{
  "schema_version": "1.0",
  "reference": {
    "name": "ASD-STE100 for AI Agents",
    "shortName": "STE for Agents",
    "version": "0.2.0",
    "updated": "2026-08-06",
    "profile": "ASD-STE100 Issue 9 principles, independently paraphrased",
    "officialStandard": "ASD-STE100 Simplified Technical English, Issue 9",
    "officialDate": "2025-01-15",
    "officialUrl": "https://www.asd-ste100.org/assets/files/ASD-STE100_ISSUE9.pdf",
    "officialSite": "https://www.asd-ste100.org/"
  },
  "coverage": {
    "writing_rules": "53 independently paraphrased rules",
    "rule_ids": "official numbering retained for traceability",
    "dictionary": "not included",
    "official_examples": "not included",
    "compliance_status": "non-authoritative"
  },
  "sections": [
    {
      "id": "1",
      "name": "Words"
    },
    {
      "id": "2",
      "name": "Multi-word nouns"
    },
    {
      "id": "3",
      "name": "Verbs"
    },
    {
      "id": "4",
      "name": "Sentences"
    },
    {
      "id": "5",
      "name": "Procedures"
    },
    {
      "id": "6",
      "name": "Descriptions"
    },
    {
      "id": "7",
      "name": "Safety instructions"
    },
    {
      "id": "8",
      "name": "Punctuation and word count"
    },
    {
      "id": "9",
      "name": "Writing practice"
    }
  ],
  "rules": [
    {
      "id": "1.1",
      "section": "Words",
      "directive": "Limit vocabulary to dictionary-approved words and valid technical nouns or technical verbs.",
      "tags": [
        "vocabulary",
        "dictionary"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "1.2",
      "section": "Words",
      "directive": "Use a dictionary word only as the part of speech assigned to it.",
      "tags": [
        "vocabulary",
        "part-of-speech"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "1.3",
      "section": "Words",
      "directive": "Use a dictionary word only with its assigned meaning.",
      "tags": [
        "vocabulary",
        "meaning"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "1.4",
      "section": "Words",
      "directive": "Use only the permitted forms of approved verbs and adjectives.",
      "tags": [
        "vocabulary",
        "word-form"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "1.5",
      "section": "Words",
      "directive": "Treat a domain noun as technical only when it fits an allowed technical-noun category.",
      "tags": [
        "terminology",
        "technical-noun"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "1.6",
      "section": "Words",
      "directive": "Use a word absent from the dictionary only as a technical noun or within one.",
      "tags": [
        "terminology",
        "technical-noun"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "1.7",
      "section": "Words",
      "directive": "Do not turn a technical noun into a verb.",
      "tags": [
        "terminology",
        "part-of-speech"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "1.8",
      "section": "Words",
      "directive": "Prefer technical nouns already approved by the relevant company, industry, or field.",
      "tags": [
        "terminology",
        "consistency"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "1.9",
      "section": "Words",
      "directive": "When you must create a technical noun, choose a short term that readers can understand easily.",
      "tags": [
        "terminology",
        "clarity"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "1.10",
      "section": "Words",
      "directive": "Exclude regionalisms, slang, and jargon from technical nouns.",
      "tags": [
        "terminology",
        "clarity"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "1.11",
      "section": "Words",
      "directive": "Use one technical noun consistently for one item.",
      "tags": [
        "terminology",
        "consistency"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "1.12",
      "section": "Words",
      "directive": "Treat a domain verb as technical only when it fits an allowed technical-verb category.",
      "tags": [
        "terminology",
        "technical-verb"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "1.13",
      "section": "Words",
      "directive": "Do not turn a technical verb into a noun.",
      "tags": [
        "terminology",
        "part-of-speech"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "1.14",
      "section": "Words",
      "directive": "Use American English spelling unless a controlling directive requires another spelling system.",
      "tags": [
        "spelling",
        "consistency"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "2.1",
      "section": "Multi-word nouns",
      "directive": "Keep a multi-word noun to three words or fewer.",
      "tags": [
        "noun-cluster",
        "length"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "2.2",
      "section": "Multi-word nouns",
      "directive": "If an official technical noun exceeds three words, introduce it in full, then define a clear short form or hyphenate words that act as one unit.",
      "tags": [
