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: Adverbs, good or evil? From:"Jan Stanley" <janstanley -at- earthlink -dot- net> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Wed, 9 Feb 2000 17:52:09 -0500
> a) Leave the building.
> b) Leave the burning building immediately.
>
>Which do YOU think would have better results?
>
>Tony Markatos responds:
>
>I kind of like b. Suggestion: leave out 'burning', it does not
really
>invoke a response.
Sure invokes a response in me. Not by definition, but in
practical application, there are degrees of immediacy. I'd be a
lot more likely to *immediately* leave a building that was
burning than one that I was just told to leave immediately. I'd
be quicker still if I heard that there was a bomb threat, as
happened recently.
