OASIS Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA) TC

Gersgon, you mentioned that you thought that the use of semi-colons made a sentence harder for a ESL reader. Can I ask why you think that? And do other TC members have thoughts and/or experience here? I'm working a comment in the most recent DITAweb review, where you requested a change: Original text The <figgroup> element can nest; it also can contain multiple cross-references, footnotes, and keywords. Requested change The <figgroup>element can nest and can contain multiple cross-references, footnotes, and keywords To me, the original text is easier to read and parse ... If I were to change it, I'd tend to rework it as follows: The <figgroup> element can nest . It also can contain multiple cross-references, footnotes, and keywords -- Best, Kris

Hi Kris,   Your proposed change also works for me. Short crisp sentences are easier to parse. It’s not always clear to ESL readers what to do with the semicolon and how the segments before and after the punctuation are related.     Gershon Joseph     Senior Information Architect   Precision Content   Direct:  +972 (54) 658-3887   Email:  gershon@precisioncontent.com   www.precisioncontent.com     Unlock the Knowledge in Your Enterprise™ This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you are not the intended recipient you are notified that disclosing, copying, distributing or taking any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited.   Please notify us by return email if you have received this email in error.  ©20 21 , Precision Content Authoring Solutions Inc, Toronto , Ontario, Canada     From: Kristen James Eberlein <kris@eberleinconsulting.com> Date: Monday, 29 November 2021 at 17:12 To: DITA TC <dita@lists.oasis-open.org>, Gershon Joseph <gershon@precisioncontent.com> Subject: Semi-colons and readability of sentences Gersgon, you mentioned that you thought that the use of semi-colons made a sentence harder for a ESL reader. Can I ask why you think that? And do other TC members have thoughts and/or experience here? I'm working a comment in the most recent DITAweb review, where you requested a change: Original text The <figgroup> element can nest; it also can contain multiple cross-references, footnotes, and keywords. Requested change The <figgroup>element can nest and can contain multiple cross-references, footnotes, and keywords To me, the original text is easier to read and parse ... If I were to change it, I'd tend to rework it as follows: "The <figgroup> element can nest . It also can contain multiple cross-references, footnotes, and keywords -- Best, Kris

Got any pointers to documents that talk about ESL and semi-colons? Is the way that English uses semi-colons unusual? Best, Kris On 11/29/2021 11:19 AM, Gershon Joseph wrote: Hi Kris, Your proposed change also works for me. Short crisp sentences are easier to parse. It s not always clear to ESL readers what to do with the semicolon and how the segments before and after the punctuation are related. Gershon Joseph Senior Information Architect Precision Content Direct: +972 (54) 658-3887 Email: gershon@precisioncontent.com www.precisioncontent.com Unlock the Knowledge in Your Enterprise This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you are not the intended recipient you are notified that disclosing, copying, distributing or taking any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited. Please notify us by return email if you have received this email in error. 20 21 , Precision Content Authoring Solutions Inc, Toronto , Ontario, Canada From: Kristen James Eberlein <kris@eberleinconsulting.com> Date: Monday, 29 November 2021 at 17:12 To: DITA TC <dita@lists.oasis-open.org> , Gershon Joseph <gershon@precisioncontent.com> Subject: Semi-colons and readability of sentences Gersgon, you mentioned that you thought that the use of semi-colons made a sentence harder for a ESL reader. Can I ask why you think that? And do other TC members have thoughts and/or experience here? I'm working a comment in the most recent DITAweb review, where you requested a change: Original text The <figgroup> element can nest; it also can contain multiple cross-references, footnotes, and keywords. Requested change The <figgroup>element can nest and can contain multiple cross-references, footnotes, and keywords To me, the original text is easier to read and parse ... If I were to change it, I'd tend to rework it as follows: The <figgroup> element can nest . It also can contain multiple cross-references, footnotes, and keywords -- Best, Kris

