Preposition at Beginning or End?

[Geoff Hart <ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca>]

Keith Hansen wondered: <<Which sentence do you prefer: Sentence No.  
1: "From the Country drop-down list, select USA." Sentence No. 2:  
"Select USA from the Country drop-down list.">>

Both are acceptable, but the first is nominally superior because it  
tells the reader where to look; in the second, the reader must hold  
the action ("select") in their head while they figure out where the  
action must take place. But for such short phrases, that's largely a  
theoretical objection. I doubt that there's any practical  
significance to the difference, and that it's more important to be  
significant.

Note, however, that this query doesn't really have much to do with  
prepositions. <g>

<<ALSO: Consider this sentence: * "Click in the Name text box and  
type your name." I would never write this sentence: * "In the Name  
text box, click and type your name.">>

Again, both are correct, but this time the second option follows the  
abovementioned principles, and is arguably superior. But "click" and  
"click in" aren't necessary in either option. Readers who don't  
already know how to click to position the cursor in an input field  
aren't going to be helped much by the rest of your instructions.


----------------------------------------------------
-- Geoff Hart
ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca / geoffhart -at- mac -dot- com
www.geoff-hart.com
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