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Never one to keep my opinion to myself when there's the chance of irking
someone else, I'd like to say that contractions shouldn't be summarily
prohibited from technical writing. Depending on the nature of the
document, and your audience, sometimes contractions are appropriate. As
for possessives, they are not only correct but often necessary for
clarity. Meg, I like your example. Me often like to take someone head
and bash with rock.
Forget world peace.
Visualize using your turn signal.
Bumper S. Ticker
Kasie Snyder wrote:
>
> Meg-
> Perhaps you are confusing contractions and possessives. While it is considered
> unprofessional to use contractions in technical documentation, I have never
> heard the same about using possessives.
>
> Kasie Snyder
> Lead Technical Writer
> Pulsecom DSL Information Development Team
>
> ____________________Reply Separator____________________
> Subject: Unprofessional possessive
> Author: HalterMC -at- navair -dot- navy -dot- mil (Halter; Meg)
> Date: 11/29/99 11:16 AM
>
> Hello all --
>
> A question has come up concerning the use of the possessive in technical
> reports. The author maintains that it's unprofessional to use the
> possessive. So instead of writing "the pilot's head" we should write "the
> pilot head". The second sounds like pidgin to me. (Me take pilot head and
> bash with rock.)
>
> Me hope for you comments.
>
> -- Meg
