Bow Tie Kreative Writing System
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Rules / clarity

CLR-006 Hard constraint layer: sentence

Replace vague reference words

IF THIS, THAT, IT, THEY, FORMER, or LATTER has an uncertain referent, THEN repeat or summarize the referent ELSE retain.

Why the rule exists

Reference words save space only when the antecedent is obvious.

Condition

The rule fires when this evaluates true. Paths marked below must be present in the fact base; the engine reports the rest rather than guessing them.

  • reference_expression.ambiguity eq true

Facts this rule reads

PathSource
reference_expression.ambiguity You supply it

Then

  1. replace — target reference_expression, value from intended_referent.concise_label

Else

  1. retain — target current_text, No triggering condition is present.

LAKA

Smallest sufficient intervention
Yes
Primary axes

Sources

  • The Copyeditor's Handbook — Amy Einsohn; Marilyn Schwartz
    Professional copyediting practice, grammar, and editorial process.
  • The Sense of Style — Steven Pinker
    Reader-centered clarity informed by linguistics and cognition.
  • On Writing Well — William Zinsser
    Clarity, simplicity, voice, and nonfiction craft.
The raw rule record

Verbatim from 11-clarity-style-rules.json. Also available at /v1/rules/CLR-006.

{
  "id": "CLR-006",
  "name": "Replace vague reference words",
  "domain": "clarity",
  "layer": "sentence",
  "strength": "hard_constraint",
  "human_logic": "IF THIS, THAT, IT, THEY, FORMER, or LATTER has an uncertain referent, THEN repeat or summarize the referent ELSE retain.",
  "when": {
    "path": "reference_expression.ambiguity",
    "operator": "eq",
    "value": true
  },
  "then": [
    {
      "action": "replace",
      "target": "reference_expression",
      "value_from": "intended_referent.concise_label"
    }
  ],
  "else": [
    {
      "action": "retain",
      "target": "current_text",
      "reason": "No triggering condition is present."
    }
  ],
  "unless": [],
  "because": "Reference words save space only when the antecedent is obvious.",
  "diagnostics": [],
  "examples": {},
  "source_ids": [
    "BK-007",
    "BK-008",
    "BK-013"
  ],
  "laka": {
    "smallest_sufficient_intervention": true,
    "primary_axes": [
      "scope",
      "depth",
      "magnitude",
      "reversibility"
    ]
  }
}

Other clarity rules

  1. CLR-001 Prefer the precise familiar word IF two words are equally accurate AND one is more familiar to the audience, THEN use the familiar word ELSE keep the precision-bearing term. Context default
  2. CLR-002 Define necessary jargon IF a domain term is necessary AND the intended reader may not know it, THEN define it at first use and use it consistently ELSE replace it with plain language. Context default
  3. CLR-003 Expand unfamiliar abbreviations IF an abbreviation is not universally familiar to the audience, THEN spell it out at first use and pair it with the abbreviation ELSE retain. Context default
  4. CLR-004 One term per concept IF multiple terms refer to the same technical concept without rhetorical need, THEN select one preferred term and replace the variants ELSE retain. Context default
  5. CLR-005 One concept per term IF the same term denotes multiple concepts in one context, THEN rename or qualify the concepts ELSE retain. Hard constraint
  6. CLR-007 Quantify actionable vagueness IF vague quantity, frequency, time, or probability affects a decision, THEN provide a range, threshold, date, or defined category ELSE retain approximate language. Context default
  7. CLR-008 Use concrete examples after abstractions IF a central abstraction lacks a concrete instance AND the audience knowledge gap is moderate or large, THEN add one representative example ELSE retain. Heuristic
  8. CLR-009 State implied steps for novice readers IF success requires an unstated inference that a novice may not make, THEN state the step or prerequisite ELSE retain expert compression. Context default