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: Questions that are not questions From:Beverly Parks <bparks -at- HUACHUCA-EMH1 -dot- ARMY -dot- MIL> Date:Thu, 16 Feb 1995 11:34:33 MST
Mark Levinson <mark -at- SD -dot- CO -dot- IL> wrote--
** QUESTION: Would declarative sentences be OK?
ANSWER: Maybe so, if you reduce "QUESTION" to "Q", and "ANSWER" to "A".
Q: Ah yes, I've seen that in printed interviews.
A: And you see it in transcripts of press conferences too.
Q: Does the first pair need to be fully spelled out as
"QUESTION" and "ANSWER"?
A: In my opinion, the initial spelling-out is not absolutely
necessary but nice if possible.
Q: But then at least the sentence that gets the full word "QUESTION"
labelling it should be a real question.
A: I think so. And the one that gets the full word "ANSWER" should
be a real answer...
===========
This is interesting, Mark. Yes, I have seen this method used in
interviews before (although that style is being replaced by
using the interviewer's/interviewee's initials in place of Q/A.
The initials are much easier to follow, IMO).
Interesting that reducing a word to its initial would alter the
original meaning of the word. Hmmm...
=*= Beverly Parks =*= bparks -at- huachuca-emh1 -dot- army -dot- mil =*=
=*= "Unless otherwise stated, all comments are my own. =*=
=*= I am not representing my employer in any way." =*=