Re: Using a gerund phrase for procedure topic title --vs. infinitives and root forms of the verb

["D. Farkas" <farkas -at- u -dot- washington -dot- edu>]

I agree with Char. I favor gerunds for procedure topic titles.

Topic titles are usually written in one of three ways:

Gerunds:
Saving a file

Infinitives:
To save a file

Root forms of the verb:
Save a file

Root forms are the briefest, but they have a significant drawback. The title
of a procedure SHOULD function as an invitation for the user to consider
carrying out the procedure--if the procedure matches the task that the user
wants to perform. Users often scan some kind of "menu" list of procedure
titles looking for one that matches their needs. The root form, however, is
an imperative, and it reads like a step. It says, "Do this." In fact, a menu
list of root topic titles looks something like the steps of a procedure.

Infinitive forms also present problems. As Char pointed out, it is awkward
to read a list of topic titles all beginning with "To." In addition, I think
it is awkward when an infinitive topic title is followed by a paragraph of
conceptual information. After reading a "to" clause, we expect an action
verb, not any kind of explanation. Therefore, infinitive topic titles should
only be used when the title will be followed directly by a step.

This leaves the gerund as a good all-around way to introduce a procedure. It
suggests process. That is, it functions as an invitation--something the user
might want to do. Also, gerunds can be followed either by conceptual
information or a step.

Anyone interested in pursuing this and related issues might look at the
following article:

David K. Farkas
"The Logical and Rhetorical Construction of Procedural Discourse"
Technical Communication
46(1), February 1999, pp. 42-54.

-- Dave Farkas



++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
David K. Farkas, Professor                    New book: PRINCIPLES OF WEB
DESIGN
Dept. of Technical Communication         www.uwtc.washington.edu/pwd
University of Washington
Seattle, Washington
farkas -at- u -dot- washington -dot- edu
www.uwtc.washington.edu





^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Collect Royalties, Not Rejection Letters! Tell us your rejection story when you 
submit your manuscript to iUniverse Nov. 6 -Dec. 15 and get five free copies of 
your book. What are you waiting for? http://www.iuniverse.com/media/techwr

Have you looked at the new content on TECHWR-L lately?
See http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ and check it out.

---
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.