Every rule, and how hard it binds

228 rules match. Showing 126–150.

1. NAR-014 Foreshadow without announcing IF a later turn requires preparation, THEN plant a fair detail that has an immediate function and gains a second meaning later ELSE do not add arbitrary clues. Creative option
2. NAR-015 Pay off planted elements IF a detail is emphasized as a promise, mystery, threat, goal, or motif, THEN resolve, transform, or deliberately leave it open ELSE reduce its emphasis. Context default
3. NAR-016 Ending resolves the controlling change IF the narrative establishes a controlling desire, question, or value conflict, THEN the ending must answer, transform, or meaningfully refuse it ELSE retain an episodic close. Context default
4. NAR-017 Description follows viewpoint and pressure IF description lists details the viewpoint character would not notice in the current goal or emotion, THEN select details shaped by attention ELSE retain omniscient design. Heuristic
5. NAR-018 Show or tell by reader task IF the reader must experience, infer, or judge a consequential moment, THEN show selected evidence; IF the reader only needs transition or orientation, tell efficiently ELSE blend both. Heuristic
6. ARG-001 Define the rhetorical situation IF author, audience, purpose, text, or setting is unknown, THEN define the missing element before drafting strategy ELSE proceed. Hard constraint
7. ARG-002 One controlling thesis IF a document makes multiple unrelated controlling claims, THEN narrow, subordinate, or split them ELSE retain. Context default
8. ARG-003 Classify claim before selecting evidence IF a claim is present, THEN classify it as factual, causal, evaluative, definitional, predictive, or policy before choosing support ELSE do not infer support requirements. Hard constraint
9. ARG-004 Evidence matches claim type IF evidence type does not support the claim type, THEN replace, supplement, narrow, or remove the claim ELSE retain. Hard constraint
10. ARG-005 Make the warrant available IF evidence does not obviously entail the claim for the intended audience, THEN state the connecting warrant ELSE retain. Context default
11. ARG-006 Qualify to the evidence boundary IF claim scope exceeds evidence population, conditions, time, or uncertainty, THEN narrow or qualify the claim ELSE retain. Hard constraint
12. ARG-007 Address strongest relevant counterargument IF a reasonable reader has a strong relevant objection, THEN represent it fairly and respond with evidence or concession ELSE omit peripheral objections. Context default
13. ARG-008 Distinguish correlation from causation IF evidence is correlational AND the claim is causal, THEN add causal evidence, state a mechanism with tests, or change the claim to association ELSE retain. Hard constraint
14. ARG-009 Name uncertainty and limitations IF evidence has material uncertainty, missing data, selection limits, or alternative explanations, THEN disclose them near the conclusion ELSE retain. Hard constraint
15. ARG-010 Cite at the point of use IF a factual claim depends on an external source, THEN cite near the claim and make the supported scope clear ELSE retain common knowledge according to policy. Context default
16. ARG-011 Source quality matches stakes IF a claim is high-stakes, technical, medical, legal, financial, or scientific, THEN prefer primary authoritative evidence and independent corroboration ELSE use proportionate sourcing. Hard constraint
17. ARG-012 Separate premise from conclusion IF the conclusion is presented as a premise OR circularly restates it, THEN add independent support or acknowledge assumption ELSE retain. Hard constraint
18. ARG-013 Avoid false binary IF a claim presents two options as exhaustive AND other viable options exist, THEN add them or explain the constraint ELSE retain. Hard constraint
19. ARG-014 Compare like with like IF compared items differ on an uncontrolled dimension that drives the result, THEN normalize, qualify, or reject the comparison ELSE retain. Hard constraint
20. ARG-015 Recommendation includes decision rule IF analysis recommends an option, THEN state criteria, tradeoffs, rejected alternatives, and the condition that would change the recommendation ELSE retain. Context default
21. ARG-016 Conclusion does not outrun premises IF the conclusion adds a stronger, broader, or different claim than the argument established, THEN narrow it or add the missing support ELSE retain. Hard constraint
22. TEC-001 Choose an information type IF a technical topic is being created, THEN classify it as concept, task, reference, troubleshooting, glossary, or mixed with explicit boundaries ELSE do not draft a generic blob. Hard constraint
23. TEC-002 Concept answers what and why IF the reader asks what something is or why it matters, THEN use a concept topic with definition, model, relationship, boundary, and example ELSE select another type. Context default
24. TEC-003 Task answers how to achieve a goal IF the reader wants to achieve an outcome, THEN use a task topic with goal, prerequisites, steps, results, recovery, and verification ELSE select another type. Context default
25. TEC-004 Reference supports lookup IF the reader needs facts about an entity or interface, THEN use stable repeated fields, valid values, defaults, constraints, examples, and links ELSE select another type. Context default