Page:NARA Style Guide.pdf/11

 :1.3.3 Don't hide the verb.
 * Verbs are the heart of clear writing. They tell what happened or tell the reader what to do. Avoid hiding verbs by turning them into nouns. Turning verbs into nouns makes them less effective and requires you to use more words than necessary.
 * Watch out for the words make, do, give, have, provide, perform, and conduct, which often indicate that a verb has been turned into a noun.


 * 1.3.4 Don't use "shall."
 * Avoid the ambiguous shall. The word can suggest obligation or simply a future event. Good business writing never forces the reader to interpret.


 * For obligation, use "must."
 * When you examine records, you must keep them in their original order.


 * For permission, use "may."
 * You may bring a coin purse or wallet into the research room.


 * When recommending a course of action, use "should."
 * You and your financial institution should agree on how invoice information will be provided to you.


 * When indicating the future, use "will."
 * Our facility will reopen on September 1.


 * 1.3.5 Avoid the false subjects It is and There are.

Rh