Editor's Corner

In the editing world, we’ve been talking a lot lately about jargon and specifically about how it often confuses our audience. When we talk about jargon, we’re talking about what Merriam-Webster describes as “the language used for a particular activity or by a particular group of people; a confused unintelligible language.”

Well, over the weekend, a friend asked me a grammar question. I gave her an answer that had to do with nouns, and pronouns, and adjectives, and as I was talking, I could see her eyes glaze over. And I realized that I was doing it; I was using jargon rather than plain English. So I stopped and I explained it in simpler, everyday terms.

So to redeem myself, I thought I’d give you a quick and easy synopsis of some of the basic jargon we all use when we talk about the English language: the eight parts of speech. And I’ll provide a brief explanation and a few examples (not complete lists) for each part of speech. I’ll also provide links to Wikipedia in case you want to delve deeper.

The eight parts of speech:

· Noun: A person, place, or thing [dbb – I’m using the term “thing” very broadly.]
Examples: Doug, Chicago, table, integrity, passion, hyperactivity

· Pronoun: A word that substitutes for a noun [dbb – There are many different types of pronouns:
personal, reflexive, reciprocal, possessive, demonstrative, indefinite, relative, and interrogative.]
Examples: You, myself, our, this, anyone, what, who

· Adjective: A word that describes or qualifies a noun or pronoun
Examples: big, clever, happy, frozen

· Verb: Any action, occurrence, or state of being [dbb – These are action words.]
Examples: walk, think, happen, be

· Adverb: A word that describes or qualifies an adjective, verb, clause, sentence, or other adverb [dbb – Adverbs
typically answer questions like “How?” “When?” “Where?”]
Examples: very, slowly, suddenly, now, soon

· Preposition: A word that creates relationships between other words
Examples: in, around, through, beside, from, for

· Conjunction: Words that connect sentences, clauses, or words within a clause
Examples: and, but, or, nor, yet

· Interjection: An emotional greeting or exclamation; often characterized by exclamation marks
Examples: aah, hmm, Phew!, Cheers!, Hooray!

And here’s a sad sign that proves the importance of thoughtful writing and careful editing:

Our friend, Kara, comes back to work tomorrow. Hooray!

Donna Bradley Burcher | Technical Editor, Adv. | Symitar®

8985 Balboa Ave. | San Diego, CA 92123 | Ph. 619.278.0432 | Extension: 765432

NOTICE: This electronic mail message and any files transmitted with it are intended
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One of the guidelines in the plain English standards from the JHA Style Guide for Technical Communication and Training is to write as specifically as possible (I realize you readers who are not JHA employees cannot access the link, I just want you to know I’m not making up this stuff). When you are specific in your writing, it is easier for the reader to understand. There is also less chance for confusion or misinterpretation.

Jackie Solano | Technical Editor | Symitar®

8985 Balboa Ave. | San Diego, CA 92123 | Ph. 619.542.6711 | Extension: 766711

Good morning to you all.

On Monday, I discussed two commonly confused words: envy and jealousy. Today I’m going to discuss two words that are more common in the business world but that are equally confused: anxious and eager.

Of these two words, anxious has a more negative connotation. Merriam-Webster explains that this word means “afraid or nervous especially about what may happen : feeling anxiety.” I feel anxious during a movie when I hear the creepy music that means something scary or violent is about to happen. I also feel anxious when someone says, “I have bad news.” And most people feel anxious before giving a presentation.

In contrast, the word eager has a positive connotation. According to Merriam-Webster, to be eager is to be “very excited and interested : feeling a strong and impatient desire to do something.” I feel eager when I’m getting ready to go on vacation. And I am eager to spend more time with my son before he joins the US Coast Guard.

So, although a lot of people are using these words interchangeably, I would never tell a client that I was anxious about an upcoming event, meeting, or presentation. I would put a positive spin on the situation and let the client know that I am eager to get started.

And on the other hand, I would never tell my sister that I am eager to take another trip to Las Vegas with her. She’s crazy wild. Anyway, I think Las Vegas banned her.

