shut down vs. shutdown

["Linda H. Schoenhoff" <lhs -at- UNIFY -dot- COM>]

In reply to Donna's post and Rich's reply:


>I need some help with the verb To Shut Down.
>For example, in a procedure, I need to say something like:
>1. Shut Windows down and restart it.

>Would it be more correct to say
>1. Shut down Windows and restart it.

>Donna Ellis
>dle -at- alpha -dot- sunquest -dot- com
>========================================
>         I prefer "shutdown" (one word).

>         Rich


First, it seems a good idea to me to use
terminology that Windows users know.  Does
the Windows documentation use the term
"shut down?"  Is there a menu option
labeled "shut down" in the product you're
writing about?  Sometimes it's difficult (for new
users in particular) to know what to do if we use a
term that isn't visible in the software somewhere.
If you tell them shut down but they actually have to
select exit, close, quit, or some other
menu item or button, confusion could result.

With regard to "shut down," I'm not sure if it
matters if you insert Windows between shut and
down, but the verb is a phrasal verb and is
two words.  Rich says he prefers shutdown, but
this would be the noun or adjective form, as
in "The shutdown procedure is described...."

Other examples would be words like:

Checkout:  The checkout counter was busy.
Check out: Be sure to check out of your hotel by noon.

Layout:   The page layout will be finished tomorrow.
Lay out:  Lay out pages 22 through 24 as soon as you can.

I know we all have personal preferences, pet peeves, and
the like, but this doesn't fall into that personal
opinion category.

Thanks for listening.

Linda "down from her soapbox" Schoenhoff
lhs -at- unify -dot- com


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