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While the less literate reader wouldn't balk at a comma splice, the
fully literate reader will. To the literate reader, grammatical mistakes
indicate shoddy workmanship. In other words, while correct grammar can
never offend the less literate, incorrect grammar will offend the fully
literate.
Picture this: The less literate reader (let's say he is the decision
maker who is trying to decide whether to purchase your product for his
company) is reading your docs and comes to two independent clauses
conjoined by a semi-colon. He doesn't notice or barely notices. If he
does notice, he merely shrugs and thinks, "huh, I wonder why they used a
semi-colon here?" On the other hand, the literate reader (also a
decision maker) is reading your docs and comes to comma splice. What's
he going to think? Probably, "If these guys didn't care enough to hire a
writer with a grasp of basic grammar, where else did they cut corners?"
Everything we produce has marketing value. Our documents either add to
or detract from a customer's positive impression of the product. Bad
grammar detracts from marketing value.
Leonard
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+leonard -dot- porrello=soleratec -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+leonard -dot- porrello=soleratec -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- c
om] On Behalf Of Gordon McLean
Sent: Tuesday, September 23, 2008 6:34 AM
To: 'Sean Brierley'; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: RE: "and then," or simply "then"?
Conversely, what does the reader GAIN?
We could do this all day you know... ;-)
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+gordon -dot- mclean=ciboodle -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+gordon -dot- mclean=ciboodle -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com]
On
Behalf Of Sean Brierley
Sent: 23 September 2008 14:33
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: RE: "and then," or simply "then"?
No, what I'm saying is if you have two options, both of which get the
point
across in a clear way, and one of which is grammatically correct and the
other grammatically incorrect, why not choose the one that is
grammatically
correct? What do you have to lose by getting the point across AND being
grammatically correct?
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authors, developers, and policy writers. Download a FREE trial. http://www.componentone.com/DocToHelp/
True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help.
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