Donna Bradley Burcher | Technical Editor, Adv. | Symitar®

8985 Balboa Ave. | San Diego, CA 92123 | Ph. 619.278.0432 | Ext: 765432

Guten tag!

After last week’s “Inspiring Initialisms” email, one of our readers had a burning question about using a or an with numbers. Specifically, he asked whether it is correct to write “starts with a 1” or “starts with an 1.”

As we learned last week, a comes before words that begin with a consonant sound, while an comes before words that begin with a vowel sound. However, even after saying it out loud I was a little unsure what the number 1 sounds like, so I checked my handy-dandy online Merriam-Webster dictionary. (And if you’re giggling about the sound of the number 1, shame on you!)

Aha! By the power vested in Merriam-Webster, we pronounce the number 1 as ˈwən, which starts with the consonant w. So, according to the rule, you should write “a 1” because the number 1 starts with a consonant sound. You would still use a if you spelled out the number 1, because the word one is also pronounced ˈwən.

According to the 16th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style, section 5.72, the tricky y, h, and w sounds count as a consonant sound:

A comes before words with a consonant sound, including /y/, /h/, and /w/, no matter how the word is spelled {a eulogy} {a historic occasion} {a Ouachita tribe member}. An comes before words with a vowel sound {an LSAT exam room} {an X-Files episode} {an hour ago}.

In section 7.44, the authors further clarify that the same word can have a or an in front of it, depending on how the word is pronounced:

In the last two examples, 007 would be pronounced oh oh seven and double oh seven, respectively.

an 007 field (in a library catalog) [LB – An is in front because this 007 starts with the vowel sound
o in oh.]

a 007-style agent [LB –
A is in front because this 007 starts with the consonant sound d
in double.]

Now I’m craving some of the appropriately named A.1. sauce. Mmm.

Thanks,

Laura Bowers | Technical Writer | Symitar®

8985 Balboa Ave. l San Diego, CA 92123-1507

619.542.6935 l or Ext. 766935

NOTICE: This electronic mail message and any files transmitted with it are intended
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Any unauthorized review, use, printing, saving, copying, disclosure or distribution
is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please
immediately advise the sender by reply email and delete all copies.

Hello! I’m back to tell you about the rest of the plain English standards from the JHA Style Guide for Technical Communication and Training. Here we go!

· Write as specifically as possible

o Incorrect: If you accept the default of 0 at this prompt, the specfile will not omit any open accounts based on the value in the Warning Code.

o Correct: If you accept the default of 0 at this prompt, the specfile will not omit any open accounts based on the value in the Warning Code field in the Account record.

· Break up noun clusters that have more than three nouns

o Incorrect: JHA is developing an interdepartmental employee relations improvement plan.

o Correct: JHA is developing a plan to improve relations among employees in different departments.

· Always start a paragraph with a topic sentence [JS] The first sentence in the paragraph should tell the reader what the rest of the paragraph is about.

· If anything in a paragraph does not support the topic sentence, create a new paragraph for the new information

· If you begin a command with a dependent clause, separate it from the main clause with a comma

o Incorrect: On the Tools menu select Options.

o Correct: On the Tools menu, select Options.

· Begin a caution with a simple and clear command

o Incorrect: Once locked, the Forecast cannot be unlocked.

o Correct: Make sure you have made all the needed changes to the Forecast. Once locked, the Forecast cannot be unlocked.

· Do not leave out articles

o Incorrect: ODP system has set minimum for all methods.

o Correct: The ODP system has a set minimum for all methods.

Jackie Solano | Technical Editor | Symitar®

8985 Balboa Ave. | San Diego, CA 92123 | Ph. 619.542.6711 | Extension: 766711

NOTICE: This electronic mail message and any files transmitted with it are intended
exclusively for the individual or entity to which it is addressed. The message,
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Any unauthorized review, use, printing, saving, copying, disclosure or distribution
is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please
immediately advise the sender by reply email and delete all copies.

Good morning!

