The analysis so far has been purely linguistic: applied to text comparison,
but nevertheless not seeking any social explanation of the linguistic facts.
The re-styling function of editing, however, can only be described in a
sociolinguistic framework. Editing rules are not simply optional: they are
variable rules. Like the standard variable rules of sociolinguistic theory (e.g.
Cedergren and Sankoff, 1974), they are constrained by linguistic and social
factors. I will examine briefly one variable rule and the social factors which
influence its application.