<!-- section: RULES | pages: 117-120 | verified: true -->

# Page 117 of 434

ASD-STE100 Simplified Technical English
3. The approved alternative that you find changes the meaning of the sentence.
  Example:
  Non-STE: Just apply very light pressure to the surface.
  STE: Only apply very light pressure to the surface.
  NOT: Immediately apply very light pressure to the surface.
  "Immediately" is the approved alternative for "just." But if you use the word "immediately" in this
  context, you will change the meaning of the instruction.
4. The word that you must replace is not in the dictionary.
  Example:
  Non-STE: The incidence of water in fuel is dangerous.
  STE: Water in fuel is dangerous.
  "Incidence" is not in the dictionary. Thus, you must think of a different word that has the same
  meaning, for example, "presence." But "presence" is not approved, and its suggested approved
  alternative is "be." You can use a different sentence construction to keep the same meaning.
  How to use a different sentence construction
  When you cannot do a word-for-word replacement, use different words to get the same result.
  Example:
  Non-STE: Lift the seat so that it clears the track locks.
  STE: Lift the seat until it is away from the track locks.
  NOT: Lift the seat so that it cleans the track locks.
  In this example, "clear" is not an approved verb and its only alternative in the dictionary is "clean"
  as a verb. But "clean" as a verb does not have the meaning that you want.
  Do not use "clear" as a verb or think that "clear" can be a technical verb.
  Answer these questions before you write the sentence:
- "What is the meaning of the word 'clear' in this context?"
- "What is the action that a reader must do?"
  If you are not sure, look for "clear" in an English dictionary and find the definition that is applicable
  to this sentence.
  You will understand that "clears the track locks" is the result of the previous action "lift the seat."
  This is the action that is necessary to increase the distance between the seat and the track locks.
  Thus, you can tell your reader "lift the seat" (the action) "until the seat is away from the track locks."
  In the examples, you saw:
- How you can change a word that is not approved in a sentence.
- How you can write a new sentence that has the same meaning.
  Frequently, you must select different words, use different verb forms, or write new sentence
  constructions. It is possible that you must divide long sentences into shorter ones, remove
  information that is not necessary, or get more information from an engineer. Frequently, you must

## Issue 9 Part 1 - Writing Rules Page 1-9-3

2025-01-15

# Page 118 of 434

ASD-STE100 Simplified Technical English
make many changes to your text. Then, when you change one part of a text, you must make sure
that it has no negative effects on other parts of the text.
Example:

|| Non-STE: | If cracks are detected during this procedure, the operator must perform the repair |  |  |
|| --- | --- | --- | --- |
||  | within a certain number of flight hours depending on crack length. Refer to |  |  |
||  | following table: |  |  |
||  |  | Crack length detected | Time before repair |
||  |  | L> ... | 1000 flight hours |
||  |  | L = ... | 2000 flight hours |
||  |  | L< ... | 3000 flight hours |

|| STE: | If you find cracks, refer to the table that follows: |  |  |
|| --- | --- | --- | --- |
||  |  | If the crack is of this length | Do the repair before |
||  |  | L> ... | 1000 flight hours |
||  |  | L = ... | 2000 flight hours |
||  |  | L< ... | 3000 flight hours |

In the non-STE example:
- The underlined words are not approved in STE.
- The first verb form "are detected" is in the passive voice.
- The first sentence is 24 words long.
- An article is missing in front of "crack length" and "following table."
- The instruction is not in the imperative form.
  As shown in the dictionary, you can replace:
- "perform" with "do"
- "within" with "in"
- "certain" with "some"
- "detect" with "find".
  You can also include the missing articles. Then, the sentence becomes:
  If cracks are found during this procedure, the operator must do the repair in some flight
  hours depending on the crack length. Refer to the following table:
  This sentence keeps the same construction, but the sentence is not good English.
  To replace "are found" (passive voice), you must change the construction to: "If you find cracks ..."
  But this does not change the construction of the remaining part of the sentence.
  To replace "following," you must make a small change to the construction: "Refer to the table that
  follows:"
  To replace "the operator must do the repair," you must change the construction to: "do the repair".
  To replace "in some flight hours," you can use "number of flight hours."
  To replace "depending," you must make an important change to the sentence. This important
  change is necessary because you cannot do a word-for-word replacement with the alternative "if
  (conj)" given in the dictionary for "depend."
  Page 1-9-4 Part 1 - Writing rules Issue 9
  2025-01-15

