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guidelines to conduct

English translation: guidelines for conducting audits

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21:11 Aug 3, 2010

English to English translations [PRO]
Tech/Engineering - Engineering (general)

English term or phrase: guidelines to conduct

The document at hand has a title "General Guidelines to Conduct a Technical Audit" and describes why technical audits of engineering documents are necessary and how they are supposed to be accomplished.

Please correct me if I am wrong, because the wording of this title somehow doesn't sit well with me. First, I suspect 'guidelines to' ought to be followed by a gerund (as in 'guidelines to conducting...'). Secondly, I am not too much used to seeing indefinite articles in document titles. Plus, there will be many audits conducted based on these guidelines, not just one. Would it be a good idea to use the plural form instead ('General Guidelines to Conducting Technical Audits')? Or should I perhaps assume a revolutionary approach and call it 'Technical Audits. General Guidelines'?

TIA for your input!

Roman Bardachev KudoZ activity Questions: 98 (none open) (8 closed without grading) Answers: 1560 Canada
Local time: 13:58

English translation:guidelines for conducting audits

Explanation:
Stéphanie and Meirs are both right: there is really nothing wrong with the original sentence, but my suggestion above is one possible alternative rendering.

There is nothing wrong with using the infinitive 'to conduct', but if you prefer to use the gerund form, then note that you need to add the proposition 'for'.

Although one does often see the plural without an article used in such circumstances, the singular + indef. article works fine too; although these may indeed be guidelines that will apply to the conduct of many audits in general, the specific reader may only have to conduct one of these.