style-guide

Apply these writing standards to all text output. When reviewing existing text, check against every rule and provide specific rewrites — not abstract feedback.

Step 1: Apply core principles (mandatory)

Every piece of text must pass these five tests:

1. Say it directly. Lead with the point. No preamble, no throat-clearing.
2. Say it once. If you have made the point, move on.
3. Say it concretely. Examples beat abstractions. Specific beats general.
4. Say it actively. The subject does the action. Not "the file was deleted" but "the script deletes the file."
5. Say it plainly. If a simpler word works, use it.

Step 2: Scan for banned words and phrases (mandatory)

Word substitutions

Replace the left column with the right:

Do not write	Write instead
utilize	use
implement	build
facilitate	help, enable
leverage	use
comprehensive	complete, thorough, full
robust	strong, reliable, solid
streamline	simplify
empower	let, enable
foster	encourage, support
paradigm	model, approach
synergy	(cut the word entirely)
ecosystem	system, platform
cutting-edge	modern, current
game-changing	(describe the actual change)
best practices	(say what the practice is)
deep dive	look at, examine, review
in order to	to
it should be noted	(cut — just state the thing)
going forward / moving forward	from now on, next
a myriad of / a plethora of	many
optimal	best
prior to	before
subsequent to	after
in the event that	if
due to the fact that	because
at this point in time	now

Banned words — hard stops

Flag every occurrence. These are AI tells and corporate filler:

delve, tapestry, landscape, nuanced, realm, multifaceted, holistic, pivotal, cornerstone, underpinning, intricate, noteworthy, commendable, meticulous, elevate, testament, embark, encompass, spearhead

No exceptions. If you find one, rewrite the sentence.

Banned phrases — hard stops

• "It's important to note" / "It's worth mentioning" — just state the fact
• "In today's world" / "In the modern era" — cut
• "At its core" / "At the heart of" — state what it is directly
• "This allows us to" / "This enables us to" — state what it does
• "When it comes to" — cut and restructure
• "As mentioned earlier/above" — repeat the info briefly if needed
• "Without further ado" / "Let's take a look at" — just present it
• "It goes without saying" / "Needless to say" — then don't say it
• "Additionally" / "Furthermore" / "Moreover" — just state the next point

Output: List of violations found with exact locations and rewrites.

Step 3: Check sentence structure (mandatory)

Rule	Check	Wrong	Right
Active voice	Subject performs the action	"The configuration is loaded by the service"	"The service loads the configuration"
No -ing openers	Don't start with participial phrases	"Leveraging the new API, the client..."	"The client fetches data faster with the new API"
Sentence length	Flag sentences over 30 words	[split into two]	[two shorter sentences]
One idea per sentence	Split "and" connecting independent clauses	"It validates input and sends the response"	"It validates input. Then it sends the response."
Front-load key terms	Put the subject early	"For the purpose of improving reliability, we added retry logic"	"Retry logic improves reliability"
Parallel structure	List items use the same grammatical form	"handles auth, is logging requests, and data validation"	"handles auth, logs requests, and validates data"

Output: Structure violations with specific rewrites.

Step 4: Check punctuation and formatting (mandatory)

Rule	Limit	Action
Em dashes	Max 2 per document	Replace extras with periods, commas, or parentheses
Semicolons	Use sparingly	Most should be two separate sentences
Exclamation marks	Max 1 per document (0 is better)	They reduce credibility, not increase excitement
Oxford comma	Always	"Red, white, and blue" not "Red, white and blue"
Paragraphs	1–4 sentences	A full-screen paragraph is not a paragraph
Code references	Backticks for code	function_name, not function_name
Links	Descriptive text	"See the deployment guide" not "here"
Headings	No skipped levels	## then ###, never ## then ####

Output: Formatting violations with corrections.

Step 5: Apply context-specific rules (mandatory)

Commit messages

• Imperative mood: "Add feature" not "Added feature"
• First line under 70 characters
• Body explains WHY, not WHAT (the diff shows WHAT)

PR descriptions

• Lead with the problem being solved
• Bullet points, not prose paragraphs
• Test plan is concrete and actionable

Error messages

• State what went wrong, what the user can do, and where to find help
• No jargon the user would not understand
• No stack traces in user-facing errors

API documentation

• Start with what the endpoint does (one sentence)
• Parameters: name, type, required/optional, constraints
• Include example request and response

README files

• First paragraph: what it is and why you would use it
• Quick start: fewest steps to working code
• One line of badges maximum

Output: Context-specific violations with rewrites.

Rules

• Rewrite, don't describe. "Make it more concise" is not feedback. Rewrite the specific sentence.
• Every finding needs the exact text, the violated rule, and a specific rewrite. No exceptions.
• Zero findings is valid. If the text follows all rules, say so. Do not manufacture findings.
• Apply proportionally. A quick Slack message doesn't need the full checklist. A published doc does.
• Preserve the author's voice. Fix violations without rewriting the entire personality out of the text. The goal is clarity, not homogeneity.

Output Format

## Style Review: [what was reviewed]

### Findings

| # | Rule violated | Original text | Rewrite |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | [rule] | "[exact text]" | "[specific rewrite]" |
| 2 | [rule] | "[text]" | "[rewrite]" |

### Summary
- Total findings: [count]
- Banned words: [count]
- Structure issues: [count]
- Formatting issues: [count]
- Context-specific: [count]

### Overall assessment
[One sentence: is the text ready to publish, or does it need a revision pass?]

Related Skills

• /coding-standards:review-standards — for code-level quality standards (naming, structure, comments). Style-guide covers prose; review-standards covers code.