TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Re: Styles and standards From:"Dick Margulis" <margulis -at- mail -dot- fiam -dot- net> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Mon, 25 Dec 2000 10:48:50 -0500
Herm,
I think we largely agree. I am not interested in rigid adherence to the rules of Latin grammar. I think, however, that as technical communicators we all have an interest in understanding what standard English grammar and diction consist of. This has nothing to do with not ending a sentence in a preposition or starting a sentence with a conjunction. It does have to do with maintaining agreement between subjects and verbs; being able to identify the passive voice (so we can talk about it) and knowing when to use it; being able to use a dictionary to identify the correct choice between similar-sounding words (its-it's, their-there, to-too); knowing the difference between a possessive and a plural; and so forth. I don't think that is too much to ask of the educational system. The fact that we are native speakers does not mean we don't need to be educated about the language we use.
Dick
"Herman Holtz" wrote:
>Dick, I hope the right answer is somewhere between the extremes of
>free expression and comformance with standards. We need both. I probably
>lean a bit in the direction of freedom of expression, but I am also most
>impatient with writers who think it unnecessary to learn basic grammar,
>spelling, punctuation, and other usage. - Herm
>
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Develop HTML-based Help with Macromedia Dreamweaver! (STC Discount.)
**NEW DATE/LOCATION!** January 16-17, 2001, New York, NY. http://www.weisner.com/training/dreamweaver_help.htm or 800-646-9989.
Take XML and Tech Writing courses online! Our instructor-led courses
(4-6 hrs/wk) give you "hands on" experience at your convenience. STC members
get 20% off! http://www.online-learning.com/index.html.
---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as: archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot- Visit http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.
