active vs. passive voice

[McLauchlan, Kevin]

On Behalf Of Leonard C. Porrello objected:
> 
> Good question. I was assuming the reader would read both sentences
> before carrying out the directions. In other words, he's going to
read,
> "1. Click <New Entry>. The New Entry window will appear" in its
entirety
> before he gets around to actually clicking <New Entry>. So, the event
> that takes place after he clicks <New Entry> actually occurs in the
> future. Hence, the way I formulated the sentence is most mimetic of
> reality (according to my assumption). And although I do not have
strong
> objections to what I think you are suggesting, namely, "1. Click <New
> Entry>. The New Entry window appears," it seems to me that this
> formulation does not represent reality quite as well (as it is
entirely
> in the present). 

I think that inherent in "Click <New Entry>. The New Entry window
appears..." carries the unvoiced assumption:
"Click <New Entry> and, as a result, the New Entry window appears..."

Or, consider "Click <New Entry>. The New Entry window appears..." to be
the imperative expression of the declarative (and passively aggressive):

"[When you] click <New Entry>, the New Entry window is quickly written
in glowing pixels upon the display device ..."   Oh... wait... I was
eliding into another discussion there.  Digressing, too.

:-)

Kevin


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