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RE: Apple permits "then" to be used as a coord. conjunction in instructions?
Subject:RE: Apple permits "then" to be used as a coord. conjunction in instructions? From:"Gerald Bourguignon" <gbourguignon -at- johnstonmadvac -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Tue, 12 Jul 2005 09:25:13 -0400
In college, the main text we used for technical writing class was
"Technically-Write!" by Ron S. Blicq. The text doesn't appear to
specifically address the use of "then" as opposed to "and then" but it does
provide at least a few examples of instructions where "then" is used. For
example, in the section "Technical Instruction" > "Give Your Reader
Confidence" :
Disengage the gear, then start the engine.
(Definite: uses strong verbs)
The gear should be disengaged before starting the engine.
(Indefinite: uses weaker verbs)
[on page 220 of the Canadian Fourth Edition]
In the above example the author was of course showing the difference between
an instruction written in the imperative mood and one that was not. There is
another example of an instruction written with "then" in the same section
under "Avoiding Ambiguity". And perhaps there are other examples, but I
must confess that I've yet to read the book cover-to-cover. However, just
last year I had the pleasure of meeting Ron Blicq at an STC meeting in
Toronto. Very nice gentleman.
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