Writing Styleguide in English

8/14/2019 Writing Styleguide in English

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Writing Styleguide and Dictionary of Plain English 1

Duncan Kent & Associates Ltd.

Writing Styleguide

Abbreviations

Avoid abbreviations except where theabbreviated form is more commonlyused than the full term (for example,a.m. and p.m.). For commonabbreviations such as e.g., i.e.,

and etc., use English equivalents.

Abbreviation Englishequivalent

e.g. (exempligratia)

for example

i.e. (id est) that isetc. (et cetera) and so on, and so

forth

If you choose to use theseabbreviations, use lower case andseparate the abbreviation from thefollowing text with a comma (e.g., likethis).

Acronyms

Minimize the use of acronyms asmuch as possible. They confusenovices, and sometimes even expertsforget what they mean. When you douse them, spell them out the firsttimefor example, Royal CanadianMounted Police (RCMP). Use smallcaps to format acronyms.

To form the plural of an acronym,add s (for example, PCBs).

Affect and effect

The verb affect means to influenceor produce a change, while the verbeffect means to bring about.

Example

The changes to the Act will affectthree departments.

They effected many changes in theorganization.

Effect is usually used as a noun,and means the result.

Example

We felt the effects of the stockmarket crash.

Among and between

Use between to describe the directrelationship or comparison of two ormore items. Use among when therelationship is less direct. I n otherwords, use between when the

relationship of the items isindividual; use among when therelationship is collective.


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2 Writing Styleguide and Dictionary of Plain English


Example

You can choose between steak,chicken, and fish.

J ohn was among the candidateschosen.

And/or

And/or is often used in legalapplications. Avoid using it whereeither and or or will do.

Because and since

Avoid using since to meanbecauseits ambiguous. Usebecause to refer to a reason. Usesince to refer to the passage of time.

Example

Because we installed a new system,we can quickly respond to the public.

Since we installed the new system,our response rate has improved byfive minutes.

Between

See Am ong and betw een.

Can and may

Use can to describe actions orconditions that are possible. Use

may only to describe situationswhere permission is being given. I feither can, could, or may apply,use can because its less tentative.

Example

You can submit the form uponcompletion. (Correct)

You may submit the form uponcompletion. (Implies that you havepermission to submit the report)

Use may only when you really needto be tentative.

Example

I f you submit the form within twoweeks, you may receive approval

faster.

Clichs

A clichis an expression that has lostits originality and impact throughoveruse. Examples of clichs includebusy as a bee, light as a feather,with regard to and all thingsconsidered. Avoid clichs like the

plague!

Colloquialisms

Col loquial ismsare conversational orslang expressions like cutting-edgetechnology. Avoid them as much aspossible.

I f the slang expression is acceptable,dont enclose it in single quotation

marksjust use it. I f the expressionis not acceptable, avoid it altogether.


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Example

I t was cutting-edge technology.(Avoid)

It was cutting-edge technology.(Preferred)

Comprise

Comprise means to include ormaintain. The whole comprises theparts rather than the reverse. Neveruse comprised of.

Example

The department comprises severalworkgroups. (Correct)

Several workgroups comprise thedepartment. (Incorrect)

The department is comprised ofseveral workgroups. (Incorrect)

Contractions

Contractions are contracted forms ofwords with the missing lettersrepresented with an apostrophe, suchas youll and dont. They give yourwriting a more conversational toneto the reader they sound more likenatural speech.

Contractions are widely used in mostbusiness writing. Because they are a

mark of informal writing, you maywant to avoid them in formaldocuments.

Be consistent in substituting anapostrophe for deleted letters. Avoiduncommon contractions, and dontcreate any new ones of your own.

Dont use a contraction with a nounto replace is (for example, ournetworks connected). Dont make acontraction from a noun and a verb(for example, the supervisorll review

your work).

Dates

Avoid using abbreviations formonths. Dont use th or nd after adate. Only use a comma when theday is included.