        "noun-cluster",
        "terminology"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "3.1",
      "section": "Verbs",
      "directive": "Use only the verb forms listed for an approved verb.",
      "tags": [
        "verb",
        "word-form"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "3.2",
      "section": "Verbs",
      "directive": "Limit verbs to infinitive, imperative, simple present, simple past, simple future, and adjectival past participle forms.",
      "tags": [
        "verb",
        "tense"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "3.3",
      "section": "Verbs",
      "directive": "Use a past participle as an adjective, not to build an unapproved verb construction.",
      "tags": [
        "verb",
        "participle"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "3.4",
      "section": "Verbs",
      "directive": "Do not use auxiliary verbs to build complex verb constructions.",
      "tags": [
        "verb",
        "auxiliary"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "3.5",
      "section": "Verbs",
      "directive": "Use an -ing form only as a technical noun or as a modifier inside a technical noun.",
      "tags": [
        "verb",
        "gerund"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "3.6",
      "section": "Verbs",
      "directive": "Use active voice. In descriptive text, passive voice is acceptable only when the actor is unknown.",
      "tags": [
        "voice",
        "clarity"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "3.7",
      "section": "Verbs",
      "directive": "Express an action with an approved verb, not with a noun or another part of speech.",
      "tags": [
        "verb",
        "nominalization"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "4.1",
      "section": "Sentences",
      "directive": "Write sentences that are short, direct, and structurally clear.",
      "tags": [
        "sentence",
        "clarity"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "4.2",
      "section": "Sentences",
      "directive": "Keep every required sentence part and do not use contractions to shorten text.",
      "tags": [
        "sentence",
        "contraction"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "4.3",
      "section": "Sentences",
      "directive": "Convert complex material into a vertical list when a list makes the structure clearer.",
      "tags": [
        "list",
        "structure"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "4.4",
      "section": "Sentences",
      "directive": "Use explicit connecting words or phrases between sentences that cover related ideas.",
      "tags": [
        "cohesion",
        "structure"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "4.5",
      "section": "Sentences",
      "directive": "When grammar requires it, place an article or demonstrative adjective before a noun or multi-word noun.",
      "tags": [
        "article",
        "grammar"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "5.1",
      "section": "Procedures",
      "directive": "Limit each procedural sentence to 20 words.",
      "tags": [
        "procedure",
        "length"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "5.2",
      "section": "Procedures",
      "directive": "Put one instruction in each sentence, except when actions must occur at the same time.",
      "tags": [
        "procedure",
        "instruction"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "5.3",
      "section": "Procedures",
      "directive": "Write instructions in the imperative form.",
      "tags": [
        "procedure",
        "imperative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "5.4",
      "section": "Procedures",
      "directive": "When a reader must know a condition first, put the condition before the command and separate it with a comma.",
      "tags": [
        "procedure",
        "condition"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "5.5",
      "section": "Procedures",
      "directive": "Use notes for information only; never hide an instruction in a note.",
      "tags": [
        "procedure",
        "note"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "6.1",
      "section": "Descriptions",
      "directive": "Introduce descriptive information in a gradual sequence.",
      "tags": [
        "description",
        "structure"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "6.2",
      "section": "Descriptions",
      "directive": "Use recurring key words and explicit key phrases to make the logic visible.",
      "tags": [
        "description",
        "cohesion"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "6.3",
      "section": "Descriptions",
      "directive": "Limit each descriptive sentence to 25 words.",
      "tags": [
        "description",
        "length"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "6.4",
      "section": "Descriptions",
      "directive": "Use paragraphs to keep related information together.",
      "tags": [
        "description",
        "paragraph"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "6.5",
