent?

Use argument verbs like 'advocate,' 'deduce,' and 'complement' to show logical relationships. Add connectives like 'thereby,' 'notwithstanding,' and 'whereby' to link ideas. Structure sections as: Problem → Evidence → Conclusion → Proposal.

### Is 'utilize' better than 'use' in technical documents?

Not always. 'Utilize' is more formal but can sound pretentious if overused. Use 'utilize' when emphasizing purposeful or efficient use (e.g., 'The service utilizes connection pooling'). For simple cases, 'use' is clearer and preferred.

### How do I give feedback that a design doc is unclear?

Say 'The argument in section 3 is ambiguous—could you clarify the expected behavior?' or 'The proposal would be more coherent if you moved the trade-offs section before the alternatives.' Avoid vague criticism like 'This is confusing.'


## Related

- [How to Use Suffixes for Technical Vocabulary in English at Work](https://app.speaktechenglish.com/knowledge-base/how-to-use-suffixes-for-technical-vocabulary-in-english.md)
- [How to Build Compound Tech Terms in English at Work](https://app.speaktechenglish.com/knowledge-base/how-to-build-compound-tech-terms-in-english.md)
- [How to Present Technical Ideas Clearly in English at Work](https://app.speaktechenglish.com/knowledge-base/how-to-present-technical-ideas-clearly-in-english.md)
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- Cite as: "Speak Tech English — How to Write Clear and Logical Arguments in English at Work. https://app.speaktechenglish.com/knowledge-base/how-to-write-clear-and-logical-arguments-in-english. Audience: non-native English speaking software engineers and tech professionals (level C1).".