Example

Nov. 10th, 1997 (Avoid)

November 10, 1997 (Preferred)

November 1997 (Preferred)

Desire, wish, need, and want

Use need instead of desire andwish. Use want when the readersactions are optional (that is, they

may not need something but maystill want something).

Example

I f you need to confirm receipt of yourapplication, call the branch office.

Select the books you want and signthem out in the register.


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Different

Use different from rather thandifferent than when the next part ofthe sentence is a noun or pronoun

(that is, two things are beingcompared).

Example

Form 123 is different from Form 124.

Effect

See Af fect and effect.

Ensure and insure

Ensure means to make sure.Insure refers to insurance.

Example

Ensure that the applicant hascompleted the necessary forms beforecontinuing.

You can insure your house up to itsmarket value.

Fractions

Express fractions in words or asdecimals whenever possible. Whenyou do use fractions, use figures forfractions greater than one (forexample, 0.25 litres, 3.3 metres,2 days). Spell out fractions lessthan one that are used alone (forexample, one-third inch, three-quarters finished). But use figureswhen fractions are part of acompound term (for example, -inchbolt).

Gender inclusiveness

Avoid specifying gender. Here aresome guidelines:

Use gender-neutral titles whenreferring to people (for example,use chairperson or chairinstead of chairman). Usegeneric nouns when referring tospecific groups (for example, usemanagers to include both maleand female managers).

Avoid gender-specific pronouns(for example, his, her,he/she). You can:

address the reader as you repeat the noun (for example,

managers) drop the pronoun altogether make the noun plural and then

use they or their, which aregender neutral

use a passive verb and omitthe noun and pronoun

rewrite the sentence Avoid phrases that make

assumptions about gender. Forexample, delegates and theirwives are invited to attend thebreakfast meeting implies thatall delegates are male.

Avoid always putting men first inphrases such as men andwomen, boys and girls, his orhers. Alternate the word order inphrases like these, so that neitherwomen nor men always go first.


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Avoid using language that is notparallel, such as men and ladies(use men and women/womenand men), man and wife (usehusband and wife/wife and

husband), and Mr. and Mrs.J ohn Doe (use Mr. J ohn Doe andMrs. J ane Doe or J ane and J ohnDoe).

Never refer to adult women asgirls, gals, or ladies insituations where you would callmen men.

Dont use lady, woman, orfemale as adjectives (forexample, lady doctor, womanlawyer) unless gender is relevant.I f gender is relevant, use the nounwoman (for example, she is thefirst woman to walk on the moon)or the adjective female (forexample, she is the first femaleastronaut to walk on the moon).

Avoid stereotypical words andphrases (for example, like a

man, womens work, andladylike).

Insure

See Ensure and i nsur e.

Italics

Use i ta l icswhen referring todocument titles and section

references and when introducing newterms.

Its and its

Use its as a contraction for it is(for example, its the right thing todo). Use its as a possessive

pronoun (for example, the store isknown for its low prices).

Me, myself, and I

Use the pronoun I as a subject. Useme as an object. Use myself whenthe person receiving the action is thesame as the person doing the action.

ExamplesJ ohn and me share the computer.(Incorrect)

J ohn and I share the computer.(Correct)

It was a valuable experience for herfriend and I. (Incorrect)

It was a valuable experience for herfriend and me. (Correct)

I cut myself. (Correct)

The waiter gave my sister and myselfsome good tips. (Incorrect)

The waiter gave my sister and mesome good tips. (Correct)

Measurements

When writing for a Canadianaudience, express measurements inmetric, unless imperial or some othermeasurement is conventionally used(for example, 5 feet 11 inches tall).


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Follow these conventions fordescribing measurements:

Use figures for allmeasurementseven if the

number is under 10 (for example,5 metres).

Spell out the names of metricunits (for example, 25 grams).Use symbols (for example, 25 g)only in tables.

For two or more measurements,repeat the unit of measure (forexample, 3.5-inch or 5.25-inchdisk).

When the measurement is used asan adjective, use a hyphen toconnect the number to themeasurement unit (for example,2-inch binder).

