Re: Usage of perfect in TW

[Michael West <WestM -at- conwag -dot- com>]

> From: Ihor Rozdil 

> Most best practices recommend to use simple present while writing 
> guides. Simple past is also welcome. What about present perfect, has
> anyone seen some recommedations on that? Please vote for one of the 
> following variants of the same sentense: 
> 1. Aftet the installation has completed, restart your computer. 
> 2. After the installation is completed, restart your computer. 
> 3. After the installation completed, restart your computer.

I prefer simple present ("is complete"), but more important, I think, is 
whether your instruction is sufficiently clear. How do I know when the 
installation is complete? Will there be a message? If so, then perhaps it 
would be helpful to mention that fact. If not, then, again, how will I 
know when it is complete? (Can the resart be automated, by the way? That 
would make the instuction superfluous.)

Your third option is grammatically unnacceptable in this context. The 
first two are okay, but could be better.

-- 
Mike West
Melbourne, Australia

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