atw: Re: Hyphen usage
- From: "Lewington, Warren" <Warren.Lewington@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "'austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx'" <austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 16 Aug 2011 17:09:01 +1000
Hi Bob.
I don't know where you are with regards to technical writing. Typically
questions like that come from list members who are getting more involved with
writing or editing as part of their work.
I have found a couple of resources that are indispensible if you are moving
into the business or technical communication field.
First one (especially for this kind of post - which is always welcome here) is
the "Chicago Manual of Style (CMoS)." This is the style guide that all lesser
guides are based on - even the Australian "Style Manual" which has been
reworked and is or about to be republished; (I have an early version, and only
occasionally check it). The CMoS is an internationally recognised arbiter on
grammar, usage, layout, style and technical literary information in general.
However, it does fail on some more eclectic scientific and engineering
applications that I have had to stumble through. I have a hard copy right next
to me at my desk, but now use the on-line version. I can get to it anywhere as
long as I have access to the internet - and I have never had it blocked by any
web-monitoring software at a client site. I think the on-line version is
terrific, although it is slow. And the on-line text font is not brilliant. But
the information is all there.
The second resource that I have found really useful is "The Copyeditors
Handbook" by Amy Einsohn. This is a very practical book about usage and grammar
by a working editor and very experienced teacher on the subjects of copyediting
and editing. She is a contributor to another list I belong to. Copyediting is
an essential part of technical editing and writing - very much what you are
doing with the review you mention.
Both these books/references will be a great help. Both can be read in large
chunks, and used as references.
There are other items available as well. For instance, I have an on-line
subscription to the "Macquarie Dictionary." From an Australian idiom and usage
perspective, it is very very good. Others on this list disagree - I find it
accurate for Australian conditions, and incredibly cheap for the value I derive
from it.
Perhaps a few of us can suggest some others now. But references to resources
that will help beginners can be found throughout the list's archives as well.
Cheers and hope you are all well.
Warren.
________________________________
From: austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of bob mosh
Sent: Tuesday, 16 August 2011 16:36
To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: atw: Re: Hyphen usage
Hi All,
Thank you so much for your explaining it so clearly and with examples. You are
all awesome :)
Thanks,
Bob
On Tue, Aug 16, 2011 at 12:35 PM, SUNTER Bede
<Bede_SUNTER@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:Bede_SUNTER@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
Hi Bob,
As Neil has pointed out, be guided by standards like the Style manual. It makes
hyphen usage perfectly clear.
Bede
________________________________
From:
austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
[mailto:austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]
On Behalf Of bob mosh
Sent: Monday, 15 August 2011 6:07 PM
To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: atw: Hyphen usage
I have been asked to review the user interface text of a project management
application. I have almost completed the review, except the pending issue of
hyphen usage. I am not sure if a hyphen should be used in the following UI
labels:
* "To-Do List" or "To Do List"
* "In-Progress Tasks" or "In Progress Tasks" (a tab that user needs to
click to view ongoing tasks, as in New Tasks, In-Progress Tasks, Completed
Tasks, Pending Tasks)
I did some research and found that these phrases are used both with and without
the hyphen, which made it all the more confusing.
It would be great if someone could help me to sift through and find the correct
usage.
Regards,
Bob
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