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: "appears" or "displays" From:Roy Jacobsen <rjacobse -at- GREATPLAINS -dot- COM> Date:Tue, 17 Nov 1998 10:41:12 -0600
The verb "display" requires an object. (Things seldom display
themselves--they display something else.)
Whatever application you're documenting "will display the imported
information in a table."
I have less trouble with saying "the information appears," but I agree that
it seems a bit "magical." I'd rather see things like this cast with some
agent performing the action on an object. "The potrzebie bloviates the
veeblefetzer." Stuff doesn't just happen, you know.
Regards,
Roy M. Jacobsen
Editor
Great Plains Software
rjacobse -at- greatplains -dot- com
You've no idea what a poor opinion I have of myself, and how little I
deserve it. -- W.S. Gilbert
>Which is the correct, appears or displays? Is it a matter of preference or
>is one grammatically correct?
>
>1) The imported information appears in a table.
>
>or
>
>2) The imported information displays in a table.
