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 Q From:Janice Gelb <Janice -dot- Gelb -at- Sun -dot- COM> To:techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com Date:Wed, 23 Jan 2008 07:57:59 +1100
J Wermont wrote:
> McLauchlan, Kevin wrote:
>
> (I'm much more averse to the
> > use of "will" than to the very occasional passive construction.)
>
> May I ask why? I hear this often, but I have never understood what people
> are objecting to. The following makes perfect sense and sounds fine to me:
>
> Click the Delete Tag button at the bottom of the page. A confirmation
> dialog will appear.
>
> It makes sense to me because at the time the user is clicking the Delete
> Tag button, the appearance of the confirmation dialog *is* in the future.
> So why not use the future tense?
>
It isn't in the future any more than clicking the
button is in the future. When you click the button,
the dialog box appears. It's cause and effect in
the same time frame. Procedural writing assumes
that readers are following the instructions and
performing the actions in sequence. Therefore, the
reader reads the action and clicks the button. The
next thing that happens from the perspective of the
readers is that the dialog box appears right before
their eyes as they're watching, not in the future.
Click the Delete Tag button.
A confirmation dialog box appears.
-- Janice
***********************************************************
Janice Gelb | The only connection Sun has with
janice -dot- gelb -at- sun -dot- com | this message is the return address
Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or
printed documentation. Features include support for Windows Vista & 2007
Microsoft Office, team authoring, plus more. http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList
True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help.
Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical
documentation. Boost your productivity! http://www.helpandmanual.com
---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- web -dot- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-