Express dimensions in figures (forexample, 3.5 inches by 10inches).

See also Fr acti ons and num ber s.

Money

Dont add a decimal point or zeros toa whole dollar amount in a sentence.

Example

The first option costs $1.50, thesecond costs $2.00, and the thirdcosts 75. (Avoid)

The first option costs $1.50, thesecond costs $2, and the third costs$0.75. (Preferred).

Note that amounts less than $1 areexpressed as $0.75, not as 75.

In a column, if any amount containscents, add a decimal point and twozeros to all whole dollar amounts.

Myself

SeeM e, myself , and I.

Names

Be consistent when namingorganizations, position titles,document titles, and so on. Capitalizenames and use them consistentlythroughout the document.

Need

See Desir e, wi sh, n eed, and want.

Notes

Note: To draw the readers attentionto something of special importance,create a note like this one.

Paragraphs

Keep paragraphs shortno longerthan four or five sentences if you can.Longer paragraphs are visuallyintimidating to the reader.

Try to limit each paragraph to onetopic, unless you are linking relatedpoints. Start a new paragraph whenyou change topics or shift your focus.

Leave a space between paragraphs.Avoid indenting the first line of aparagraphthis convention is notcommonly used in businesspublications.


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Parallelism

I f two or more ideas are parallel,express them in parallel form.Balance single words with single

words, phrases with phrases, clauseswith clauses.

Example

Frequent absences can result insuspension or even being terminated.(Not parallel)

Frequent absences can result insuspension or even termination.

(Parallel)

Balance parallel ideas in a series oritems in a list.

Examples

The department is responsible forcreating annual reports, budgets, andfinancial planning. (Not parallel)

The department is responsible forcreating annual reports, budgets, andfinancial plans. (Parallel)

White space is important for thefollowing reasons:

breaks up visual impact visual separation of sections (Not

parallel) visually separates sections

(Parallel) focusing attention (Not parallel) focuses attention (Parallel) content is broken into smaller

chunks (Not parallel) breaks content into smaller

chunks (Parallel)

Passive voice

See Voice.

Percent ( % )

Spell out the word percent. Use thesymbol in tables, on business forms,and in statistical or technicalinformation. Be consistentdont mixthe word percent and the symbol %.In sentences that begin with apercentage, spell the number out.

Example

Price reductions range from 20 to 50percent.

Forty percent of the population...

Person

Personrefers to the point of view orperspective you take when writing:first person (I or we), secondperson (you), or third person (he,

she, or they). This styleguide iswritten in the second person, becauseit addresses the reader as you.


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Singular and plural forms of personal pronouns

Person Singular Plural

first I , me, my, mine we, us, our, ours

second you, your, yours you, your, yoursthird he, him, his

she, her, hersit, its

they, them, their, theirs

Use the I or we point of view,which emphasizes the writer, whenwriting correspondence or reportsabout personal experienceforexample, when describing your

groups actions or ideas.

Example

We have decided not to upgrade ourcomputer system.

Use the you point of view, whichemphasizes the reader, when givingadvice or instructions. For example,when writing a procedure manual,use the second person and theimperative form (that is, tell thereader what to do).

Example

Complete the form, then submit it toyour supervisor.

Use the third person, which

emphasizes the subject, whendescribing what other people havedone or should do.

Example

Writers should decide on a point ofview and stick with it.

Point of view

See Person.

Possessives and plurals

Form the possessive case of singularnouns by adding an apostrophe andan seven if the word endsin an s.

Example

the Ministrys responsibility Burnss poetryFor plural nouns ending in s, formthe possessive case by adding anapostrophe.

Examples

Workers Compensation Board ministries budgets


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For plural nouns not ending in s,form the possessive case by adding anapostrophe and an s.

Examples

childrens stories womens programsInstead of using old-fashioned Latin-style plurals, use English-styleplurals. The Latin-style plurals arenot wrong, just a bit stuffy.

