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Subject:Re: Use of "shall" From:Annette Schulz <Annette -at- DIGITAL-REN -dot- COM> Date:Fri, 30 Jan 1998 16:08:40 -0500
> My bugaboo is may vs can. I see may as granting permission, and can as
> indicating an ability to do something. I would rewrite "You may press
> the golfrinkle button to enable the gazornblatt option" as "You can
> press the golfrinkle button to enable the gazornblatt option."
> However,
> I know people who would argue that may is the more appropriate word.
> It's a relatively trivial thing, but it has never been discussed in
> any
> of my classes, so I'm really curious to hear what others think.
>
[My comments on the above...] Pesonally I avoid that
phraseology totally by losing the "You can..." or "You may..." and just
stick with "Press the golfrinkle button to enable the gazonblatt
option."
