RE: introducing steps

[M -dot- Vina-Baltsas -at- mindray -dot- com]

I hear you about the translation issue, but using a gerund in the heading 
should eliminate the confusion. 

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Michelle Viña-Baltsas
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Peter Sturgeon <prsturgeon -at- bell -dot- net> 
Sent by: techwr-l-bounces+m -dot- vina-baltsas=mindray -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
10/18/2011 09:28 AM

To
<becca_price -at- yahoo -dot- com>, techwrl <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
cc

Subject
RE: introducing steps







This thread ignores translation. Making the introductory phrase a complete 
grammatical sentence makes it easier for translators and non-native 
speakers of English to understand the procedure.
 
By starting with a infinitive phrase, every subsequent step is 
grammatically part of a potentially very long serial sentence.
 
By starting with a complete grammatical sentence, each step acts as an 
independent sentence.
 
Just sayin'


----------------------------------------
> Date: Mon, 17 Oct 2011 17:47:31 -0700
> From: becca_price -at- yahoo -dot- com
> Subject: introducing steps
> To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
>
> I'm taking a class in technical writing. My teacher says never to 
introduce a series of steps with an infinitive (To install Sigil) but to 
use an independent clause ("To install Sigil, follow these steps:" or 
words to that effect. To me, the clause "follow these steps" is imlied by 
the fact that steps follow. Still, it's the teacher, so I have to follow 
her style.
>
> Is there a more graceful way to introduce steps? how do yo do it? I'm 
pretty much coming up dry.
>
> Thanks
>
> Becca
>
>  
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