Old-fashioned Preferred

formulae formulasappendices appendixesaddenda addendumsindices indexes

Prepositions

A preposition links a noun orpronoun to another word or phrase.Prepositions often express

relationshipsfor example, with,to, since, at, and so on.

Although some writers avoiddangling prepositions, sometimesthey help avoid awkward sentenceconstructions.

Example

Where are you going to?(Considered incorrect by some)

To where are you going? (Awkward)

Where are you going? (Better)

Presently

Avoid using presently as its oftentaken to mean now rather than itsactual meaning soon.

Pronouns

A pronounis a word that represents anounfor example, he, it, who,they, and so on. The noun apronoun represents is its antecedent.

Use pronouns sparingly. When usedtoo often or incorrectly, they can beambiguous and can slow readingspeed because the reader has to goback to see which noun theyrepresent.

Make sure pronouns agree with theirantecedents. I f pronoun referencesare not clear, repeat the noun orrestructure the sentence.


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Examples

Thank the writer for their interest.(Incorrect)

Thank the writer for her interest.(Correct)

Thank the writers for their interest.(Correct)

I f you drop the plate on the glasstable, it might break. (Ambiguous)

I f you drop the plate on the glasstable, the plate might break. (Clear)

I f you drop the plate on the glass

table, the table might break. (Clear)

The plate might break if you drop iton the glass table. (Clear)

See alsoGend er i nclu siveness.

Sentences

Keep sentences short and simple. Tryto limit them to one idea. The longer

the sentence, the more difficult it isto grasp. If its longer than 30 words,consider rewriting it. Dont linkunrelated ideas together with andor use semicolons.

Structure your sentences using asimple subject-verb-object sentenceorder. By sticking to this order, youavoid using the passive voice, usefewer words, and your sentence iseasier to understand.

Example

Applicants (subject) appreciate(verb) honesty (object).

Try not to start sentences with itand therethese constructions areoften vague and wordy, and canusually be restructured to be muchmore direct.

Examples

I t was not our intention to break therules. (Avoid)

We did not intend to break the rules.(Preferred)

There may be resistance to the plan.(Avoid)

Some people may resist the plan.(Preferred)

There are several options in thisproposal. (Avoid)

This proposal presents severaloptions. (Preferred)

Spacing after a period Use asingle space to separate the end ofone sentence from the beginning ofthe next. Word processorsautomatically put in the requiredspacing at the end of sentences.Pressing the space bar twice will

result in twice the required spacing.


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Since

See Because and since.

Spacing

Dont use hard spaces (the spaceproduced when you press the spacebar) to centre or position textusetabs, indents, or centred alignment.

Use a single space to separate theend of one sentence from thebeginning of the next. As a generalrule, you should never have twoconsecutive spaces in a document.

Spelling and usage

When writing for a Canadianaudience, use Canadian, notAmerican, spelling (for example,colour not color, centre notcenter). I f in doubt, refer toTheCanadian Oxford Di ct ionary.

That and which

That introduces a restrictiveclausea clause that must be therefor the sentence to make sense. Arestrictive clause often defines thenoun or phrase preceding it. Whichintroduces a non-restrictive,parenthetical clausea clause thatcould be omitted without affectingthe meaning of the sentence.

Example

The car was travelling at a speedthat would endanger lives.

The car, which was travelling at aspeed that would endanger lives,swerved onto the sidewalk.

Use who or whom, rather thanthat or which, when referring to aperson.

Their and there

There is an adverb used to indicatea place or position other than here.Their is the possessive form ofthey. Use the plural pronoun theironly when the noun its representingis plural.

Examples

Your manual is over there.

Their manual needs to be updated.

Contact each employee to clarifytheir options and rights. (Incorrect)

Contact all employees to clarify theiroptions and rights. (Correct)

Then and than

Then refers to a time in the past orthe next step in a sequence. Than isused for comparisons.


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Time

When referring to specific times, usenumerals and the abbreviationsa.m. and p.m. with lower-case

letters and periods.

Examples

3:30 p.m. 9:00 a.m. 4:45 p.m.

