: Q about verb tenses for technical writing This kind of thing comes up a lot in my engineering job. We're writing a document that is a Plan for something we'll be doing in the future. For

@Shelton455

Posted in: #Style #TechnicalWriting

This kind of thing comes up a lot in my engineering job. We're writing a document that is a Plan for something we'll be doing in the future. For instance, a Test Plan that describes who will participate in the test, what will be tested, and how the results will be documented. For instance, "System developers will be required to transport their systems to the facility in Boulder, CO." It is true that in the future, the systems will go to that facility. But I think it's more correct to write it "System developers are required to transport their systems to the facility in Boulder, CO." My sense is that this way of writing it makes the sentence valid both now and in the future (the future here is at the time when the transport takes place), whereas, the first way of writing it is only valid now.

Is it correct that the 2nd way is better writing? If so, what is the general rule that I can cite? Is it "verb tense" or some other rule?

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@Radia543

@Radia543

In general for technical documents, I follow the convention that present tense is the simplest and most appropriate. Avoid future and conditional tenses. I also avoid phrases such as "should be" that are judgmental rather than factual.

In the particular examples in the question, "Developers are required" or "developers must" is present tense and direct. "Developers will be" is not as effective, because the future tense just leaves hanging the question of "when?"

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