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266 points jumpocelot | 1 comments | | HN request time: 0.221s | source
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AdmiralAsshat ◴[] No.44524146[source]
Most of this looks quite good!

The only part that throws me for a loop is in the Grammar section, which contains a mix of best practices (like "Prefer active voice to passive voice") mixed with basic rules about subject-verb agreement. The former is what I would expect to see in a Style Guide, while the latter is, I dunno...what I would expect as a basic requirement for passing high school English?

It just feels like for the level of fluency presumably required for a Technical Writer, basic grammar rules should be well understood and not need to be explicitly stated.

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kevin_thibedeau ◴[] No.44524658[source]
Active voice isn't always best for technical writing. When describing a procedure it can lead to a stilted sequence of imperatives rather than a more natural reading with some passives mixed in. What they teach in school for general English writing style doesn't have universal applicability.
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Cthulhu_ ◴[] No.44531081[source]
That aside, learning about english vs passive voice - and recognising it in your own writing - has been pretty important. I often find myself using passive voice in code reviews, like "maybe you should do xyz instead", but... if it's something I am certain about or feel strongly about, I should use active voice more. (note how the last sentence is still passive lol).
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1. RichardLake ◴[] No.44532532[source]
The phase "maybe you should do xyz instead" is active, not passive. Qualifying with maybe doesn't change it from active to passive. Passive would be something like "Maybe XYZ should be done" or "Maybe XYZ would be better".