- From: Řistein E. Andersen <liszt@coq.no>
- Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:05:29 +0100
On 15 Sep 2009, at 02:37, Ian Hickson wrote: > On Tue, 8 Sep 2009, ?istein E. Andersen wrote: >> >> The spec currently contains a few occurrences of colloquial >> contractions >> like "can't", "won't" and "there's", which should be changed to >> "cannot", "will not", "there is" etc. for consistency. > > I haven't changed this, because it doesn't seem especially important, > frankly. If there are specific cases where you think the current text > reads poorly due to the use of contractions, please let me know. 'Tis not that specific instances are particularly horrific; the problem is that unmotivated alternation 'tween the two, just like any other typographical error or inconsistency, gives the impression of carelessness, which is always discomforting in a technical specification, whate'er the cause might be. I still think 'twould be worth fixing this, though I must admit 'tis more pervasive than I first thought. To make it less open-ended, please find below a list of changes that would correct most instances (capitalised forms not listed separately): s/doesn't/does not/ s/isn't/is not/ except: isn't his s/don't/do not/ except: "don't know,", "don't." s/it's/it is/ except: it's hot (twice), it's so pedantic, it's unarguably, it's about s/can't/cannot/ s/I'm looking/I am looking/ s/there's/there is/ except: there's a microphone (twice) s/won't/will not/ except: won't be that s/that's/that is/ except: that's right s/wasn't/was not/ s/aren't/are not/ s/wouldn't/would not/ s/we're/we are/ except: team we're, >we're (twice) s/they're/they are/ except: they're really s/here's/here is/ (except: there's a microphone) s/didn't/did not/ except: didn't have, didn't know, didn't < s/we'll/we shall/ s/we'd/we would/ s/I've/I have/ except: I've liked, I've got, I've only s/hasn't/has not/ except: hasn't changed s/you're doing/you are doing/ s/couldn't/could not/ except: couldn't admit s/we've/we have/ s/shouldn't/should not/ except: shouldn't say s/let's simulate/let us simulate/ s/it'll/it will/ s/haven't/have not/ s/you'd/you would/ s/it'd/it would/ s/I'd probably/I would probably/ s/I'd realised/I had realised/ s/hadn't/had not/ s/they've/they have/ s/they'll/they will/ s/there'd/there would/ s/he's covered/he is covered/ -- ?istein E. Andersen
Received on Tuesday, 15 September 2009 16:05:29 UTC