Abstract: A structured document system for generating, from a single set of parts of speech entered into a computer, alternative forms of documents with different formats and syntaxes using the same set of parts of speech. For each set of parts of speech, a record is created which includes alternative forms of the verb, alternative forms of any product contained in the sentence, and a statement of the requirement level as mandatory, recommended, or optional. A document is defined by specifying step levels and, for each step level, a set of parts of speech. For each alternative document to be produced, a complete syntax is specified which includes a concatenation rule for each step level. When the document is generated according to the specified syntax, concatenation rules determine the format and structure of each heading or action step.