Appropriate Words Stay away from jargon Jargon is
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Appropriate Words
Stay away from jargon. • Jargon is specialized language used among members of a trade, pro fession, or group. Use jargon only when readers will be familiar with it; even then, use it only when plain English will not do as well. JARGON We outsourced the work to a firm in Ohio because we didn't have the bandwidth to tackle it in house. REVISED We hired a company in Ohio because we had too few employees to do the work. Hacker and Sommers
Choose an appropriate level of formality. • For most college and professional writing, some degree of formal ityis appropriate. In a job application letter, for example, it is a mis taketo sound too breezy and informal. TOO INFORMAL I'd like to get that sales job you've got in the paper. MORE FORMAL I would like to apply for the position of sales associate advertised in the South Jersey Press. Hacker and Sommers
Avoid sexist language. • Sexist language is language that stereotypes, excludes, or demeans women or men. Using nonsexist language is a matter of courtesy, of respect for and sensitivity to the feelings of others. INAPPROPRIATE chairman congressman fireman foreman mailman to mankind manpower policeman weatherman Hacker and Sommers APPROPRIATE chairperson, moderator, chair, head member of Congress, representative firefighter supervisor mail carrier, postal worker to operate, to staff people, humans, humankind personnel, staff police officer forecaster, meteorologist
Avoid sexist language. • When revising sexist language, you may be tempted to substitute he or she and his or her. These terms are inclusive but wordy. They are fine in small doses, but they can become awkward when repeated throughout an essay. • A better revision strategy is to write in the plural. Another strategy is to recast the sentence so that the problem does not arise. SEXIST ACCEPTABLE BUT WORDY BETTER: USING THE PLURAL A journalist is motivated by his deadline. A journalist is motivated by his or her deadline. Journalists are motivated by their deadlines. Hacker and Sommers
Avoid pretentious language. • Hoping to sound profound or poetic, some writers embroider their thoughts with large words and flowery phrases. Such pretentious language is so ornate and wordy that it obscures the writer's meaning. PRETENTIOUS Taylor's employment of multihued means of expression draws back the curtains and lets slip the sentimental vantage point from which she observes American society as well as her lack of comprehension economic realities. REVISED Taylor's use of colorful language reveals that she has a sentimental view of American society and does not understand economic realities. Hacker and Sommers
Avoid euphemisms. • Most euphemisms, however, are needlessly evasive or even deceit ful. Like pretentious language, they obscure the intended meaning. EUPHEMISM PLAIN ENGLISH correctional facility prison adult entertainment pornography preowned automobile used car economically deprived poor revenue enhancers taxes chemical dependency drug addiction downsize lay off, fire Hacker and Sommers
Avoid doublespeak. • “Political language – and with variations this is true of all political parties, from Conservatives to Anarchists – is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind. ” George Orwell (from his essay, “Politics and the English Language”) Bramer and Sedley 1984
Avoid doublespeak. DOUBLESPEAK behavior adjustment unit nervous wetness form persuader vertical transportation corps terminal living strategic withdrawal terminate with extreme prejudice enhanced interrogation techniques protective reaction strike incontinent ordinance aerodynamic personnel decelerator combat emplacement evacuator Bramer and Sedley PLAIN ENGLISH solitary confinement sweat girdle elevator operators dying retreat or defeat execute torture bombing bombs that fall on schools, etc. parachute shovel
Works Cited Bramer, George R. and Dorothy Sedley. “The Problems of Doublespeak. ” Writing for Readers. Charles E. Merrill, 1981. Hacker, Diana and Nancy Sommers. “Appropriate language. ” A Writer’s Reference. 7 th ed. , Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2011. 1984. 2018. Google Images, https: //www. google. com/search. Accessed 17 April 2018.
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