This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. It was no small achievement that, after reading Gowers's book, people started writing "Thank you for your letter," rather than "Your communication of the 12th Inst. Master crafstman: George Orwell’s rules of language have been taught for decades. Is it true that video games can make people happy? Prefer the short word to the long. It means writing that's stuffed with jargon words, worn-out phrases, tired clichés, the mistiness and imprecision of bureaucratic paragraphs that coil around the subject until it can no longer be glimpsed. How boring, by comparison. I wish there had been a different set of precepts around, to which a tyro scribbler in search of a fancy prose style could have usefully turned. Can I never again say "dans cette galere", or "avant la lettre" or "balcon formidable"? What Is The Most Beautiful Word In The English Language And Why? Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? And his message remains vital: our writing should be as clear and comprehensible as possible, avoiding superfluous words and clichés—from the jargon of "commercialese" to the murky euphemisms of politicians. 3. Certainly […]. Social Media Marketing - When You Have No Clue! Use words with a precise meaning, rather than those that are vague, for the precise will obviously serve better to make your meaning clear.". Don't be afraid of using repetition to paint a picture. It was an exciting time. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Now, after the war, it was aimed at ordinary, mostly puzzled, British people, explaining their statutory rights and obligations and how they might be breaking the law. The author was a top civil servant called Sir Ernest Gowers, a former Private Secretary to Lloyd George who, in 1953, chaired the Royal Commission on Capital Punishment, which led to the abolition of the death penalty. Isn't the abstract (and Romance) word "sentiment" more expressive of emotion than the concrete (and Anglo-Saxon) word "feeling"? on Is it true that video games can make people happy? The preface to 'The Complete Plain Words' by Sir Ernest Gowers. Gowers clearly had doubts about the Fowlers' advice. 4. Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines. I would however suggest in the future you should take greater care of your railway ticket to obviate any similar occurrence. This list is very useful for a lot of projects. These cookies do not store any personal information. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent. The good news is that more and more companies and lawyers are using plain English and filing documents with the SEC that others can study, use, and improve upon. **Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** **EBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** *****These EBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers***** Title: The Prince and The Pauper, Complete Author: Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) Release Date: July 1999 [EBook #1837] [This file was last updated on March 18, 2003 Edition: 10 Language: English … If Mike Tragic writes to beg Jill Flibbertigibbet for another chance at l'amour, his word-usage may stray well beyond what someone else might deem "necessary". Both these, as I explained in the prefaces to them, were written at the invitation of the Treasury as a contribution to what they were doing to improve official English. When I left university in 1975, writers such as Anthony Burgess were showing off all over the place. Independent Premium Comments can be posted by members of our membership scheme, Independent Premium. The Complete Plain Words Author : Ernest Gowers ISBN : 1567922031 Genre : Language Arts & Disciplines File Size : 89. The Complete Plain Words followed in 1954 and has never been out of print. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. The Complete Plain Words followed in 1954 and has never been out of print. But it is also very useful for increasing your knowledge and […], About the Yu Characters My name is Zhuowei Yu (or simply George Yu). Register. The existing Open Comments threads will continue to exist for those who do not subscribe to Independent Premium. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. This seems like better counsel, but it gives rise to several questions. 5. Get a printable copy (PDF file) of the complete article (379K), or click on a page image below to browse page by page. Gowers quotes earlier linguists as part of his clean-up campaign. To buy it for £11.99 free P&P call 08430 600030 or visit independentbooksdirect.co.uk, Take risks, include sex: An alternative guide, 1. Maybe somebody should write them today. Page 1 of 1. Prefer the Saxon word to the Romance.". Never use the passive where you can use the active. In Lolita, Nabokov described the Rockies as "Heart and sky-piercing snow-veined colossi of stone." We know that Blissfulness, Petrichor, Quintessential, Serendipity are regarded as beautiful English words relating to […], Find below a list of positive terminologies in alphabetical order from A to Z. "Your style must not only be simple, but also friendly, sympathetic and natural," he said, "appropriate to one who is a servant not a master.". on List of plain English words and phrases from A to Z. on What Is The Most Beautiful Word In The English Language And Why? This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Sixty-five years ago, Her Majesty's Stationery Office published its biggest-ever bestseller. It is, however, woefully constricting to anyone hoping to write with any trace of personality. He adapted it like this: 1. There is plenty of connecting narrative around the instances where Jesus speaks, so this is better than simply presenting each quote out of context. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. It was a radical reform of the language used by bureaucrats when communicating with the public. Want an ad-free experience?Subscribe to Independent Premium. The revolution that lurked in its mild pages was not just a lexical but a social one. As for "Use words with a precise meaning", shouldn't a linguist know that few words have monolithically "precise" meanings – in dictionaries they generally have two or more approximate definitions. If you discover a picturesque Victorian phrase languishing unused – tatterdemalion, slubberdegullion, Dundreary – store it in your mental cabinet of curiosities and bring it out later. Five basic themes can be discerned from the words of Hamilton, Madison, and Jay, including federalism, checks and balances, separated powers, pluralism, and representation. How dull. He discussed the government circulars that his audience received every week: he poked fun at their grandiloquence and impenetrability, and called for a new, more user-friendly (though he probably didn't use that phrase) style of official communication. Copyright © 2020 NWC Books. In a new preface, this edition draws on an … During the Second World War, he was Senior Regional Commander for London – effectively in charge of the civil defence of the city during the Blitz and after. This part of the book reminds us that, in trying to eliminate cliché and dullness, the mid-century writers set precedents – and several rules – that have survived, rather boringly, until today. Could you write something similar about Clapham Junction underpass? The copyright on this guide belongs to Plain English Campaign. One evening in 1943, to bolster the morale of exhausted civil defenders, Gowers was asked to give a cheery talk on some bureaucratic topic (you can imagine the excitement in the hall). give way to everyday words that communicate complex information clearly. In The King's English (1906), the Fowler brothers advised: "Anyone who wishes to become a good writer should endeavour, before he allows himself to be tempted by the more showy qualities, to be direct, simple, brief, vigorous and lucid." Clear Your Thoughts and Get Better Focus while Studying Following These Steps, 45 Good Words Every Essay Writing Service Author Should Use. on How Does Economics Help With Accounting? Preface This book is in the main a reconstruction of my two previous books, Plain Words and ABC of Plain Words.
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