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 8.11 LANGUAGE: Guide specifications shall be clear, correct, complete, and
concise and shall adhere to the style promulgated by the CSI Manual of
Practice on specification language.
8.11.1
Description of Work:
WRONG:
The work consists of . . . .
CORRECT:
The work includes . . . .
8.11.2 Imperative Mood: Where possible, use the imperative mood in lieu of
the indicative mood, passive voice. For example:
WRONG:
Piping and tubing shall be cut to required measurements.
CORRECT:
Cut piping and tubing to required measurements.
8.11.3
Articles:
Omit articles, i.e., "the", "a", and "an", where possible.
8.11.4 Subject/Verb Agreement: The subject and the verb must agree in
number. Use singular verbs with singular subjects and plural verbs with
plural subject. An error in number is easily made when a sentence is
unnecessarily long and complicated. The singular subject of a sentence can
be confused with a modifier that is plural. The subject of a sentence cannot
be contained within a prepositional phrase. The wording of many sentences is
such that the object of a preposition may be mistaken for the subject of the
sentence.
WRONG: One of the elongated central fasteners are to be placed around
the eye of the panel and bolted.
CORRECT:
Bolt one elongated central fastener to panel.
The incorrect example uses a singular subject with a plural verb, is
written in the indicative mood, and unnecessarily includes articles. The
correct example has proper subject/verb agreement, is written in the
imperative mood, and deletes the unnecessary articles.
8.11.5
Strong Verbs:
Use strong verbs, not weak nouns.
WRONG:
Make determination of pump replacement costs.
CORRECT:
Determine pump replacement costs.
8.11.6 Parallel Construction: Good grammar requires the use of identical
style in both parts of a compound subject or predicate. Use an identical
style in a series of nouns, adverbs, prepositionnal phrases.
WRONG:
Perform tests to determine strength and establishing quality.
CORRECT:
Perform tests to determine strength and establish quality.
WRONG:
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning
CORRECT:
heating, ventilating, and air conditioning
8.11.7 Prepositional Phrases: Sentences may be shortened by using modifiers
in lieu of prepositional phrases.
8-11
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