Technical Writing Tips 2

check that vs. check whether

Check that implies the ellipted sense to make sure. It actually means check (to make sure) that. It is used when the author or the user is sure of what to expect.

Check whether means check (to see) whether (or not). The author or user is not sure of what to expect.

Example: The CheckProperty command checks whether the actual value of the specified object property matches the specified expected value.

en dash (Alt + 0150)

en dash is used to indicate a range of numbers including dates, scores, and pages in a document. It is used in the sense of 'to'. Also, Pune–Narsapur Express.

It is used to hyphenate compounds of compounds, where at least one pair is already hyphenated. Example: open-source–based browser  

Respective and respectively

Respectively is an adverb meaning  'in the given order'. It comes at the end of the sentence and is preceded by a comma.

Correct: Tim and Tom wrote the admin guide and the release notes, respectively.

Incorrect: Tim and Tom logged on to their computers, respectively.

Correct: Tim and Tom logged on to their respective computers.

Respective is an adjective meaning 'particular' or 'separate'.

Should have

Should have refers to past events that did not happen or a promise that was not kept.

So, in a user guide that states the pre-requisites for the audience, the following statement would be incorrect.

Incorrect: The learner should have completed MTP-Basics.