Practice vocabulary from major technical writing style guides: Microsoft Writing Style Guide, Google Developer Documentation Style Guide, and Chicago Manual of Style conventions.
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What is 'active voice' and why do style guides recommend it for technical writing?
Active voice is recommended because it is shorter, clearer, and makes agency explicit. 'Click Save' not 'The Save button should be clicked'. 'The API returns an error' not 'An error is returned by the API'.
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What does 'second person' mean in technical documentation?
Most modern style guides (Google, Microsoft) recommend second person ('you') for documentation. It is more direct and friendlier than 'the user' or 'the developer'. 'You configure the API key' > 'The user configures the API key'.
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What is 'sentence case' vs 'title case' and when is each used?
Google Developer docs and Microsoft Writing Style use sentence case for headings. Title case was the older convention. Sentence case feels less formal and is easier to apply consistently (no ambiguity about which words are 'major').
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What is an 'Oxford comma' and what is the style guide debate around it?
Oxford (serial) comma: 'read, write, and execute' vs 'read, write and execute'. Without it, the last two items may appear to be paired. Technical writing usually uses it for clarity. Famous disambiguation: 'I invited my parents, Stalin and Churchill' vs 'Stalin, and Churchill'.
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What does 'progressive disclosure in writing' mean in a style guide context?
Progressive disclosure is a core technical writing principle: start with the essential concept, then add detail. A conceptual overview, then a quick start, then a reference is classic progressive disclosure.
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What is 'imperative mood' in procedure writing?
Imperative mood makes instructions direct and scannable: 'Open the Settings menu', 'Select Authentication', 'Enter your API key'. Hedged language ('you may want to click') introduces doubt. Every procedure step should be an imperative sentence.
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What is a 'callout' or 'admonition' in technical documentation?
Callouts interrupt the flow intentionally: Note (neutral information), Tip (helpful suggestion), Caution (potential data loss), Warning (irreversible damage). Overusing callouts dilutes their impact — reserve them for genuinely critical information.
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What is 'minimalism' as a technical writing principle?
Minimalism (Carroll's minimalist design) argues users skim and need to act. Principles: support real tasks, minimize reading, support error recognition and recovery. The antidote to over-documentation that explains obvious things.