I found some nice tips here: https://vocalinkglobal.com/global-english-for-translation/   HTH,   --Scott   From: dita@lists.oasis-open.org <dita@lists.oasis-open.org> on behalf of Kristen James Eberlein <kris@eberleinconsulting.com> Date: Monday, November 29, 2021 at 9:24 AM To: Gershon Joseph <gershon@precisioncontent.com>, DITA TC <dita@lists.oasis-open.org> Subject: [dita] Re: Semi-colons and readability of sentences [External Email]   Got any pointers to documents that talk about ESL and semi-colons? Is the way that English uses semi-colons unusual? Best, Kris On 11/29/2021 11:19 AM, Gershon Joseph wrote: Hi Kris,   Your proposed change also works for me. Short crisp sentences are easier to parse. It’s not always clear to ESL readers what to do with the semicolon and how the segments before and after the punctuation are related.     Gershon Joseph     Senior Information Architect   Precision Content   Direct:  +972 (54) 658-3887   Email:  gershon@precisioncontent.com   www.precisioncontent.com     Unlock the Knowledge in Your Enterprise™ This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you are not the intended recipient you are notified that disclosing, copying, distributing or taking any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited.   Please notify us by return email if you have received this email in error.  ©2021, Precision Content Authoring Solutions Inc, Toronto, Ontario, Canada     From: Kristen James Eberlein <kris@eberleinconsulting.com> Date: Monday, 29 November 2021 at 17:12 To: DITA TC <dita@lists.oasis-open.org> , Gershon Joseph <gershon@precisioncontent.com> Subject: Semi-colons and readability of sentences Gersgon, you mentioned that you thought that the use of semi-colons made a sentence harder for a ESL reader. Can I ask why you think that? And do other TC members have thoughts and/or experience here? I'm working a comment in the most recent DITAweb review, where you requested a change: Original text The <figgroup> element can nest; it also can contain multiple cross-references, footnotes, and keywords. Requested change The <figgroup>element can nest and can contain multiple cross-references, footnotes, and keywords To me, the original text is easier to read and parse ... If I were to change it, I'd tend to rework it as follows: "The <figgroup> element can nest . It also can contain multiple cross-references, footnotes, and keywords -- Best, Kris

Thanks, Scott. It's a remonder for me to dig out my copy of John Kohl's Global English -- very useful summary! Best, Kris On 11/30/2021 11:44 AM, Scott Hudson wrote: I found some nice tips here: https://vocalinkglobal.com/global-english-for-translation/ HTH, --Scott From: dita@lists.oasis-open.org <dita@lists.oasis-open.org> on behalf of Kristen James Eberlein <kris@eberleinconsulting.com> Date: Monday, November 29, 2021 at 9:24 AM To: Gershon Joseph <gershon@precisioncontent.com> , DITA TC <dita@lists.oasis-open.org> Subject: [dita] Re: Semi-colons and readability of sentences [External Email] Got any pointers to documents that talk about ESL and semi-colons? Is the way that English uses semi-colons unusual? Best, Kris On 11/29/2021 11:19 AM, Gershon Joseph wrote: Hi Kris, Your proposed change also works for me. Short crisp sentences are easier to parse. It s not always clear to ESL readers what to do with the semicolon and how the segments before and after the punctuation are related. Gershon Joseph Senior Information Architect Precision Content Direct: +972 (54) 658-3887 Email: gershon@precisioncontent.com www.precisioncontent.com Unlock the Knowledge in Your Enterprise This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you are not the intended recipient you are notified that disclosing, copying, distributing or taking any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited. Please notify us by return email if you have received this email in error. 2021, Precision Content Authoring Solutions Inc, Toronto, Ontario, Canada From: Kristen James Eberlein <kris@eberleinconsulting.com> Date: Monday, 29 November 2021 at 17:12 To: DITA TC <dita@lists.oasis-open.org> , Gershon Joseph <gershon@precisioncontent.com> Subject: Semi-colons and readability of sentences Gersgon, you mentioned that you thought that the use of semi-colons made a sentence harder for a ESL reader. Can I ask why you think that? And do other TC members have thoughts and/or experience here? I'm working a comment in the most recent DITAweb review, where you requested a change: Original text The <figgroup> element can nest; it also can contain multiple cross-references, footnotes, and keywords. Requested change The <figgroup>element can nest and can contain multiple cross-references, footnotes, and keywords To me, the original text is easier to read and parse ... If I were to change it, I'd tend to rework it as follows: The <figgroup> element can nest . It also can contain multiple cross-references, footnotes, and keywords -- Best, Kris