RE: Using the conjunction OR in mutually exclusive options

["Stephen Arrants" <steve -at- mbfbioscience -dot- com>]

Donna McManus asks:
 
> I am seeing the use of the conjunction OR in mutually exclusive
options in
> procedures. This is even given as an example in Microsoft's Manual of
Style
> (if you have the 3rd version, see p123):
> 
> To open a menu:
> - Press Alt+the key for the underlined letter in the menu name
>     -or-
> - Use the LEFT ARROW key or the RIGHT ARROW key to move to another
> menu
> 
> I'm more of the mind to write the procedure as:
> 
> Use one of two methods to open a menu:
> - Press Alt+the key for the underlined letter in the menu name
> - Use the LEFT ARROW key or the RIGHT ARROW key to move to another
> menu
[Stephen Arrants] 
Your "more of a mind" is actually the similar to the first correct
option given in the text. The use of "OR" is optional. Your preferred
way is correct according to the MOS.
Here is the text from page 123:

If one step has an alternative, that alternative should be a separate
paragraph in the step.
In a single-step procedure, an alternative can be separated by the word
or to make it clearer
to the user that an alternative is available.
Correct
Press the key for the underlined letter in the menu name.
You can also use the LEFT ARROW key or the RIGHT ARROW key to move to
another menu.

To open a menu
* Press ALT+the key for the underlined letter in the menu name.
-or-
* Use the LEFT ARROW key or the RIGHT ARROW key to move to another menu.


We use the "-or-" construction, as it does make it clearer t our English
as second language customers what to do.



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