I was looking through a list of common grammar mistakes this morning, and I stumbled on two commonly misunderstood and misused words: envy and jealousy.

According to a column called 20 Common Grammar Mistakes That (Almost) Every Makes by Jon Gingerich: “The word ‘envy’ implies a longing for someone else’s good fortunes. ‘Jealousy’ is far more nefarious. It’s a fear of rivalry, often present in sexual situations. ‘Envy’ is when you covet your friend’s good looks. ‘Jealousy’ is what happens when your significant other swoons over your good-looking friend.”

So it turns out that I am envious (not jealous) that Kara is enjoying an exciting vacation in the United Kingdom.

Jealousy is what happens to my husband whenever I mention one of my ex-boyfriends (at every family get-together). I don’t have an actual photo of my husband to share, but this is what his jealous face looks like:

Donna Bradley Burcher | Technical Editor, Adv. | Symitar®

8985 Balboa Ave. | San Diego, CA 92123 | Ph. 619.278.0432 | Ext: 765432

Today I am going to talk about JHA’s standards for technical communication. If you do not work for JHA, you will not be able to access the following link. Don’t panic, I’m including the standards in this email.

The JHA Style Guide for Technical Communication and Training has a section dedicated to plain English and plain English standards. The following information is taken from that marvelous document.

Plain English is a clear and concise style of writing that is written in the proper tone with the reader in mind.

Plain English is:

· Faster to write

· Faster to read

· Easier to understand

Plain English is not:

· Childish writing

· Amateur writing

· A means of reducing the length or changing the meaning of your material

· A means of banning words

· A rigid set of words with grammar rules

Not only does writing in plain English help to standardize our company’s documentation, it improves the readability of our documentation.

Since it’s Friday, I’ll leave you with a few plain English standards from the JHA Style Guide for Technical Communication and Training that JHA employees should follow when writing documentation. I’ll fill you in on the rest of plain English standards next week.

· Keep your sentences as short as possible

· Prefer the active voice over the passive voice

· Always use the active imperative in instructions; this includes instructional portions of paragraphs as well as steps

o Incorrect: The parameter should be set to No.

o Correct: Set this parameter to No.

· Avoid nominalizations

o Incorrect: Begin report generation.

o Correct: Generate the report.

· Use positive language when possible

o Incorrect: Do not delete any letter that may still be in use.

o Correct: Keep the letters that you may still use.

· Use lists when appropriate

o Incorrect: The four Dashboard tabs are Financial Analysis, Operations Analysis, Performance Analysis, and Risk Analysis.

o Correct: The four Dashboard tabs are:

§ Financial Analysis

§ Operations Analysis

§ Performance Analysis

§ Risk Analysis

· Do not use different words to describe or refer to the same thing

o Incorrect: Number indicates the number of the option and defines where the setting appears on the menu.

o Correct: Number indicates the number of the option and defines where the option appears on the menu.

Jackie Solano | Technical Editor | Symitar®

8985 Balboa Ave. | San Diego, CA 92123 | Ph. 619.542.6711 | Extension: 766711

NOTICE: This electronic mail message and any files transmitted with it are intended
exclusively for the individual or entity to which it is addressed. The message,
together with any attachment, may contain confidential and/or privileged information.
Any unauthorized review, use, printing, saving, copying, disclosure or distribution
is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please
immediately advise the sender by reply email and delete all copies.

And now, in an exciting back-to-back email special, I’d like to apologize for any confusion caused by the subject line of the “Inspiring Initialisms” email I just sent. Yes, that was the Editor’s Corner! OK, you caught me, this is my first time contributing and I goofed. But it was fun, right?! Initialisms? Grammar stuff? Good times. Let’s do it again.

Also, kudos to our readers who pointed out that RAM is not an initialism because we pronounce the whole word (ram) instead of each letter separately. Great catch!