      "section": "Descriptions",
      "directive": "Give each paragraph one topic.",
      "tags": [
        "description",
        "paragraph"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "6.6",
      "section": "Descriptions",
      "directive": "Limit each paragraph to six sentences.",
      "tags": [
        "description",
        "paragraph",
        "length"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "7.1",
      "section": "Safety instructions",
      "directive": "Label the safety instruction with the applicable risk level, such as warning or caution.",
      "tags": [
        "safety",
        "risk"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "7.2",
      "section": "Safety instructions",
      "directive": "Begin a safety instruction with a precise command or condition.",
      "tags": [
        "safety",
        "instruction"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "7.3",
      "section": "Safety instructions",
      "directive": "State the hazard or possible consequence so the reader understands the risk.",
      "tags": [
        "safety",
        "consequence"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "8.1",
      "section": "Punctuation and word count",
      "directive": "Use standard English punctuation, but do not use semicolons.",
      "tags": [
        "punctuation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "8.2",
      "section": "Punctuation and word count",
      "directive": "Use a hyphen only to connect words that operate as a directly related unit.",
      "tags": [
        "punctuation",
        "hyphen"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "8.3",
      "section": "Punctuation and word count",
      "directive": "Reserve parentheses for references, identifiers, step labels, abbreviations, paired singular/plural forms, short explanations, or alternatives.",
      "tags": [
        "punctuation",
        "parentheses"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "8.4",
      "section": "Punctuation and word count",
      "directive": "For sentence counting in a vertical list, treat the introducing colon as a sentence boundary.",
      "tags": [
        "word-count",
        "list"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "8.5",
      "section": "Punctuation and word count",
      "directive": "Count all text inside one pair of parentheses as one word in its sentence.",
      "tags": [
        "word-count",
        "parentheses"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "8.6",
      "section": "Punctuation and word count",
      "directive": "Count each number, number-plus-unit, abbreviation, identifier, quotation, displayed label, or proper name as one word.",
      "tags": [
        "word-count",
        "special-token"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "8.7",
      "section": "Punctuation and word count",
      "directive": "Count a hyphenated expression as one word.",
      "tags": [
        "word-count",
        "hyphen"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "9.1",
      "section": "Writing practice",
      "directive": "Rewrite the sentence structure when direct word substitution does not produce clear, correct text.",
      "tags": [
        "rewrite",
        "clarity"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "9.2",
      "section": "Writing practice",
      "directive": "Use every approved word in a grammatically and semantically correct way.",
      "tags": [
        "usage",
        "meaning"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "9.3",
      "section": "Writing practice",
      "directive": "Do not create phrasal verbs by combining words; use only a combination explicitly approved for its restricted meaning.",
      "tags": [
        "phrasal-verb",
        "vocabulary"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "9.4",
      "section": "Writing practice",
      "directive": "Keep terminology and wording consistent throughout the document.",
      "tags": [
        "consistency",
        "style"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "recommendations": [
    "Classify the text as procedure, description, or safety content before you edit it.",
    "Keep explicit connectors, subjects, objects, and antecedents when omission could create ambiguity.",
    "Use pronouns only when their referents are unmistakable; pair ‘this’ with a noun when useful.",
    "Replace Latin abbreviations and culture-specific shorthand with plain English.",
    "Use inclusive, neutral wording unless technical accuracy requires a specific identity term.",
    "Do not claim full STE compliance without checking the official controlled dictionary and applicable project terminology."
  ],
  "legal_notice": "This independent reference is not published, approved, or certified by ASD or the STEMG. It paraphrases general writing principles and does not reproduce the official dictionary or examples. ASD-STE100 and Simplified Technical English are marks associated with ASD, and the official standard is copyrighted by ASD. Use the official Issue 9 document for authoritative requirements."
}