# Page 119 of 434

ASD-STE100 Simplified Technical English
You can then write the first sentence as follows:

|| If you find cracks during this procedure, do the repair before the number of flight hours that |
|| --- |
|| are applicable to the crack length. Refer to the table that follows: |

But the first sentence has 23 words, and the technical meaning is not correct and not easy to
understand. Also, part of the information is in the table. Thus, it is not necessary to give it two
times. A good solution is to put the instruction in the table heading, as shown in the STE text.
The primary objective of STE is that readers immediately understand each sentence that they
read.
How to use approved words correctly

## Rule 9.2 Use each approved word correctly.

Some STE-approved words have meanings that are applicable only in some contexts (restricted
meaning).
Before you use a word, read its definition in the approved meaning column of the dictionary. Words
frequently have many different meanings in standard English. In STE, approved words usually only
have one approved meaning. Other meanings that the word can have in standard English are not
approved.
Always make sure that the word that you select has the correct meaning in the applicable context.
Examples:

|| Non-STE: | Wear protective clothing. |
|| --- | --- |
|| STE: | Use (or put on) protective clothing |

The word "wear" is approved as a verb, but with the meaning "to become damaged by friction."

|| Non-STE: | Wear protective clothing. |
|| --- | --- |
|| STE: | Use (or put on) protective clothing |

The verb "extend" has the approved meaning "to increase, or cause something to increase, in
dimension or range." In the non-STE example, the verb "extend" does not agree with its approved
meaning.

## Issue 9 Part 1 - Writing Rules Page 1-9-5

2025-01-15

# Page 120 of 434

ASD-STE100 Simplified Technical English

|| Non-STE: | When the pressure goes down, lift the cover. |
|| --- | --- |
|| STE: | When the pressure decreases, lift the cover. |

The verb "goes" together with the preposition "down" is a phrase that refers to a physical
movement, for example, when an indicator (a gauge needle or a flag) goes down.
"Decrease" is better because it refers to the pressure, not to the indicator that monitors the
pressure.

|| Non-STE: | When the pressure goes down, lift the cover. |
|| --- | --- |
|| STE: | When the pressure decreases, lift the cover. |

You can use the verb "go" together with the preposition "through" only for something that physically
moves through something. You cannot use it to show a requirement or a condition.

|| Non-STE: | When the pressure goes down, lift the cover. |
|| --- | --- |
|| STE: | When the pressure decreases, lift the cover. |

You can use the verb "see" only for something that you can see with your eyes and not as a word
for "come to know."

|| Non-STE: | When the pressure goes down, lift the cover. |
|| --- | --- |
|| STE: | When the pressure decreases, lift the cover. |

You can use the verb "turn" only with the meaning "to move or cause to move around an axis or a
point."

|| Non-STE: | When the pressure goes down, lift the cover. |
|| --- | --- |
|| STE: | When the pressure decreases, lift the cover. |

The prepositions "above" and "below" are for physical positions only and not for limits.
Also, make sure that you use approved words as their approved part of speech. In English, words
usually do not have different forms that immediately show their function in a sentence. Thus,
readers can frequently think differently about the same word. To make sentences clearer, an
approved word can usually only have one function (part of speech). In STE, use each approved
word as the approved part of speech.
Examples:

|| Non-STE: | When the pressure goes down, lift the cover. |
|| --- | --- |
|| STE: | When the pressure decreases, lift the cover. |

"Work" is approved as a noun, but not as a verb.

|| Non-STE: | When the pressure goes down, lift the cover. |
|| --- | --- |
|| STE: | When the pressure decreases, lift the cover. |

"Help" is approved as a verb, but not as a noun.

|| Non-STE: | When the pressure goes down, lift the cover. |
|| --- | --- |
|| STE: | When the pressure decreases, lift the cover. |

Page 1-9-6 Part 1 - Writing rules Issue 9
2025-01-15
