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Subject:Re: Avoid the Semicolon in Tech Writing? From:"Brautigam, Curtis" <cubrautiga -at- state -dot- pa -dot- us> To:'TECHWR-L digest' <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Mon, 18 Aug 2003 07:21:04 -0400
I have been reading a lot of the post about using semicolons in technical
writing. I do believe that semicolons can have a place in technical writing
if used a certain way. When I took my technical writing training course, the
instructor urged the class to use semicolons in sequences where an action
was followed by a result. For example:
On the Windows desktop, click the Internet Explorer icon; the Internet
Explorer screen appears.
Here is an example of an action (clicking the IE icon) followed by a result
(the IE screen appearing). Do action X; result Y occurs. This is where
semicolons can serve a useful purpose in technical documentation.
Chaim Brautigam
Descriptive Statistician 1
Center for Workforce Information
PA Department of Labor and Industry
cubrauti -at- state -dot- pa -dot- us
