How to make an Instructable - Writing

Hello everybody out there. I have decided to make a series of Instructables on, making instructables. It may seem strange to be telling you how to tell other people to do things; but there are far too many out there who make simply incomprehensible instructions.

In this section I will be talking about writing.

Step 1 Spelling

First of all, think back to you school English lessons, what were you always nagged about? Those things are still important now.

Spelling:
If you are going to write stupidly long words such as:
pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcano (which literally means: 'a lung disease caused by the inhalation of very fine silica dust usually found in volcanos'), it can be very easy to make mistakes; however if you are not sure, look it up, either in a dictionary or on a site such as http://www.google.com. Personally I use Apples Internet browser 'Safari', which has a built in spell checker, I do not, however recommend the the spell checker built into the Instructables creator.

Use plain english (or your respective language)!
Don't say things like: Them yobbos up Stanhope.
Instead say: The hooligans in the Stanhope estate.

Do not use Emoticons such as: XD or 'text language' such as: b4, m8, C (see), U (you) or Y (why).

Comments

[ilpug]

pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis! I had to learn that as part of a contest in 8th grade :P

Great Ible' !

[rosebanana]

Hello. I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiment of this instructable, but you undercut your message when you begin the section on punctuation with a comma splice:

"Now, my English may not be perfect, but it is simple and easy to understand, this is due to punctuation."

Easy to fix by replacing the comma after 'understand' with either a semicolon or a full stop.

Sorry to be a grammar troll, but it seemed appropriate.

[MysteryPills]

*Updated*

[UltraMagnus]

1) firefox has a built in spell check, you may want to add about it. 2) on grammar, personally I think people forget the semicolon far too much.

[Weissensteinburg]

You might want to mention that instructables has an integrated spell check. Look at the bottom left hand corner of your comment box.

[jessyratfink]

He did mention it, but said he didn't recommend it. It is a little limited in some cases. :)

[Lftndbt]

Yes, I have noticed my spelling is so bad in some cases, that even the I'ble checker can't help me. :(

[Weissensteinburg]

oops, sorry.

[Doctor What]

The spell checker is very, very, limited.

[lemonie]

You're correct in the "are far too many out there who make simply incomprehensible instructions", have you seen these two?
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-great-Instructable/
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-bad-Instructable-by-The-Duchess-of/

L

[Kiteman]

Apart from the first part of step 1, this is actually much more useful than I expected. Don't forget, as you add other projects to the series, edit the introductions to include links to all the others.

[Lftndbt]

First of all, think back to you school English lessons, what where you always nagged about? Those things are still important now.

Spelling:

My side hurts from laughing so much. ;)

[Kiteman]

It could be a peculiar sense of humour...?

[Weissensteinburg]

haha...where's the grammar step?