Return-Path: <root> Received: (from root@localhost) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) id f7VBv7B11489 for health-archive@nifl.gov; Fri, 31 Aug 2001 07:57:07 -0400 (EDT) Resent-Message-Id: <200108311157.f7VBv7B11489@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from sm13.texas.rr.com (sm13.texas.rr.com [24.93.35.40]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with ESMTP id f7RKeZf00720 for <nifl-health@nifl.gov>; Mon, 27 Aug 2001 16:40:35 -0400 (EDT) Received: from reva (cs17020-93.jam.rr.com [24.170.20.93]) by sm13.texas.rr.com (8.12.0.Beta16/8.12.0.Beta16) with SMTP id f7RKnCKK013872 for <nifl-health@nifl.gov>; Mon, 27 Aug 2001 15:49:12 -0500 Reply-To: <Reva@DBWriting.com> From: "Reva Daniel" <Reva@DBWriting.com> To: <nifl-health@nifl.gov> Subject: RE: [NIFL-HEALTH:3324] Re: hyphen or no? Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2001 15:43:33 -0500 Message-ID: <000f01c12f38$f047dcc0$5d14aa18@jam.rr.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 (Normal) X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook 8.5, Build 4.71.2173.0 Importance: Normal In-Reply-To: <HFEOKEOKAENPEEILPJCFIEFBCCAA.jkeenan@erols.com> X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4522.1200 Resent-From: root@literacy.nifl.gov Resent-Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 07:57:07 -0400 Resent-To: health-archive@nifl.gov Status: O Content-Length: 2167 Lines: 56 Yes, I agree about doing what works for low literacy readers. I suggested referring to the Gregg Reference Manual, and I stand by that. However, I also do what works by relying on field testing after checking the style guide. Low literacy readers sometimes require a kind of writing that does not appear in the style guides. We have found that testing 6 people in our target audience will give us most of the information we need, while testing 10 will begin to give redundant information. Reva Daniel Reva@DBWriting.com http://www.DBWriting.com 601-924-2173 > -----Original Message----- > From: nifl-health@nifl.gov [mailto:nifl-health@nifl.gov]On Behalf Of > Jann Keenan > Sent: Monday, August 27, 2001 10:33 AM > To: Multiple recipients of list > Subject: [NIFL-HEALTH:3324] Re: hyphen or no? > > > Ah, yet another opinion. At the risk of being soap boxish. . . . I suggest > folks conduct mini- FIELD TESTS with their intended audience. It doesn't > have to be a big formal thing. I usually park myself in a clinic or lobby > and ask the people what they think. Something like this can take a only > couple of hours at most, and then you'd know if your words were > understood. > > For the record--I don't use hyphens very often when writing at > the 4th to 6h > grade level. However, I have used hyphens for this group with good success > when I limit them. Len is right--hyphens can help words stand out in body > copy. Yet, as mentioned, the caveat is changing reading level. > > And I hardly ever use style books for answers to low-lit dilemmas > (I used to > be a writing major and can feel my beloved professors sigh loudly at that > comment). As the tone gets more conversational--sentences may begin with > "and" and end with "of." Some words may work with hyphens, others might be > skipped as too hard for readers. After writing for a blue moon, I still > don't have a hard and fast position and rely heavily on pre-testing for > comprehension. > > I do what works for the people WHILE trying to respect the established > grammar rules. But if the rules don't fit . . . > > Regards as we wrap up this fine summer, > Jann Keenan, Ed.S. > > > ----- >
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