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Subject:"May" vs. "Can" From:Sue Heim <SUE -at- RIS -dot- RISINC -dot- COM> Date:Fri, 11 Aug 1995 10:08:17 PST
Hey folks! I need your collective opinion...
How do you feel about using "may" or "can" in docs and marketing
collaterals. For example, I really don't like the following sentence
(this is from a brochure of ours):
"Author reprint request cards may be generated, and references can be
output in a variety of formats."
Unfortunately, our marketing stuff is done by committee, and although
I am constantly fighting to use personal pronouns, I don't always
with the battles. At any rate, I don't like using "may" since I think
it implies a) the possibility, b) a conditional event, or c)
permission granted (did that make sense?) whereas "can" implies "the
ability to do."
I don't want to rewrite the sentence (although my fingers are itching
to!), but I do want to change "may" to "can." Thoughts, anyone?
Thanks!
...sue
-------------------------
Sue Heim
Research Information Systems
Carlsbad, California USA
Email: Sue -at- ris -dot- risinc -dot- com
