Every rule, and how hard it binds

228 rules match. Showing 26–50.

1. PUN-006 Do not isolate restrictive material IF a modifier identifies which person or thing is meant, THEN remove punctuation that falsely marks it as optional ELSE evaluate as nonrestrictive. Hard constraint
2. PUN-007 Serial comma follows declared style IF a series contains three or more coordinated items, THEN apply the selected serial-comma policy consistently AND add a comma when omission causes ambiguity ELSE retain. Context default
3. PUN-008 Semicolon joins related independent clauses IF two independent clauses are closely related AND no coordinator is used, THEN a semicolon is available ELSE choose another boundary. Context default
4. PUN-009 Semicolons clarify complex series IF list items contain internal commas, THEN separate top-level items with semicolons ELSE use commas. Context default
5. PUN-010 Colon follows a complete setup IF a colon introduces an explanation, list, example, or amplification, THEN ensure the material before it can stand as a complete clause ELSE remove or recast. Hard constraint
6. PUN-011 Apostrophe marks possession or omission IF an apostrophe is present, THEN verify that it marks possession, contracted omission, or a declared special style ELSE remove it. Hard constraint
7. PUN-012 Possessive form follows number and style IF a noun is possessive, THEN apply the declared singular/plural/proper-name convention consistently ELSE retain. Context default
8. PUN-013 Hyphenate ambiguity-prone compound modifiers IF multiple words jointly modify a following noun AND grouping is not immediately clear, THEN hyphenate the compound ELSE omit unnecessary hyphens. Context default
9. PUN-014 Dash marks deliberate interruption or emphasis IF the intended relation is an abrupt break, strong insertion, or emphatic turn, THEN an em dash is available ELSE prefer ordinary syntax and punctuation. Creative option
10. PUN-015 Parentheses subordinate removable detail IF material is useful but structurally secondary AND the sentence remains grammatical without it, THEN parentheses are available ELSE integrate or delete it. Context default
11. PUN-016 Question mark only for direct questions IF the sentence directly asks a question, THEN use a question mark; IF it reports a question, use statement punctuation ELSE retain. Hard constraint
12. PUN-017 Quotation marks require a quotation function IF quotation marks appear, THEN verify direct quotation, title convention, coined term, or explicit distancing; otherwise remove scare quotes. Hard constraint
13. PUN-018 Quote punctuation follows locale policy IF quoted material meets other punctuation, THEN apply the declared regional or house style ELSE retain. Context default
14. PUN-019 Ellipsis marks omission or trailing thought IF words are omitted from quoted material OR speech deliberately trails off, THEN use an ellipsis according to style; ELSE do not use it as vague decoration. Context default
15. PUN-020 Punctuation preserves hierarchy IF nested structures use indistinguishable boundaries, THEN assign stronger marks to higher-level divisions OR split the sentence ELSE retain. Hard constraint
16. SYN-001 Complete clause for formal prose IF a unit is presented as a formal prose sentence AND lacks an independent clause, THEN attach it, complete it, or label it as a fragment ELSE retain. Hard constraint
17. SYN-002 Separate fused independent clauses IF adjacent independent clauses have no valid boundary, THEN add a coordinator and punctuation, a semicolon, or a period ELSE retain. Hard constraint
18. SYN-003 Prefer visible actor–action order IF the reader must act or identify responsibility AND no stronger reason favors passive voice, THEN place the actor before the action ELSE retain. Context default
19. SYN-004 Use passive voice for a reason IF a clause is passive, THEN retain it only when the receiver is the topic, the actor is unknown or irrelevant, blame should be softened, or domain convention requires it ELSE convert to active. Context default
20. SYN-005 Put conditions before instructions IF an instruction applies only under a condition, THEN state the condition before the imperative ELSE give the action directly. Context default
21. SYN-006 One principal action per procedural step IF a step contains multiple independently verifiable actions, THEN split them into ordered steps ELSE retain a tightly coupled action. Context default
22. SYN-007 Limit nested clauses for general audiences IF clause nesting exceeds two levels AND the audience is not expert-only, THEN split or promote a buried clause ELSE retain necessary complexity. Heuristic
23. SYN-008 Given information before new information IF a sentence introduces new information before the anchor it depends on, THEN reorder from shared context to new contribution ELSE retain a deliberate surprise. Heuristic
24. SYN-009 End-weight complex material IF a long complex phrase separates subject from verb OR delays the core relation, THEN move that weight later when meaning permits ELSE retain. Heuristic
25. SYN-010 Convert avoidable nominalizations IF an abstract noun hides a clear actor and action AND the noun is not a stable technical term, THEN convert it to a verb ELSE retain. Heuristic