Every rule, and how hard it binds

103 rules match. Showing 26–50. Clear filters

1. 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
2. SYN-012 Preserve logical connector meaning IF two propositions are joined, THEN choose a connector whose relation matches addition, contrast, cause, condition, concession, sequence, example, or result ELSE state the relation explicitly. Hard constraint
3. SYN-014 Avoid ambiguous scope of only, not, and even IF a focusing or negative operator can modify more than one constituent, THEN move it directly before the intended scope ELSE retain. Hard constraint
4. SYN-015 Resolve misplaced relative clause IF a relative clause can attach to the wrong noun, THEN move it beside the intended antecedent or repeat the noun ELSE retain. Hard constraint
5. SYN-016 Keep correlative pairs balanced IF BOTH/AND, EITHER/OR, NEITHER/NOR, or NOT ONLY/BUT ALSO joins items, THEN place each half before parallel units ELSE retain. Hard constraint
6. SYN-018 Match sentence force to intent IF the intended speech act is command, question, assertion, offer, or warning, THEN select a grammatical form that makes that act clear ELSE request intent. Hard constraint
7. STR-003 Support consequential claims IF a paragraph makes a consequential factual claim, THEN provide evidence, cite it, qualify it, or remove the claim ELSE retain. Hard constraint
8. STR-008 Heading predicts content IF a heading does not accurately predict its section, THEN rename the heading or repair the section ELSE retain. Hard constraint
9. STR-009 Maintain heading hierarchy IF heading levels skip or reflect visual size rather than logical nesting, THEN repair the hierarchy ELSE retain. Hard constraint
10. STR-019 Preserve document promise and payoff IF the opening promises information, transformation, evidence, or entertainment, THEN deliver or revise that promise ELSE retain. Hard constraint
11. 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
12. CLR-006 Replace vague reference words IF THIS, THAT, IT, THEY, FORMER, or LATTER has an uncertain referent, THEN repeat or summarize the referent ELSE retain. Hard constraint
13. CLR-014 Retain necessary qualifiers IF removing a qualifier changes claim truth, scope, uncertainty, population, or time, THEN retain or strengthen it ELSE it may be compressed. Hard constraint
14. CLR-017 Make dates and units unambiguous IF a date, time, quantity, currency, or unit could be interpreted differently by locale, THEN use an unambiguous format and label ELSE retain. Hard constraint
15. CLR-018 Test instructions by execution IF content instructs a real task, THEN have a representative reader or test environment execute it and record failures ELSE review semantically. Hard constraint
16. CLR-020 Separate fact, inference, and opinion IF a paragraph contains facts, inferences, or opinions, THEN mark each proposition’s epistemic status when confusion would affect trust or decisions ELSE retain. Hard constraint
17. VOI-010 Metaphor must preserve the model IF a metaphor explains a mechanism, THEN map its relevant correspondences and state its boundary when overextension would mislead ELSE use it only decoratively. Hard constraint
18. VOI-011 Calibrate confidence to evidence IF wording expresses certainty, THEN match modal strength to evidence and uncertainty ELSE retain. Hard constraint
19. NAR-004 Events cause later events IF a major event has no causal, motivational, or thematic relation to what precedes it, THEN connect, foreshadow, move, or remove it ELSE retain. Hard constraint
20. NAR-007 Control point of view IF perception, knowledge, or interior access exceeds the established viewpoint without a marked shift, THEN remove, recast, or mark the shift ELSE retain. Hard constraint
21. 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
22. 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
23. 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
24. 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
25. 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