Some STE approved words have restricted meanings.

Examples:

Non-STE: Wear protective clothing.

STE: Use (or put on) protective clothing

The word “wear” is not approved as a verb. It is a noun that has the approved meaning “to become damaged by friction”.

Non-STE: This regulation extends to all units.

STE: This regulation is applicable to all units.

The verb “extend” has the approved meaning “to increase, or cause to increase, in dimension or range”. In the non-STE example it is not used with the approved meaning.

Non-STE: When the pressure goes down, lift the cover.

STE: When the pressure decreases, lift the cover.

“Goes down” is a phrase that describes a physical condition as when an indicator such as a gauge needle or a flag goes down.

“Decrease” is better because it describes the pressure, not the indicator that monitors the pressure.

Non-STE: Make sure that the probe went through more than 500 degrees C.

STE: Make sure that the temperature of the probe increased to more than 500 degrees C.

You can use “go through” only for something that physically moves through something. You cannot use it to show a requirement or a condition.

Non-STE: Move the tube to see if the inner connection is tight.

STE: Move the tube to make sure that the inner connection is tight.

You can use “see” only for something that you can see with your eyes and not as a word for “come to know.”

Non-STE: The indicator turns green.

STE: The color of the indicator changes to green.

You can use “turn” only with the meaning “to move something around its axis.”

Non-STE: Do not let the pressure go below (or above) 20 psi.

STE: Do not let the pressure become less than (or more than) 20 psi.

“Above” and “below” are for physical positions only and not for limits.

Also, make sure that you use approved words as their approved part of speech. In English, words usually do not have different forms that immediately show how they function in a sentence. Thus, readers can often understand the same word in different ways. To make sentences clearer, an approved word can usually only has one function (part of speech). Use each approved word as the approved part of speech.

Examples:

Non-STE: When you work with cleaning agents, use breathing equipment.

STE: When you do work with cleaning agents, use breathing equipment.

The word “work” is approved as a noun, but not as a verb.

Non-STE: Install the cover with the help of a second person.

STE: Install the cover with the aid of a second person.

The word “help” is approved as a verb, but not as a noun.

Non-STE: Be careful not to damage the sleeve.

STE: Be careful not to cause damage to the sleeve.

The word “damage” is approved as a noun, but not as a verb.

There are a few words which are approved as more than one part of speech and have more than one meaning. This is because these words are important and commonly occur in technical English.

The word “flush” for example, often occurs in technical English as a verb (to let water flow quickly, through a pipe) or as an adjective (when one surface completely touches another surface).

Examples in STE:

Flush the pipes with a disinfectant solution.

(“Flush” is a verb here.)

Make sure that the door is flush with the adjacent surfaces.
(“Flush” is an adjective here.)

But because the verb and the adjective have different positions in a sentence and they occur in different contexts, it is very difficult to confuse them.