Underlining

Use underlining sparinglyit slowsreading speed. Dont use it toemphasize parts of the text. I f

something is very important, give it aseparate heading, put it in a text box,or create a note (see Notes).

Verbs

Use the active voice and strong verbswhenever you can. Make sure theverb agrees with the subject of thesentence.

Voice Use the active voicewhenever possible. Using the activevoice helps maintain the preferredsubject-verb-object sentence order.You also avoid introducing theauxiliary verb required by passiveverb forms.

Example

The form is completed by theapplicant. (Passive voice)

The applicant completes the form.(Active voice)

Tense Match the different verbtenses to different types of documentsand to the logical time relationshipsdescribed.

Example

The applicant will complete the form.(Future tense)

The applicant completes the form.(Present tense)

Complete the form. (Imperativeform, present tense)

The applicant completed the form.

(Past tense)

Strong verbs Use direct, activeverbs. Avoid combining weak, vagueverbs such as be or do with thenoun form of a verb. Watch out forverbs that end in -ion strungtogether with prepositions (forexample, change creation of thedocument to creating thedocument).

Examples

Our research could be of help to youin making a decision. (Weak)

Our research could help you make adecision. (Strong)

We did a calculation of the total.(Weak)

We calculated the total. (Strong)


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Agreement Make sure that thenoun and verb in your sentencesagree with each otherthat both aresingular or both plural.

Example

Power (noun, singular) from back-up generators and emergencylighting are (verb, plural) routinelymaintained as part of the fire plan.(Incorrect)

Power (noun, singular) from back-up generators and emergencylighting is (verb, singular) routinely

maintained as part of the fire plan.(Correct)

When using an either/or sentenceformat, make sure the verb agreeswith the part of the subject closest tothe verb.

Example

Either the lock or the barredwindows is likely to reduce thefts.(Incorrect)

Either the lock or the barredwindows are likely to reduce thefts.(Correct)

Voice

See Verbs.

Want


Which

See That and w hich.

Who and whom

Use the pronoun who as a subject.Use the pronoun whom as a directobject, an indirect object, or the objectof a preposition.

Example

Who owns this?

To whom does this belong?

Wish


Your and youre

Your is the possessive form of you.Youre is the contraction of youare.

Example

This is your coat.

Youre in charge today.


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Dictionary of Plain English

The following list contains unnecessarily difficult words and phrases,word-wasting idioms, compound prepositions, overly formal phrases, andgender-specific words and phrases, along with their plain English orgender-inclusive alternatives.

Instead of Use

a great deal of ............................................much

a large number of........................................morea little less than.......................................almosta majority of................................................mosta number of ....................... several, many, somea period of several weeks ............several weeksa small number of...................................... a fewa sufficient number.................................enoughaccomplish....................................................... doaccorded......................................................givenaccording to the law.................................legallyaccordingly .......................................................soaccumulate............................................... gatheracquaint..........................................................tell

acquire............................................................getactivate.............................................begin, startadd an additional..........................................addadditional ..................................................addedadequate number of................................enoughadminister .....................................manage, giveadmit of ......................................................allowadvert ..........................................................referadvise...................................................write, tellaffirmative......................................................yesafford an opportunity ...................allow, permitafforded......................................................givenaggregate..................................................... totalall of a sudden......................................suddenlyall of the.................................................... all theallocate .............................................give, dividealong the lines of...........................................l ikealternatives.............................................choicesameliorate ............................................. improveanticipate ................................................. expectapparent ......................................................clear

Instead of Use

appear ......................................................... seem

apprise......................................................informapproximately ........................................... aboutas a general rule .................................generallyas a matter of fact.....................in fact (or omit)as a means of....................................................toas of now.......................................................nowas to whether.............................. about whetheras to............................................................ aboutascertain .................................................find outassist, assistance..........................................helpat a later date..............................................laterat all times...............................................alwaysat an early date........................................... soon

at hand......................................................... hereat present......................................................nowat regular intervals of time................ regularlyat that point in time...................................thenat the conclusion of ........................at the end ofat the present time......................................nowat the rear of............................................ behindat the time that .........................................whenat this time, at this point in time................nowat which time...............................................thenattains the age of ..................................becomesattempt (as a verb).........................................trybased on the fact that ................ due to/becausebeyond a shadow of doubt ................... no doubtbottom line.................................................resultbring to a conclusion............................concludebrought to a sudden halt .........................haltedbusinessman........businessperson, professionalby means of......................................................byby reason of ........................................because ofby the time that..........................................when


