n the instruction card is
of sufficient importance to warrant careful consideration. It would
be helpful if the instruction card clerk and the man who is to use
the instruction cards were both masters of English, but this is
hardly to be expected. The best substitute for such special English
training is a "System" for the use of the instruction card clerk
that will give him some outline of English that will by degrees make
his wording terse, simple and unambiguous.

He should be impressed with the value of short sentences, and of
sentences that will require no punctuation other than a period at
the end. The short sentence is the most important step toward
brevity, terseness, conciseness and clear thinking.

The second most important feature is that the instruction card
clerk always uses the same standard wording for the same
instructions. Repetition of phrasing is a virtue, and the use of the
same word for the same thing and the same meaning repeatedly is very
desirable. The wording, phrasing and sentencing should be standard
wherever possible.

STANDARD PHRASING DESIRABLE.--After a short time a phrase or
sentence that is often repeated will be recognized as quickly as
will a word or a letter. Men who cannot read and write at all are
comparatively few. Men who can read and write but little are many.
It is entirely possible to teach such men standard groupings, which
they can recognize on the Instruction Card and use in a very
short time.

For example,--laborers who do not even know their alphabets will
learn quickly to read setting marks on cut stone.

Just as mnemonic symbols save time and effort, so standard
phrasing aids toward finding out what is to be done, and remembering
how it is to be done.[5] Both of these can be accomplished if the
standardization is so complete that directions can be read and
remembered almost at a glance.[6]

SPECIFIC TERMS HELPFUL.--To be most effective, directions should
be in the imperative form, and in specific terms.

The history and growth of language shows that the language of
the savage consisted of vague general terms as compared to the
specific individual terms of the modern language of civilized man.
There are examples to be seen on every hand to-day where the oral
language of instructions and orders to proceed, that are given to
the worker, are still more vague, comparatively, than the language
between savages.

SIMILARITY OF FORM AND