# Page 125–128 of 434

> **Source:** ASD-STE100 Issue 9, January 2025
> **Pages:** 125–128 of 434

## Part 2 - Dictionary

## Introduction

### General

The dictionary gives the words that are approved in STE (875 approved words) and the examples that show how to use each approved word correctly. The approved words in the dictionary are the most frequent words that you use in technical writing.

The dictionary also includes a selection of words that are not approved (1274 words). For each word that is not approved, there are one or more alternatives that are approved in STE. For each alternative, there is an example that shows how to use the alternative to communicate the same information correctly (with a word-for-word replacement or a different sentence construction).

The dictionary does not include technical nouns or technical verbs. But some of them are referred to as alternatives to words that are not approved. In the dictionary, the identification for technical nouns is (TN) and the identification for technical verbs is (TV). A dictionary entry does not include antonyms (opposite meanings) for the applicable listed word.

The dictionary uses American English spelling as defined in the Merriam-Webster's dictionary, and the punctuation in the examples obeys American English rules.

### Guide to the dictionary

The dictionary has four columns that give this information:

- Column 1 – Word (part of speech): Includes the word and its part of speech
- Column 2 – Approved meaning/ALTERNATIVES: Includes the approved meaning of an approved word or the approved alternatives for each word that is not approved
- Column 3 – STE EXAMPLE: Includes examples that contain correct words and constructions in STE
- Column 4 – Non-STE example: Includes examples that contain words that are not approved and constructions that are not permitted in STE.

#### Example:

| Word (part of speech) | Approved meaning / ALTERNATIVES | STE example | Non-STE example |
|---|---|---|---|
| AID (n) | Help that is given | IF YOU GET THIS CHEMICAL SOLUTION IN YOUR EYES, GET MEDICAL AID IMMEDIATELY. | |
| accuracy (n) — UNNAPPROVED | PRECISION (n) | THE PRECISION OF THE ADJUSTMENT CAN CHANGE. | The accuracy of the adjustment can vary. |

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### <u><mark>Column 1: Word (part of speech)</mark></u>

All words are in **bold** typeface.

A word in **UPPERCASE** letters shows that you can use this word because it is approved in STE.

#### Examples:

| Word (part of speech) | Approved meaning / ALTERNATIVES | STE example | Non-STE example |
|---|---|---|---|
| ABRASIVE (adj) | That can remove material by friction | POLISH THE SURFACE WITH AN ABRASIVE PAPER. | |
| AID (n) | Help that is given | IF YOU GET THIS CHEMICAL SOLUTION IN YOUR EYES, GET MEDICAL AID IMMEDIATELY. | |

A word in **lowercase** letters shows that you cannot use this word because it is not approved in STE. To replace this word in a text, you must use a different word or a different sentence construction.

#### Examples:

| Word (part of speech) | Approved meaning / ALTERNATIVES | STE example | Non-STE example |
|---|---|---|---|
| main (adj) — UNNAPPROVED | PRIMARY (adj) | THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF VALVE FAILURE IS CONTAMINATION OF THE FLUID. | The main cause of valve failure is contamination of the fluid. |
| build (v) — UNNAPPROVED | ASSEMBLE (v) | ASSEMBLE THE UNIT. | Build the unit. |

The **part of speech** for each word is given in parentheses with its recognized abbreviation. Use an approved word only as the specified part of speech. Refer to part 1, section 1.

In the dictionary, there are eight parts of speech as follows:

1. **noun (n):** A word that is the name of a person, place, object, idea, quality, or activity.
2. **verb (v):** A word that shows a state of being or an action. Its tense (present, past, future) tells you when the action occurs.
3. **adjective (adj):** A word that gives details about a noun, noun phrase, or multi-word noun. It is related to the type, size, color, or number of the noun, noun phrase, or multi-word noun. Adjectives can be of a qualitative and a quantitative type and can have comparative and superlative forms. Their position in the sentence can be before nouns or after verbs.
4. **adverb (adv):** A word that modifies a verb, an adjective, or a different adverb. It gives an answer to the questions: "how," "where," "when," "how often," and "how much."

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5. **pronoun (pron):** A word that replaces a noun, noun phrase, or multi-word noun.
6. **article (art):** A word that tells you if a noun phrase is new (indefinite = a, an) or one that you already know (definite = the).
7. **preposition (prep):** A word that shows how a noun, noun phrase, multi-word noun, or pronoun is related to other parts of the sentence.
8. **conjunction (conj):** A word or phrase that connects words, phrases, and clauses.

#### Forms of approved words

**<u>Nouns:</u>** Nouns are given only in their singular form, but the plural form of countable nouns is permitted unless the help tells you differently. Some nouns in the dictionary, although not approved, can be technical nouns in some contexts. Rule 1.5 gives all the necessary information and conditions to use technical nouns correctly.

#### Example:

| Word (part of speech) | Approved meaning / ALTERNATIVES | STE example | Non-STE example |
|---|---|---|---|
| AGENT (n) | One of a group of materials made to do a specified task | DO NOT USE THESE CLEANING AGENTS ON HOT SURFACES. | |

**<u>Verbs:</u>** Verbs are given in the verb forms that are permitted. Refer to part 1, section 3. Do not use verb forms if they are not in the dictionary. The meaning of the verb can be different if it has an object (transitive verb) or no object (intransitive verb). These verbs can have more than one approved meaning and more than one STE example. Some verbs in the dictionary, although not approved, can be technical verbs in some contexts. Rule 1.12 gives all the necessary information and conditions to use technical verbs correctly.

Verbs in the dictionary can be:

- Regular verbs
- Irregular verbs
- Irregular auxiliary verbs
- Defective modal verbs.

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#### <u>Regular verbs</u>

Verbs that obey a constant pattern to make the simple past tense and the past participle form. Usually, regular verbs add "-ed" to the base verb form to make the simple past tense and the past participle form.

Do not use the past participle form if it is not in the dictionary.

#### Example:

| Word (part of speech) | Approved meaning / ALTERNATIVES | STE example | Non-STE example |
|---|---|---|---|
| ADAPT (v), ADAPTS, ADAPTED, ADAPTED | To change or adjust to that which is necessary | ADAPT THE PRESSURE CONNECTION TO THE PITOT HEAD. THE SYSTEM INTERFACE CIRCUITS ADAPT TO THE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF THE CONNECTED SYSTEMS. | |

#### <u>Irregular verbs</u>

Verbs that do not obey the standard rules for the simple past tense and the past participle form.

#### Example:

| Word (part of speech) | Approved meaning / ALTERNATIVES | STE example | Non-STE example |
|---|---|---|---|
| GIVE (v), GIVES, GAVE, GIVEN | To provide | THIS SECTION GIVES THE CLEANING PROCEDURES FOR THE DISASSEMBLED PARTS. | |
