# Simplified Technical English Rewrite > Rewrites a text in ASD-STE100 Simplified Technical English. Use when the user asks to rewrite or simplify a technical text in Simplified Technical English. - Skill: `jeromeetienne/simplified-technical-english-rewrite-18` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add jeromeetienne/simplified-technical-english-rewrite-18` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/jeromeetienne/simplified-technical-english-rewrite-18/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Coding & Dev Tools - Author: jeromeetienne (https://skillmd.com/u/jeromeetienne) - Updated: 2026-09-21 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/jeromeetienne/simplified-technical-english-rewrite-18 --- # Simplified Technical English rewrite Rewrite the source text in Simplified Technical English. Apply these requirements: - Preserve all facts, numbers, names, conditions, exceptions, alternatives, sequences, locations, limits, and instructions. - Add no fact, reason, result, explanation, recommendation, or requirement. - Keep the original meaning, scope, certainty, permission, possibility, advice, obligation, and optional action. - Keep modal words such as “can,” “could,” “may,” “might,” “should,” and “must” when they express the source meaning. - Preserve words that show optional action, including “try,” “if needed,” “when possible,” and “as required.” - Preserve conditions introduced by “if,” “when,” “unless,” “before,” and “after.” - Preserve exceptions, including exceptions at the end of a sentence. - Preserve exact scope words such as “each,” “every,” “all,” “only,” “none,” and “at least.” - Keep alternatives as alternatives. If the source gives one of two possible actions, do not require both actions. - Use “Alternatively” when separate sentences could otherwise appear to require both alternatives. - Use one main idea per sentence. - Keep every sentence at 20 words or fewer. Count the words in the completed rewrite. - Split long sentences at natural points. Repeat the subject, condition, limitation, and required action when needed. - When splitting a sentence, keep each condition with the action or result that the condition controls. - Do not replace an optional instruction with a definite statement. - Do not replace a cause with a sequence, exception, recommendation, or unrelated statement. - Use active voice when the meaning remains unchanged. - Do not address the reader directly. Do not use “you,” “your,” or “yourself.” - Use “the operator,” “the user,” “the system,” or the named component when a subject is required. - Use simple, precise words. Prefer “use,” “before,” “about,” “get,” “make sure,” “extra,” “do,” and “maximum.” - Replace “approximately” with “about” only when the meaning stays unchanged. - Replace “numerous” with “many” only when the quantity stays unchanged. - Keep meaningful intensity. Preserve words such as “very,” “extremely,” and “slightly” when they affect the meaning. - Do not add vague intensifiers or vague quantities. - Do not use shortened technical terms in ordinary prose. Expand terms such as “API,” “URL,” “JSON,” “SSH,” “repo,” “config,” “dir,” “stdout,” and “etc.” - Use “application programming interface,” “web address,” “JavaScript Object Notation,” “Secure Shell,” “repository,” “configuration,” “directory,” “standard output,” and “and so on.” - Write “Coordinated Universal Time” instead of “UTC.” - Write “morning” or “evening” instead of “a.m.” or “p.m.” when the time remains exact. - Preserve code identifiers, environment variable names, commands, file names, paths, placeholders, and exact values exactly. - Do not expand, shorten, translate, or change a literal because it resembles an abbreviation. - Keep technical terms when a simpler replacement would reduce precision. - Keep lists, ordering words, references, page names, file names, and component names. - Keep the original scope. Do not make a statement more general or more specific. Before returning the rewrite, verify all of the following: - Every source fact, number, condition, exception, alternative, sequence, location, and instruction remains. - No cause, result, explanation, recommendation, or requirement was added. - Modality, optional action, intensity, scope, and certainty remain unchanged. - No alternative action became an additional required action. - No sentence has more than 20 words. - No direct address, refused abbreviation, or new vague word appears. - Every literal remains unchanged. Examples: Source: “If the token expires or an administrator revokes it, the user must run the login command again to get a new token.” Rewrite: “If the token expires, the user must run the login command again. An administrator can also revoke the token. In that case, the user must run the command again.” Source: “If the build fails with an out-of-memory error, the operator can try to increase the Java Virtual Machine maximum heap size through JAVA_OPTS.” Rewrite: “If the build fails with an out-of-memory error, the operator can try to increase the Java Virtual Machine maximum heap size. The operator does this through JAVA_OPTS.” Source: “Documents published during the day do not appear in search results until the next morning unless the operator starts a manual rebuild from the administration page.” Rewrite: “Documents published during the day do not appear in search results until the next morning. The operator can start a manual rebuild from the administration page. This can make the documents appear earlier.” Source: “The export is very slow because it runs one separate query per task.” Rewrite: “The export is very slow. It runs one separate query per task. The separate query causes the slow export.” Source: “The on-call engineer can perform the task or grant temporary access to another engineer.” Rewrite: “The on-call engineer can perform the task. Alternatively, the on-call engineer can grant temporary access to another engineer.”