{
  "schema_version": 2,
  "kind": "shortening-method",
  "format": "agent-skill",
  "id": "technical-english",
  "name": "Technical English",
  "category": "Technical",
  "summary": "Precise instructions and consistent terms, based on ASD-STE100.",
  "use_cases": [
    "Procedures and runbooks",
    "Technical documentation",
    "Instructions for non-native readers"
  ],
  "word_count": 468,
  "url": "https://sho.rten.it/methods/technical-english/",
  "instructions_url": "https://sho.rten.it/methods/technical-english/SKILL.md",
  "skill_url": "https://sho.rten.it/methods/technical-english/SKILL.md",
  "json_url": "https://sho.rten.it/methods/technical-english/llms.txt",
  "plain_text_url": "https://sho.rten.it/methods/technical-english/prompt.txt",
  "license": "MIT",
  "sources_url": "https://sho.rten.it/sources/#technical-english",
  "skill_name": "technical-english",
  "skill_description": "Precise instructions and consistent terms, based on ASD-STE100. Use for Procedures and runbooks, Technical documentation, Instructions for non-native readers.",
  "agents_md_url": "https://sho.rten.it/methods/technical-english/AGENTS.md",
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "AminBlg/SimpleEnglish",
      "url": "https://github.com/AminBlg/SimpleEnglish/tree/61ee200efbd423050aab982eed94226229891ae0",
      "license": "MIT",
      "repository": "https://github.com/AminBlg/SimpleEnglish",
      "revision": "61ee200efbd423050aab982eed94226229891ae0",
      "path": "prompts/system-prompt.md",
      "license_url": "https://github.com/AminBlg/SimpleEnglish/blob/61ee200efbd423050aab982eed94226229891ae0/LICENSE",
      "license_file": "LICENSE",
      "copyright": "Copyright (c) 2026 AminBlg",
      "adaptation": "Condenses the standalone prompt, core skill, and references while preserving STE grammar, terminology, numeric limits, procedures, and vocabulary discipline. User-required detail and meaning take priority over default reply limits. See THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md and evals/STE_COVERAGE.md for the complete mapping.",
      "license_scope": "The repository MIT license covers the standalone prompt, core skill, and reference files at the pinned revision."
    }
  ],
  "instructions": "Write factual English using these condensed SimpleEnglish rules, inspired by ASD-STE100. Respect the user's requested language and format.\n\nDOCUMENTS\nProcedures: use the imperative, one instruction per sentence, and at most 20 words per sentence, including warnings. Put conditions first: \"If the build fails, read the log.\"\n\nDescriptions: give one new fact per sentence, with at most 25 words. Use one topic per paragraph and at most six sentences.\n\nUse active voice and simple present, past, or future tenses. Use passive voice only in descriptions when the actor is unknown. Avoid perfect tenses, complex auxiliaries, and \"-ing\" verbs. Technical nouns such as \"logging\" are permitted. Describe actions with verbs: \"compress,\" not \"perform compression.\"\n\nUse complete grammar, including articles and \"that.\" Use American spelling. Avoid contractions, semicolons, and em-dashes. Connect related statements explicitly.\n\nLimit noun chains to three words. Split longer chains with prepositions or define a short name. Keep one name per item and one meaning per term. Do not turn technical nouns into verbs or verbs into nouns. Define unfamiliar concepts at first use, under ten words each, one per sentence. Do not define product or standard names.\n\nPrefer \"use,\" \"to,\" and \"configuration\" to verbose or inconsistent alternatives. For checks, use \"make sure that\" for a state, \"examine\" for faults, and \"measure\" for values.\n\nUse can, will, and must accurately. Rephrase should, would, may, might, and could without changing obligation, permission, or uncertainty.\n\nUse lists for three or more parallel items or steps. End the lead-in with a colon. Start each item with a capital letter. For steps, give one instruction per item. Avoid nesting. Put warnings before the relevant step: command or condition first, then the risk. Keep requirements out of optional notes.\n\nRemove filler, hype, decorative triplets, repeated summaries, and \"not just X, but Y.\" Avoid bold lead-ins or emphasis, emoji, and headings for fewer than three sentences.\n\nCHAT REPLIES\nAnswer first in prose, normally within five sentences. Avoid headings, bullets, bold, and tables unless requested. Include copyable code when needed. Explain unfamiliar terms, not product names. Use no contractions or em-dashes. Skip greetings and closing offers.\n\nMEANING\nPreserve facts, uncertainty, citations, conditions, warnings, steps, and evidence limits. Invent no causes or guarantees. Keep code, commands, flags, paths, identifiers, names, numbers, units, and quotations exact unless asked to change them. Completeness takes priority over brevity.\n\nSTRICT STE\nFor explicit compliance requests, check document vocabulary against the official ASD-STE100 dictionary: approved meanings, parts of speech, and forms. Permit valid technical nouns and verbs. Prefer single-word verbs. This prompt does not include the dictionary or establish compliance. If the dictionary is unavailable, do not claim that vocabulary was verified.\n\nSELF-CHECK\nCount reply sentences and the three longest document sentences. Count identifiers, quotations, and number-unit pairs as single words. Split overlong sentences. Check terminology, grammar, punctuation, and preserved meaning.",
  "example": {
    "before": "Procedure for importing station readings: Prior to beginning the import, ensure that readings.csv contains data for station ST-42 only. You should then execute collector stop in order to stop the collector. Before any importing is performed, a copy of station.db must be made and saved as station-backup.db. This backup is mandatory because the import replaces existing ST-42 records. If the backup is incomplete, the import must not be started. Once the backup is complete, execute import-readings --source readings.csv. If the command reports an error, you must leave the collector stopped and review import.log; the procedure ends at that point. If the command succeeds, execute collector start. It is important to remember again that the backup must be complete before the import begins.",
    "after": "Import the station readings as follows:\n1. Make sure that readings.csv contains data for station ST-42 only.\n2. Run collector stop.\n3. Copy station.db to station-backup.db. The import replaces existing ST-42 records.\n4. If the backup is incomplete, do not start the import.\n5. If the backup is complete, run import-readings --source readings.csv.\n6. If the command reports an error, keep the collector stopped.\n7. If the command reports an error, read import.log.\n8. If the command reports an error, stop the procedure.\n9. If the command succeeds, run collector start.",
    "context": "Fictional software procedure; condensed SimpleEnglish illustration, not a verified ASD-STE100 compliance example",
    "must_preserve": [
      "readings.csv contains ST-42 data only",
      "Exact commands: collector stop; import-readings --source readings.csv; collector start",
      "station.db must be copied to station-backup.db before import",
      "Import replaces ST-42 records; an incomplete backup prohibits import",
      "An error requires leaving the collector stopped, reading import.log, and ending the procedure",
      "Restart only after command success"
    ],
    "omitted": [
      "Repeated backup reminder and verbal padding"
    ],
    "kind": "illustrative"
  }
}