Every rule, and how hard it binds

34 rules match. Showing 1–25. Clear filters

1. GRM-006 Stable grammatical person IF a passage shifts person without changing speaker, audience, or viewpoint, THEN restore the established person ELSE preserve the motivated shift. Context default
2. GRM-016 Parallel grammatical form IF coordinated items perform the same function AND use mismatched forms without rhetorical purpose, THEN make their structures parallel ELSE retain. Context default
3. GRM-018 Repair dangling introductory modifier IF an introductory modifier’s implied actor is not the following subject, THEN make the actor the subject OR expand the modifier into a clause ELSE retain. Hard constraint
4. GRM-020 Avoid fused participle logic IF an -ing construction implies a cause, sequence, or actor that the sentence does not support, THEN state the relation in a finite clause ELSE retain. Hard constraint
5. 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
6. 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
7. 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
8. 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
9. SYN-019 Use fragments deliberately IF a fragment improves pace, voice, emphasis, dialogue realism, headline force, or UI economy AND its meaning is recoverable, THEN allow it ELSE complete it. Creative option
10. STR-010 Front-load user value IF scanning readers must pass background before reaching the answer, action, or benefit, THEN move the needed content earlier ELSE retain intentional narrative suspense. Heuristic
11. STR-012 Introduce lists with a clear purpose IF a list appears, THEN make its category or task clear in a heading or lead-in ELSE retain. Context default
12. STR-013 Use numbered lists for order or rank IF list order changes meaning, sequence, priority, or reference, THEN number the items ELSE use bullets or a table. Context default
13. STR-014 Keep list items parallel IF list items perform the same role but begin with mismatched grammatical forms, THEN align them ELSE retain justified variation. Context default
14. 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
15. 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
16. 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
17. 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
18. 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
19. 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
20. CLR-019 Prefer literal language in critical content IF content is safety-critical, translated, or for a broad cognitive-accessibility audience, THEN replace figurative idiom with literal language ELSE retain purposeful imagery. Context default
21. VOI-001 Declare voice before polishing IF a document lacks a voice profile, THEN define relationship, formality, energy, warmth, confidence, and permitted vocabulary ELSE use the profile. Context default
22. VOI-002 Tone responds to reader state IF reader emotion changes, THEN adjust directness, warmth, pace, and reassurance without changing facts ELSE maintain baseline tone. Context default
23. VOI-003 Address the reader directly in instructions IF the reader performs the action, THEN use an imperative or YOU; do not call the reader THE USER ELSE name the actual actor. Context default
24. VOI-006 Read prose aloud IF prose is intended for humans, THEN read representative passages aloud or with text-to-speech and flag breath, ambiguity, repetition, and unnatural stress ELSE retain. Heuristic
25. VOI-009 Use repetition with a job IF a word or structure repeats, THEN retain it only for cohesion, emphasis, rhythm, motif, instruction consistency, or technical precision ELSE vary or delete it. Creative option