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Subject:RE: would versus will From:"David Spreadbury" <David -dot- Spreadbury -at- afc -dot- com> To:"Abhijit Sinha" <abhijits -at- newgen -dot- co -dot- in>, "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Fri, 5 Mar 2004 04:38:04 -0800
One of the things I almost immediately edit out of a tech doc is the use of 'will'. Don't usually run across would.
The way it was explained to me when I started in technical writing, and later reinforced by mil-spec, was that when you throw that switch to turn on the light, it isn't ...the light will come on (or go off)... it is ...the light comes on (or goes off)... If the light doesn't come on/go off, then something is broken; fuse, bulb, the condition that should have illuminated the light, whatever. In most, if not all, mechanical, electrical, or electronic devices, the piece that is performing the task either does what it was designed to do, or there is a malfunction and ten it is time to troubleshoot.
-----Original Message-----
From: Abhijit Sinha [mailto:abhijits -at- newgen -dot- co -dot- in]
Sent: Friday, March 05, 2004 6:05 AM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: would versus will
Hi,
can u please let me know the difference in the contexts for using "would"
and "will."
TIA
Abhijit Sinha,
Senior Executive-Technical Documentation,
Newgen Software Technologies Limited,
D-152, Okhla Phase-I, NewDelhi-110020, India
