Re: International English standard?

[Mary Cresswell <mcresswe -at- ACTRIX -dot- GEN -dot- NZ>]

 Is there a good source for citing a
>standard?
>
Clearly thought out and clearly presented text will work in either a US
English or a British English environment.  I've worked in both, and it
seems that most of the difference between the two is cosmetic.  That is,
the differences concern style, not meaning.  (Some fields have different
vocabularies, but I take it you're not writing about railroads!)  You may
end up having a committee decide the issue; I don't know what your
workplace is like in this matter, and the decision is usually a political
one, not one of comprehension.  If you do have to battle it through
committees, it will save you grief if you insist that they remember the
issue of between 'US and UK English spelling and style', not between 'US
and UK English [per se]'.  They aren't different languages.

Strunk and White's guide and Fowler's Modern English Usage both point out
that clarity is the primary goal of any publication.  Actually, lots of
guides say that ... just hit the library.

Good luck


Mary Cresswell * Technical writer & editor
P.O. Box 17-249 * Wellington, New Zealand
+64-4-475-7277; fax:+64-4-475-7279
mcresswe -at- actrix -dot- gen -dot- nz

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