Avoid long, convoluted sentences. | Even if they are well written, they are hard for
non-native English speakers to understand. Long
sentences may also cause difficulty for
localizers. |
Use lists and tables instead of complicated
sentence and paragraph structures. | Lists and tables can often simplify syntax and aid scanning. |
Limit your use of sentence fragments. | Sentence fragments are often ambiguous and may
cause difficulty for localizers. |
Use language that is likely to be understood by
English speakers worldwide. | Avoid idioms, regionalisms, colloquial expressions, and other culture-specific references. Although these
forms add color and interest to writing for some users, they
are almost always confusing for non-native English speakers,
and they can be difficult or impossible to
translate. |
Use optional pronouns such as that and
who. | Optional words often eliminate ambiguity by
clarifying sentence structure. Microsoft style
Inspect the database to ensure that all tables, data,
and relationships were correctly migrated. This
tool simplifies the tasks that you have to perform.
Not Microsoft
style Inspect the database to ensure all
tables, data, and relationships were correctly
migrated. This tool simplifies the tasks you have
to perform. |
Use optional articles such as the. | Articles help mark nouns in a sentence so that
they cannot be confused for other parts of
speech. |
Include optional punctuation. | Optional punctuation, such as a comma after an
introductory phrase and after the last item in a series, makes
sentence structure explicit. |
Avoid modifier stacks. | Long chains of modifying words, whether they are
nouns or adjectives, increase the risk of ambiguity and are
confusing even to native English speakers. |
Let active voice and indicative mood predominate. Use imperative mood in
procedures. | Use passive voice only in the following situations:
To avoid a wordy or awkward construction. When the subject is unknown or the emphasis is on
the receiver of the action. If casting the user as the subject might sound
blaming or condescending, especially in error messages
and troubleshooting content.
|
Keep adjectives and adverbs close to the words they modify, and do
not place them too close to other words that they might modify
instead. | Pay particular attention to the placement of only. |