*A thread about frequently asked questions that only my fellow language nerds are likely to care about*
I did a double-take when I read "Frequently asked questions for anglers."
I did a double-take when I read "Frequently asked questions for anglers."
I had to read on to confirm they meant [frequently asked questions] for (an audience of) anglers rather than questions that anglers are frequently asked.
I think it's interesting how this bit of ambiguity shows how we conceptualize "frequently asked questions" as a whole entity.
I think it's interesting how this bit of ambiguity shows how we conceptualize "frequently asked questions" as a whole entity.
And, I mean, frequently asked questions aren't usually *actually* frequently asked questions, right? Most of the time they're questions that you anticipate your audience will have…
The Q&A format is just a rhetorically useful means of
•providing information
•keeping the tone conversational
•chunking the content for easy scanning & navigation
"Frequently" may reassure the reader that others have the same questions and they're not daft for wondering…?
•providing information
•keeping the tone conversational
•chunking the content for easy scanning & navigation
"Frequently" may reassure the reader that others have the same questions and they're not daft for wondering…?
"Questions you might have" is probably more accurate, but "frequently asked questions" is pretty well a set phrase. And apparently in the minds of many writers, it is conceptualized as its own thing rather than its constituent questions.
OK—poll time:
(Unless there's specific style guidance, I always end up using "FAQ section" to write around this problem.)
A'ight, so back to "Frequently asked questions for anglers." Editors: Do you think the meaning is clear? If not, how would you recast?
Ah—it seems I have already ranted about frequently asked questions, because of course I have:
Interesting. But why? I think the format's very rhetorically useful, especially for conveying information in plain language.
