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Anonymous Posted 18 years ago
Grammar
Please Help
Could someone please help. I am QA'ing some computer documentation.
I have written - "Click the xxxx button. The xxxx (next screen) is displayed.
I have been told to write this in the active voice e.g. Click the xxx button. The xxx screen displays. I dont believe this is correct. Comments please.
Also, I have been told that there is ALWAYS two spaces between a full stop and the start of a new sentance. I always thought it was one space.
Please advise.
Di
I have written - "Click the xxxx button. The xxxx (next screen) is displayed.
I have been told to write this in the active voice e.g. Click the xxx button. The xxx screen displays. I dont believe this is correct. Comments please.
Also, I have been told that there is ALWAYS two spaces between a full stop and the start of a new sentance. I always thought it was one space.
Please advise.
Di
Top answer
I was taught two spaces, but I'm an old guy. Perhaps the New York Times style manual should be checked. The screen displays is correct, I believe.
- I was taught two spaces, but I'm an old guy.
- Perhaps the New York Times style manual should be checked.
- The screen displays is correct, I believe.
- I'm quite sure it can be intransitive as well as transitive (like, "deploys").
- If it were I, I'd find another way to put it.
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4 Answers
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I was taught two spaces, but I'm an old guy. Perhaps the New York Times style manual should be checked.
The screen displays is correct, I believe. I'm quite sure it can be intransitive as well as transitive (like, "deploys"). If it were I, I'd find another way to put it. For example, "and the next screen will appear."
The screen displays is correct, I believe. I'm quite sure it can be intransitive as well as transitive (like, "deploys"). If it were I, I'd find another way to put it. For example, "and the next screen will appear."
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Try this: Click on the X button to disply the Y screen.
The old rules about two spaces after a period was well before the current era of computer software that handles spacing for you automatically.
The old rules about two spaces after a period was well before the current era of computer software that handles spacing for you automatically.
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Hold on. My dictionary doesn't show an intransitive usage for "display," although I'm sure I've heard it. We'd better check another source.
Edit. MW unabridged also shows it as transitive only. It gives "deploy" as a synonym, which is listed as both transitive and intransitive. So you're right; it's wrong!
Edit. MW unabridged also shows it as transitive only. It gives "deploy" as a synonym, which is listed as both transitive and intransitive. So you're right; it's wrong!
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Thank you all so much! Needless to say, being proved right hasn't helped me one iota and I have still been forced to write, "The *** screen displays". I too agree with the previous answer regarding how many spaces after a period - with computers now handling spacing automatically, it seems the generally accepted norm is one space. Thanks again!
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