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Instead of Use

by the use of.....................................................byby virtue of...........................................by, underby way of illustration......................for examplecalculate................................................ compute

came to a stop.........................................stoppedcategory.................................. kind, class, groupcause it to be done.......................... have it donecease..............................................................stopchairman............................... chair, chairpersoncheck into................................................... checkcognizance..........................................knowledgecome to an end.............................................. endcommence........................................ begin, startcommitment........................................... promisecommunicate...........write, tell, talk, telephonecompensation.................................................paycomplete (verb).............................finish, fill out

comply with ...............................................followconceal .........................................................hideconcerning the matter of.......about, concerningconduct an investigation.................. investigateconsequence...............................................resultconsequently.................................................... soconstitute..............................................make upconstruct.....................................................buildconsummate.................... bring about, completecontiguous to ...........................................next tocontingent upon................................................ ifcontinue ................................................. keep upcontribute .....................................................give

cost the sum of.............................................. costcustomary practice................................ practicedeem............................................consider, thinkdemonstrate................................................ showdesire...........................................................wantdespite the fact that ......although, even thoughdetailed information ............................... detailsdetermine.................................................. decidedialogue....................... discussion, conversationdisclose........................................................showdiscontinue ...................................................stopdisseminate............................... send, distributedoes not operate to................................does notdonate...........................................................givedraw to a close.............................................. enddue to the fact that.............. because, although,

even thoughduring such time as......................during, whileduring the course of ................................ duringduring the period from................................fromduring the time that ....................during, whileduring which time..................................... whileedifice.....................................................building

Instead of Use

effect...........................................................makeeffectuate ........................bring about, carry outelect ................................................. choose, pickeliminate...............................remove, strike out

elucidate .................................................explainemployment ................................................workencounter ....................................................meetencourage.....................................................urgeendeavour (verb)............................................ tryensuing................................................. followingensure........................................................ followenter (on a form).........................................writeenter into a contract with ............contract withequivalent ..................................................equalevince..........................................................showexcessive number of ............................ too manyexecute......................................................... sign

exhibit a tendency to...............................tend toexpedite........................hasten, hurry, speed upexpend....................................................... spendexpiration...................................................... endexplicit.........................................................plainfacil itate................................... make easy, helpfailed to....................................................did notfeasible ...................................................possiblefew in number............................................... fewfewer in number ........................................fewerfinalize................................................end, finishfireman.............................................. fire fighterfor a period of..................................................for

for the duration of ..................................duringfor the purpose of ..................................... for, tofor the reason that.......................since, becauseforeman.....................................supervisor, leadformulate........................work out, devise, formforthwith ........................................ immediatelyforward.........................................................sendfrequently....................................................oftenfrom the point of view of................................forfrom time to time............................occasionallygive authorization .............................. authorizehandyman............................caretaker, repairerhence................................................................sohereafter ..........................after this takes effectherein ...........................................................herehereinafter ...............................future, followingheretofore.....before this takes effect, until nowhopefully ...................................................I hopehostess.......................................................... hosthousewife ........................................ homemakerI would appreciate it if you would...........pleaseif at all possible...................................if possibleif that were the case.....................................if so


