Grammar Question: Ensure or Make

Subject: Grammar Question: Ensure or Make
From: "William J. Hartzer" <William -dot- Hartzer -at- EMC2-TAO -dot- FISC -dot- COM>
Date: Thu, 26 Oct 1995 17:21:55 -0600

Hi!

It seems that I came across a little dispute about some grammar in some
documentation I am working on for a Windows software product. One developer
says that I should use the term 'MAKE SURE' and another insists that I use
'ENSURE' in the following sentence. And still another insists that there is a
specific type of writing style that must be used when documenting a Windows PC
software product.

Should I use:

"Make sure that you are off-line prior to selecting this option."

OR

"Ensure that you are off-line prior to selecting this option."

Also, is there such a thing as a writing style that must be used whenever
Windows PC software products are being documented? This developer claims
that this Windows PC software product writing style is MUCH different than the
writing style I'm supposed to use when documenting an IBM Mainframe product
or even a Macintosh software product.

What do you think? Let me know via private e-mail about the grammar question,
but I think the 'writing style' topic is appropriate for posting to the whole
list.

Regards,
Bill Hartzer
Technical Writer
Fischer International Systems Corporation
Naples, Florida USA

<William -dot- Hartzer -at- EMC2-TAO -dot- FISC -dot- COM>
"The Mac is NOT a toy."


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