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Subject:Re: Use of the "the following" From:"Richard G. Combs" <richard -dot- combs -at- polycom -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Thu, 10 Feb 2005 13:40:41 -0700
Jennifer wrote:
> I just started a position filling in for another writer who uses the
phrases "Following are..." or "Following is ..." when introducing a
procedural list . I am used to saying "The following procedures to do X
are..." It seems odd to me. Is this grammatically correct? I can't seem to
locate a source telling me that it is so.
>
Introducing a procedure? Double-yuck to all three examples. None of the
three make any sense, and all are awkward. The meaning of all three boils
down to "here is the stuff that follows this:"
If you _must_ use the word "following" (so that the reader doesn't search
the preceding?), a coherent phrasing would be something like the following:
(sorry, couldn't resist)
"To do X, perform the following steps:"
Personally, I prefer:
"To do X:"
Richard
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Richard G. Combs
Senior Technical Writer
Voyant, a division of Polycom, Inc.
richardDOTcombs AT polycomDOTcom
richardDOTcombs AT voyanttechDOTcom
303-223-5111
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rgcombs AT freeDASHmarketDOTnet
303-777-0436
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