Jean Hollis Weber <jean@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> said: Thanks for that. Timely. I recently had _the_ argument with someone about the use of the singular 'they'. I'm so relieved that you put it in the 'fake rules' section. I won the argument BTW. Barry > Christine wrote: > >The tech writers bible is the AGPS Style Manual (Australian Government > >Printing > >Service I think). > > The latest edition doesn't have "AGPS" in its name any more. It's "Style > Manual: for Authors, Editors and Printers", 6th edition, Australia, 2001, > ISBN 0701636483; I don't recall the official publisher. > > >My personal opinion, structure is much more important than grammar. > > I agree, though I distinguish between "essential" grammar (necessary for > clear, unambiguous communication) and "non-essential" grammar (all sorts of > stuff that doesn't get in the way of communication even if some people > think it's technically "wrong"). I go into this in some detail in my paper > "Escape from the grammar trap", http://www.JeanWeber.com/about/grammartrap.htm > > Regards, Jean > Jean Hollis Weber > jean@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > The Technical Editors' Eyrie http://www.jeanweber.com/ > > > ********************************************************** > To unsubscribe from astcq-discuss, send a message to astcq-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field. > > To search the astcq-discuss archives, visit //www.freelists.org/archives/astcq-discuss/ > > To change your settings using the web interface, login at //www.freelists.org/cgi-bin/lsg2.cgi/ > > To contact the list administrator, send a message to astcq-discuss-admins@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > ********************************************************** > > -- Barry Dale Technical and web content writer International: + 61 7 5499 7489 Australia: 07 5499 7489 ********************************************************** To unsubscribe from astcq-discuss, send a message to astcq-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field. To search the astcq-discuss archives, visit //www.freelists.org/archives/astcq-discuss/ To change your settings using the web interface, login at //www.freelists.org/cgi-bin/lsg2.cgi/ To contact the list administrator, send a message to astcq-discuss-admins@xxxxxxxxxxxxx **********************************************************