On 15 Sep 2009, at 02:37, Ian Hickson wrote:
On Tue, 8 Sep 2009, Øistein E. Andersen wrote:
The spec currently contains a few occurrences of colloquial
contractions
like "can't", "won't" and "there's", which should be changed to
"cannot", "will not", "there is" etc. for consistency.
I haven't changed this, because it doesn't seem especially important,
frankly. If there are specific cases where you think the current text
reads poorly due to the use of contractions, please let me know.
'Tis not that specific instances are particularly horrific; the
problem is that unmotivated alternation 'tween the two, just like any
other typographical error or inconsistency, gives the impression of
carelessness, which is always discomforting in a technical
specification, whate'er the cause might be.
I still think 'twould be worth fixing this, though I must admit 'tis
more pervasive than I first thought. To make it less open-ended,
please find below a list of changes that would correct most instances
(capitalised forms not listed separately):
s/doesn't/does not/
s/isn't/is not/ except: isn't his
s/don't/do not/ except: "don't know,", "don't."
s/it's/it is/ except: it's hot (twice), it's so pedantic, it's
unarguably, it's about
s/can't/cannot/
s/I'm looking/I am looking/
s/there's/there is/ except: there's a microphone (twice)
s/won't/will not/ except: won't be that
s/that's/that is/ except: that's right
s/wasn't/was not/
s/aren't/are not/
s/wouldn't/would not/
s/we're/we are/ except: team we're, >we're (twice)
s/they're/they are/ except: they're really
s/here's/here is/ (except: there's a microphone)
s/didn't/did not/ except: didn't have, didn't know, didn't <
s/we'll/we shall/
s/we'd/we would/
s/I've/I have/ except: I've liked, I've got, I've only
s/hasn't/has not/ except: hasn't changed
s/you're doing/you are doing/
s/couldn't/could not/ except: couldn't admit
s/we've/we have/
s/shouldn't/should not/ except: shouldn't say
s/let's simulate/let us simulate/
s/it'll/it will/
s/haven't/have not/
s/you'd/you would/
s/it'd/it would/
s/I'd probably/I would probably/
s/I'd realised/I had realised/
s/hadn't/had not/
s/they've/they have/
s/they'll/they will/
s/there'd/there would/
s/he's covered/he is covered/
--
Øistein E. Andersen
