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Re: Yet one more - really need an explanation for this one
Subject:Re: Yet one more - really need an explanation for this one From:Deborah Hemstreet <dvora -at- tech-challenged -dot- com> To:"Combs, Richard" <richard -dot- combs -at- Polycom -dot- com> Date:Thu, 21 May 2009 13:10:45 -0400
And if you are writing in a marketing brochure? I think some rules
change for the marketing effect...
Combs, Richard wrote:
> Patricia Egan wrote:
>
>
>> Re: "were" versus "are"
>>
>> I am finding that certain legal departments are requiring the use of
>> present
>> tense, primarily to avoid "forward-looking statements." I have not
>>
> been
>
>> required to change past tense to present, but the use of present tense
>> permeates the documents.
>>
>
> I should hope so.
>
> In tech writing, using present instead of future tense is
> well-established best practice -- "do X, and the foobar appears," not
> "do X, and the foobar will appear." And outside of narratives, past
> tense is only applicable in a few situations.
>
> But I wouldn't worry about past tense being mistaken for
> "forward-looking statements." ;-)
>
> Richard
>
>
> Richard G. Combs
> Senior Technical Writer
> Polycom, Inc.
> richardDOTcombs AT polycomDOTcom
> 303-223-5111
> ------
> rgcombs AT gmailDOTcom
> 303-777-0436
> ------
>
>
>
>
>
>
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