Re: Apple permits "then" to be used as a coord. conjunction in instructions

[Bruce Byfield <bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com>]

On Mon, 2005-07-11 at 21:13 -0400, Tom Johnson wrote:

>  Yet
> according to the Apple style guide -- which is not an insignificant
> authority on matters of style -- when writing instructions that require the
> imperative mood (and instructions almost always require this mood), the use
> of "then" to separate two independent clauses "is OK." In other words, I can
> write, "Click the File menu, then select New and Open." Appalling. 

One of the signs of the apocalypse, as we all know.

As a sign of how usage is changing, this observation is interesting. But
appallling? Why? The usage isn't much of a stretch, isn't particularly
ugly, doesn't narrow nuance ,and is not going to be rescinded for
anyone's outrage. So why waste any emotion on it?

-- 
Bruce Byfield 604-421-7177
http://members.axion.net/~bbyfield

"Inspiration and craft plus time and effort minus fear and doubt
multiplied by purpose equals song."
- Ray Wylie Hubbard.


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