RE: Re: Can we start a sentence with "or" or "and" in a manual

["Monique Semp" <monique -dot- semp -at- earthlink -dot- net>]

Yes, sadly this is very good advice.  So many people do *not* know the
rules that we sometimes have to "dumb down" our writing (not make it
wrong!).

When I was first getting into tech writing, a very good editor told me that
although I was absolutely right in my comprise/compose usage, I should
avoid it because it would look wrong to so many people.  I've generally
followed her advice, but decided to use "comprises" correctly in a white
paper, figuring it was less "tech-y" and so ok for the audience.  Well, my
marketing reviewer, who was generally fantastic with his grammar, wasn't
right about this.  And when I showed him the proof (yes, I know I just
started a sentence with "and" :-), he conceded its truth, but then said
just what my long-ago editor said: change the wording so it doesn't look
wrong.  Sigh.

-Monique

<snip>

> "And let me add a bit more about business writing: Despite the fact that
> it's not wrong to start a sentence with however, a lot of people think
> it's wrong;

<snip>


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