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Subject:Re: How to say this correctly? From:"Linda K. Sherman" <linsherm -at- GTE -dot- NET> Date:Tue, 8 Sep 1998 13:44:44 -0400
Deborah Cooper wrote:
>
> The administrator can edit the characteristics of an already existing
> user by first...
>
> My question: should I be saying "already" or just "existing"? Thanks!
>
Neither. You can't edit something that doesn't exist.
The problem with eliminating both words, however, is that it leaves you
with a bare-naked "of" genitive ("the characteristics of a user"). So
you'll need to rephrase things a bit.
Without knowing the context, intent, audience, or desired tone of voice,
it's hard to say what the ideal wording would be. Some possibilities:
The administrator edits a user's characteristics by...
OR
To edit a user's characteristics, the administrator [verb]...
L.
--
Linda K. Sherman <linsherm -at- gte -dot- net>
Freelance Writer -- Technical - Business - Government
Dysgwch Gymraeg! Learn Welsh! -- http://www.dalati.com