Thanks,
Laura Bowers | Technical Writer | Symitar®
8985 Balboa Ave. l San Diego, CA 92123-1507
619.542.6935 l or Ext. 766935

Have you ever wondered whether you should write a or an before FBI? Do you dangle your fingers over the keys indecisively when you need to order a LED… or is it an LED? Today’s word wisdom will educate, inform, and inspire you to use your favorite initialisms with ease. This delightful discussion is taken from the article “Indefinite Article With Initialisms” on Daily Writing Tips.
An initialism is a group of initial letters, each pronounced separately, used as an abbreviation of a name. [LB – At Symitar, we often use initialisms like ATM, AIX, and RAM.]
The following examples were found on major news sites or on sites offering professional services or advice:

• Pieces of the bag recovered have been sent to a FBI lab for forensic testing.
• The 404 or Not Found error message is a HTTP standard response code. [LB – And please, don’t say the page 404’ed.
  404 is a number, not a verb, and adding the apostrophe just makes it worse.]
• Step-by-step tutorial on how to add a LED to a USB thumb drive.

The problem lies in an incomplete understanding of the rule for the use of a and an. Many speakers retain the rule as “Use an before words that begin with a vowel and a before words that begin with a consonant.”
The complete rule is “Use an before words that begin with a vowel sound and a before words that begin with a consonant sound.”
The 26 letters of the alphabet are sound symbols, but the symbols have names. [LB – That’s right, each of the 26 letters of the alphabet is represented by a specific name.] And several of the consonant letters have names that begin with vowel sounds:

• F [ef]
• H [aitch]
• L [el]
• M [em]
• N [en]
• S [es]
• R [ar] [LB – Be careful with this one; your coworkers might think you are growling!]

Here’s the correct way to write the words and initialisms given in boldface above:

• Pieces of the bag recovered have been sent to an FBI lab for forensic testing.
• The 404 or Not Found error message is an HTTP standard response code.
• Step-by-step tutorial on how to add an LED to a USB thumb drive. [LB – Shine bright, little initialism!]

In deciding whether to write a or an in front of an initialism, say the name of the first letter. If the letter name begins with a vowel sound, use an.
Whew! Glad we got that straightened out. Now go forth and confidently place a or an before your favorite initialisms.
Thanks,
Laura Bowers | Technical Writer | Symitar®
8985 Balboa Ave. l San Diego, CA 92123-1507
619.542.6935 l or Ext. 766935

NOTICE: This electronic mail message and any files transmitted with it are intended
exclusively for the individual or entity to which it is addressed. The message,
together with any attachment, may contain confidential and/or privileged information.
Any unauthorized review, use, printing, saving, copying, disclosure or distribution
is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please
immediately advise the sender by reply email and delete all copies.

Hi Folks,

JHA has adopted a new editing tool, Acrolinx®, which is helping your editors ensure that all our documentation is written with one consistent voice. This tool, and the consistency it demands, fits right in with JHA’s goal to operate as One Company.

Today, I thought I’d talk about one of the issues we see quite a lot, so that you can look for it in your own writing. Acrolinx flags sentences that begin with the words this/that/these/those when these words are not followed by a noun. (Your kindly human editors would also always mark these sentences for revision, but we’re very happy to have Acrolinx back us up!).

For instance, the following sentence would be flagged: “This appears because the prompt was not set properly.”

The problem with that sentence is that the word this is not followed by a noun, which often leads to confusion. To fix the sentence, you just need to add the missing noun: “This error message appears because the prompt was not set properly.”

That’s it for today. Don’t forget to have fun!

For my baseball fans:

“You gotta have fun. Regardless of how you look at it, we’re playing a game. It’s a business, it’s our job, but I don’t think you can do well unless you’re having fun.” ~Derek Jeter

Donna Bradley Burcher | Technical Editor, Adv. | Symitar®

8985 Balboa Ave. | San Diego, CA 92123 | Ph. 619.278.0432 | Extension: 765432

NOTICE: This electronic mail message and any files transmitted with it are intended
exclusively for the individual or entity to which it is addressed. The message,
together with any attachment, may contain confidential and/or privileged information.
Any unauthorized review, use, printing, saving, copying, disclosure or distribution
is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please
immediately advise the sender by reply email and delete all copies.