ABSTRACT
The use of words and phrases unambiguously is the aim of all document drafters, whether concerned with an engineering specification or a partnership deed or an Act of Parliament. The problems involved have been highlighted by various court judgements and have been analysed authoritatively by writers on legal drafting. Those writers have drawn attention to particular difficulties which have arisen and have formulated some useful rules, but have been mainly concerned with the drafting of wills, with land transactions and with legislative drafting. Nevertheless their work is equally applicable to the use of words unambiguously in engineering documents and, incidentally, to improve their readability; this chapter is concerned with translating the relevant parts of their work into terms and examples familiar to engineers.
