Present tense

In technical writing, present tense is easier to read and understand than past or future tense. Simple verbs are easier to understand than complex verbs, such as those in the progressive or perfect tense. And most users are reading while in the middle of a procedure or when trying to troubleshoot and solve a problem.

Especially for procedures, think of the user as they follow the steps --- they're "in the now."

Although ArticleExpress is reliable, save your work often.

Click Open. ARTEMIS displays the file contents.

As you work, ArticleExpress warns you of potential errors.

instead of

Click the Bold icon. ArticleExpress will format the selection.

While working, ARTEMIS will stop if you have made an error.

When you click Submit, ArticleExpress will have formatted the document and saved the contents before continuing.