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<mark>STE: When the unit is fully disassembled, clean all the parts.</mark>

("Disassembled" is an adjective after the verb "to be" that shows the condition of the unit.)

There are also approved adjectives in the dictionary that are the past participle form of verbs that are not approved. For example, "permitted," and "damaged." Their approved part of speech in the dictionary is "(adj)" and thus you can use them.

##### **Examples in STE:**

<mark>Do not put more than the permitted weight on the trolley.</mark>

<mark>Make sure that the mating surfaces are not damaged.</mark>

#### **Rule 3.4 Do not use auxiliary verbs to make complex verb constructions.**

Do not use the past participle form as a verb form together with the auxiliary verb "have." This construction will make a tense that is not approved.

##### **Example:**

_<mark>Non-STE: The operator has adjusted the linkage.</mark>_ (The present perfect tense is not approved.) <mark>STE: The operator adjusted the linkage.</mark> (The simple past tense is approved.)

Some complex verb constructions include other auxiliary verbs with the past participle form as a verb. Sentences with these constructions become complex sentences in the passive voice.

##### **Examples:**

||_Non-STE:|_The seatis to be installedbefore you install the cushion_|
|---|---|
|STE:|Before you install the cushion,install the seat.|
||_Non-STE:_|_The volume controlcan be adjusted._|
|STE:|You can adjustthe volume control.|
||_Non-STE:_|_The temperaturemust be adjusted._|
|STE:|Adjustthe temperature.|
||_Non-STE:_|_The sleevewill be adjustedby the robot._|
|STE:|The robotwill adjustthe sleeve.|

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#### **Rule 3.5 Use the "-ing" form of a verb only as a technical noun or as a modifier in a technical noun.**

In English, words that have an "-ing" form can have different functions in a sentence (different parts of speech).

##### **General examples:**

Words that have an "-ing" form can be part of a verb to describe an action in the present.

_<mark>Be careful while the door is opening.</mark>_

They can also be <u>adjectives.</u>

_<mark>An opening door can be dangerous.</mark>_

They can be nouns or parts of noun phrases.

_<u><mark>Opening a door can be dangerous.</mark></u>_

They can make long groups of modifiers, noun phrases, and dependent clauses.

_<u><mark>A mechanic opening a door without obeying the specified safety precautions can easily cause</mark></u> injury to persons standing near the door._

These different functions for words that have an "-ing" form can frequently cause ambiguity or long, complex sentences. Thus, words that have an "-ing" form are usually not permitted.

##### **Examples:**

||_Non-STE:_<br>STE:|When you are doing this procedure, obey all the safety precautions.<br>When you do this procedure, obey all the safety precautions.|
|---|---|
||_Non-STE:_|_Mechanics wearing insufficient protective clothing and opening containers_<br>_containing hazardous materials in areas where there is a lack of ventilation, using_<br>_inappropriate tools without observing the manufacturer's instructions, are in danger_<br>_of coming into contact with these materials and thus suffering from skin irritation_<br>_and breathing problems._|
||STE:|Before you use dangerous materials, obey these precautions:<br>(1) Read the manufacturer's instructions.<br>(2) Make sure that there is sufficient airflow in the work area.<br>(3) Put on a face mask and protective clothing.<br>(4) Get the correct tools to open the containers for these materials.<br>If you do not obey these precautions, injury to your skin and your lungs can occur.|

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<u>Words that have an "-ing" form and are technical nouns or parts of technical nouns</u>

You can use a word that has an "-ing" form as a technical noun (for example, in procedural titles or headings).

##### **Examples:**

<mark>Cleaning, Testing and Fault Isolation, Handling, Packaging, Shipping, Troubleshooting</mark>

You can also use the "-ing" form of a verb as a modifier in a technical noun. This modifier is an adjective that is related to the function of a system, component, part, tool, material, or equipment.

##### **Examples:**

<mark>Air-conditioning system, degreasing agent, grinding wheel, polishing disc, sanding machine, switching relay, welding torch</mark>

<u>Approved words that have an "-ing" form</u>

Only a small number of approved words in the dictionary have an "-ing" form. They are:

- Nouns (lighting, opening, routing, and servicing)
- Adjectives (mating, missing, and remaining)
- A pronoun (something)
- A preposition (during).

### **Active voice**

#### **Rule 3.6 Use the active voice. In descriptive writing, you can use the passive voice only if the agent is unknown.**

Technical texts consist of procedural writing and descriptive writing. When you write in STE, always <u>use the active voice. In descriptive writing, the passive voice is permitted only when the agent (the</u> person or thing that does the action) is unknown.

##### <u>What is active voice?</u>

In the active voice, the subject of the sentence does the action of the sentence ("A" does "B"). Thus, the grammatical subject (A) is also the logical subject (agent).

##### <u>What is passive voice?</u>

In the passive voice, the subject of the sentence receives the action ("B" is done by "A"). Here, the grammatical subject is B, and the logical subject, or agent, is A.

##### **General examples** :

<mark>Active: The manufacturer gives the safety procedures.</mark> _<mark>Passive: The safety procedures are given by the manufacturer.</mark>_ <mark>Active: The side stay holds the main gear leg.</mark> _<mark>Passive: The main gear leg is held by the side stay.</mark>_

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##### <u>How do you know if a sentence is in the passive voice?</u>

The best test for the passive voice is to think of the question "by whom or by what?" (the agent). If your text gives you an answer to this question, then the text is in the passive voice. When a sentence contains the preposition "by," it is a good indication that the sentence is in the passive voice. The object of the preposition "by" is then the agent and you can use the agent as the subject of a sentence in the active voice. In the examples that follow, the underlined text identifies the agent.

In each of the passive examples, you can think of the question "by whom or by what?"

_<mark>The safety procedures are given by the manufacturer.</mark>_

_<mark>The main gear leg is held by the side stay.</mark>_

But a passive construction does not always contain an agent.

_<mark>The dimensions are given in the table.</mark>_

_<mark>The main gear leg is held in its position.</mark>_

A sentence in the active voice always has a grammatical subject (the agent), but in the passive sentence in the example below, the agent is unknown (and we do not know the cause of data corruption). In the active sentence, the agent ("transmission") is incorrect ("transmission" is not the cause of data corruption), and the meaning of the sentence is different. Thus, the active sentence becomes technically incorrect.

##### **Example:**

||Passive:|During transmission, the datawas corrupted.(Correct, the agent is unknown.)|
|---|---|
||Active:|During transmission, something corrupted the data.<br>(Correct, you do not know the identity of "something," but you can use it as the<br>agent.)|
||_Active:_|_Transmission corrupted the data. (Incorrect, "transmission" is not the correct_<br>_agent.)_|

In the example, if you use the word "something" ("a thing that is not determined or specified") as the agent, the active voice will be technically correct.

##### <u>How do you change a sentence that is in the passive voice to the active voice?</u>

To change a sentence from the passive voice to the active voice, you can use one of these four methods:

##### <u>Method 1</u>

When the sentence gives the agent (usually the object of the preposition "by"), put the agent at the start of the sentence. Then, use the agent as the subject. The subject must always be the noun that does the action in the sentence, as shown in the diagram that follows:
