TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Re: grammar term From:susanh -at- CARDSETC -dot- COM -dot- AU Date:Wed, 18 Aug 1999 08:54:06 +1000
Dan Roberts wrote
"what's the term that refers to "this" in the following sentences:
This is one of the product's features.
This is why he's still living in a 5th-floor walkup.
This is why you always add an extra pinch of garlic power to chicken soup."
Dan,
I think the technical term for "this" in each of the sentences you listed
is demonstrative pronoun.
As Nancy Smith and Tom Murrell pointed out, the use of a backwards pointing
pronoun has been identified as a real impediment to easy reading. The poor
reader is constantly forced to look back to determine what exactly is being
referred to. Sometimes the "this" doesn't even have a particular "noun"
reference but refers to a concept that has been built up over a series of
sentences. For example, a paragraph will describe a marketing strategy and
will end with something like "This will give us an advantage in the
marketplace."
I think phrases that have the same backwards pointing attribute are equally
deadly. For example, "For this reason...", "as a result"... Not good if you
are aiming for one-pass reading
