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Subject:Re: It is . . . . . From:Beverly Parks <bparks -at- HUACHUCA-EMH1 -dot- ARMY -dot- MIL> Date:Wed, 9 Aug 1995 14:04:38 MST
Loren Castro <lfc -at- SOL -dot- CHINALAKE -dot- NAVY -dot- MIL> wrote-->
<snip>
SECNAVINST 5216.5C, entitled _Just Plain English_, is a widely
ignored collection of good advice for making "naval writing
organized, natural, compact, and active." (All of you have
read typical government documents, so you know what I mean by
"widely ignored.") <snip>
==============
I don't think anybody in the Army today, civilian or military,
would believe me if I told them that the Army published a
pamphlet (DA PAM 1-10) waaay back in January *1959*, titled
"Improve Your Writing," that encourages simple vocabulary,
active voice, use of personal pronouns, and all the other good
writing habits that the Army is known for *not* possessing!
[Wow, that was a long sentence. The pamphlet also encourages
short sentences, BTW.]
But I can prove it. This pamphlet was given to me at my first
job with the Army back in 1975. I've held on to it all these
years. I wonder why no one ever read it? Maybe I possess the
only copy ever published...
Bev
=*= Beverly Parks -- bparks -at- huachuca-emh1 -dot- army -dot- mil =*=
=*= Huachuca : That's pronounced "wah-CHEW-ka" =*=
=*= "Unless otherwise stated, all comments are my own. =*=
=*= I am not representing my employer in any way." =*=