tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25446828.post1271786281772812015..comments2024-03-11T18:44:59.286+05:30Comments on The Limericker: Writing Styles in EnglishAnoNickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08006406744563893191noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25446828.post-2780066505231628622008-04-01T15:34:00.000+05:302008-04-01T15:34:00.000+05:30Well, in my experience 'over-use of the thesaurus'...Well, in my experience 'over-use of the thesaurus' as my teachers used to call it, just makes writing ridiculous, and if any teacher recommends it they don't deserve to be one!<BR/>That being said, while you should always keep your audience in mind, you should never bury the meaning of what you want to say in some indecipherable mass of words that are all 9 syllables long! Neither should you 'dumb down' everything you say to such an extent that it demeans you, your reader and fails to fully express what you wanted to convey!<BR/>A major source of new words to anyone's vocabulary is what they read. If everyone refrained from using words they felt others couldn't deal with then everyone would talk like a 10 year-old and we wouldn't have some of the most beautiful writing in the world.<BR/>Also the sole purpose of writing is not simply to convey a message, it is also to entertain, to inform, to educate. You cannot use a 'general rule' as to the type of language appropriate to be used in all situations. Words are a tool. They can be used to confront or console, they can imbue a piece of writing with any and every emotion, they are used to communicate everything from our innermost feelings to how to use a toaster! And as such should (based on the audience, purpose and form of the piece) be used at the author's discretion, and not governed by some unwritten rules.<BR/><BR/>Sorry for the essay, I needed to vent after a busy week at uni...<BR/><BR/>Ps. That classroom essay sounded like a pretty entertaining satire to me. Pompous language can be a VERY powerful writing tool ;)Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17510655589540332731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25446828.post-67479181966562106012008-03-28T20:04:00.000+05:302008-03-28T20:04:00.000+05:30Ok, I discovered that one cannot correctly measure...Ok, I discovered that one cannot correctly measure the number of words in any language, so I removed the "largest number of words" sentence. :)AnoNickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08006406744563893191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25446828.post-23375187670815519332008-03-28T19:50:00.000+05:302008-03-28T19:50:00.000+05:30Can I see some references where it says that Engli...Can I see some references where it says that English has the maximum (you mean largest?) number of words in any language?<BR/>I have heard many Arabs claim this about Arabic, so I have delved into it a bit, and it is notoriously hard to actually measure numbers of words in a language. I found that very counterintuitive, but there it is.<BR/><BR/>Liked the essay. There are obviously many more styles, and it's not styles that want to get things across, but the people using them, said the nitpicker.<BR/><BR/>I wish you would write like that when chatting to me (no wannas and lemmes, hooray) ;-)Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04889557506395747433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25446828.post-16490096303353793292008-03-28T18:33:00.000+05:302008-03-28T18:33:00.000+05:30Hmm...Okay I'm going to forget I'm Anne and become...Hmm...Okay I'm going to forget I'm Anne and become unbiased. I like your version of my classroom essay much more than mine. <BR/><BR/>In defence, I'd like to say that this wasn't a topic I was particularly interested in talking about. When that happens, I generally start searching for long words. Not a justification, I agree. But that's the truth.<BR/><BR/>Also, I'll tell you my teachers often told me to tone down my essays. They were incredible guides.<BR/><BR/>Frankly, I don't know what to conclude. I love my writing when it's regarding what I want to write. I don't feel that simple words satisfy my thirst for expression in such cases.Anisha Zaverihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05855175456498903848noreply@blogger.com