useful words¶

from the style guide¹

• Use active voice instead of passive voice
• Use present tense instead of past or future tense, unless necessary
• Use concrete and specific language instead of abstract or vague language
• Use short sentences and paragraphs to improve readability
• Use bullet points and lists to break up long blocks of text
• Use headings and subheadings to organize content
• Use descriptive and meaningful titles for headings and articles
• Use simple and consistent formatting for code examples and snippets
• Use meaningful variable and function names in code
• Use consistent naming conventions for files, folders, and URLs
• Use inclusive language that is respectful and avoids assumptions or stereotypes
• Use clear and concise language that is easy to understand
• Use correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation
• Use GitLab terminology consistently and accurately
• Use caution when using humor or slang, as it may not be understood or appreciated by all readers
• Use examples and visual aids to clarify concepts when possible

avoid¶

• simply
• obviously
• basically
• clearly
• just
• easy
• obviously
• of course
• everyone knows that
• however
• unfortunately

if you must

• Instead of "simply": use "just" or "merely" when appropriate, or rephrase the sentence to make it more specific
• Instead of "obviously": use "clearly" or "evidently", or consider explaining the concept more thoroughly
• Instead of "basically": use "essentially" or "fundamentally"
• Instead of "clearly": use "evidently" or "apparently", or consider providing more context to clarify the meaning
• Instead of "just": use "only" or "solely" when appropriate, or rephrase the sentence to make it more specific
• Instead of "easy": use "simple" or "straightforward", or consider providing more context or explanation to make the concept easier to understand
• Instead of "of course": consider rephrasing the sentence to make the meaning more clear, or using a different phrase such as "naturally" or "undoubtedly"
• Instead of "everyone knows that": consider rephrasing the sentence to provide more context or explanation, or using a different phrase such as "as you may already know" or "as is widely known"
• Instead of "however": use "but" or "yet" when appropriate, or rephrase the sentence to make the meaning more clear
• Instead of "unfortunately": consider using a different phrase such as "regrettably" or "sadly"