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Instead of Use

implement ............................................carry outin a position to .............................................. canin a satisfactory manner .............. satisfactori lyin accordance with ........................by, under, on

in accordance with ...............................by/underin addition to...................................also/besidesin an effort to ...................................................toin as much as.............................. since, becausein back of ..................................................behindin case................................................................ifin close proximity..............................near, closein connection with .......with, about, concerningin consideration of the fact....................becauseindicate........................................ show, tell , sayin excess of .........................................more thanin favour of ..................................................... forinitiate........................................................begin

in lieu of............................instead of, in place ofin light of the fact that ..........................becausein many cases..............................................oftenin most cases...........................................usuallyin order to.........................................................toin other words.....................................or, that isin possession of ...........................................havein reference to....................... about, concerningin regard to............................ about, concerningin relation to.......................... about, concerningin respect to........................... about, concerningin short supply..........................................scarcein such a manner as to....................................to

in terms of ...................................................in, ofin the absence of ....................................withoutin the amount of........................................of, forin the course of..............................during, whilein the event that ...................... should, if, whenin the first place...........................................firstin the instance of ........................................... forin the interest of ............................................ forin the majority of instances .usually, generallyin the matter of..........................................aboutin the nature of .............................................likein the near future........................................soonin the neighbourhood of ............................aboutin the possession of............................. has, havein the proximity of ........................about, nearlyin the vicinity of..............around, near, close toin this case...................................................herein view of the fact ..................................becauseindicate........................................................showinform.............................................................tellinitial ............................................................firstinitiate..............................................begin, startinput .....................................comments, opinion

Instead of Use

inquire ...........................................................askinside of .....................................................insideinstitute............................................begin, startinsufficient........................................not enough

interrogate.............................................questionis able to.........................................................canis authorized to ............................................mayis binding upon...........................................bindsis defined as......................................................isis empowered to ...........................................mayis entitled............................................... is calledis unable to...............................................cannotissue..............................................................giveit is apparent that............................ apparentlyit is clear that...........................................clearlyit is directly ..................................................willit is evident that..................................evidently

it is my intention to ...................................I willit is obvious that..................................obviouslyit is often the case that .............................. oftenit is probable that.................................probablyit is the duty..................................................willit shall be lawful ..........................................mayit wil l be necessary.......................... wil l need toit would appear that ........................ apparentlykeep an eye on...........................................watchlast of all ........................................................lastlaw passed.......................................law enactedloan (as a verb).............................................lendlocality ........................................................place

locate.............................................................findlocation .......................................................placemailman......................................... letter carriermaintenance............................................upkeepmajor portion of.......................................most ofmajority of ...................................................mostmake application to ...................................applymake contact with............................... see, meetmake the acquaintance of...........................meetman (as a verb)..............................staff, operateman/men (as a noun) .............. humans, people,

individualsman-days/hours....................worker-days/hoursmankind...............people, humans, humankindman-made.......synthetic, artificial, hand-mademanner .........................................................waymanpower .................workers, workforce, staff,

employeesmaterialize ..............................................appearmaximum......... most, largest, longest, greatestmiddleman.................... go-between, facil itator,

intermediaryminimum.....................................least, smallest


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About the Author

Duncan Kenthas worked as ajournalist, technical communicator,documentation consultant, and writinginstructor since graduating with aMaster of Arts degree from theUniversity of British Columbia in1976. In 1990, he was awarded the

designation of Certified ManagementConsultant (CMC) by Canadasgoverning body of managementconsultants.

Duncan is a founding member of theCanada West Coast chapter of theSociety for Technical Communication

(STC) and has served as the chaptersPresident. For more than 12 years he

has taught technical writing at SimonFraser University in Vancouver,British Columbia, and is a member ofthe Advisory Board to the universitysWriting and Publishing Program. Hiswriting workshops have been offeredin almost every province and territoryin Canada, and in-house to more than50 government and private-sectororganizations.

Since 1990, Duncan Kent & AssociatesLtd. has provided a full spectrum oftechnical communication services.With specialists in writing/editing,document production, instructionaldesign, and web site creation, the firmhas guided the development of more

than 180 manuals, courses, helpsystems, and web sites.

Duncan Kent & Associates Ltd.Suite 507, 1200 West Pender StreetVancouver, British Columbia, V6E 2S9Tel: 604-683-3136

Email: [email protected]: www.techcommunicators.com
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Writing Styleguide in English