The Elements of Writing

Vague writing occurs in the following ways: when the writer does not really know what he is talking about, when the writer imitates other writer's styles just because they are popular and when he conceals his true opinion from the reader. Novice writers use vague writing to make what they are saying seem like a masterpiece. With the intention of sounding impressive, novice writers use pretentious language because they believe that this makes them sound knowledgeable on the topic they are writing about. Many think that they sound smarter when they use big words. The truth of the matter is that smart writers who really u... ... middle of paper ... ...adily believe them and might even be persuaded to change their opinions on the topic.

This type of writing can be achieved with the organization of the text, keeping the subject interesting, and keeping away from repetitiveness, replacing it with synonyms and adjectives. The next time there is an annoying paradox stuck in your head from a book, remember: That’s some good writing.

A creator needs a foundation to build on; in writing and style, this foundation is a combination of accuracy, consistency, clarity, and concision. Accuracy is arguably a facet of style. With their list of commonly misused words and expressions in Elements of Style, Strunk and White stress the importance of using language correctly and even identify its relationship with style. "Many of the words and expressions listed here are not so much bad English as bad style, the commonplaces of careless writing" (39). The authors do acknowledge that there is no ultimate authority who deems which words must be used over others, but their matter-of-fact tone and occasional jabs at writers who misuse certain words seem to forecast misfortunes for those who do not follow a recommended word usage.

Orwell asserted “It becomes ugly and inaccurate because our thoughts are foolish, but the slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts.” Orwell makes his point on the state of the English language by using five quotes. He stated in the article that the quotes are not the worst, but an example of the worst quality. He chose the quotes to be examples of two main concerns. The quotes showed that too many writers are indifferent to coherency. The writing is written to sound good but usually is so vague it misses the point.

These rules are the building blocks of writing and that is why a writer would be looked down upon if he or she were to break them. Therefore, when writers break rules like this, it is usually to make a point by doing so. After these concrete rules, one begins to learn rules that are a little fuzzier in their application. These are rules that should be followed but can be broken given the right circumstances or if it is done systematically. For instance, Rule 14 in Strunk and White states, “Use the active voice.” What this means is using active verbs as opposed to inactive ones to prevent boring the reader.

One of the most effective ways to improve a paper is by incorporating examples of what is being written about. Mr. Roberts makes it a point to prove the importance of such examples. If the reader does not understand a part of the paper then having it broken down with an example can easily help to dismiss any confusion. There are three types of writing; the concepts of "colored writing", "colorful writing", and "colorless writing." Paul Roberts breaks down and explains the differences of these concepts.

Both books are biased to their opinions; Williams is more instructional while Strunk and White almost sounds like a reprimand. However, both books offer up a wealth of knowledge and support. Both Williams and Strunk and White discuss the idea of clarity. Clarity is an important element of style because without it, you will have a lost or disinterested audience. Strunk and White state, “Vigorous writing is concise.

After reading both arguments, it solidifies that each article reinforces each other’s point about language. However, Gordon does not seem to come off as strong and harsh on the issue as Orwell. While the majority of the audience may feel offended of his critique, Orwell’s argument to simplify English has much credibility. Despite his heavy criticism and his authoritative tone, it is clearly evident that the excessive use of verbiage and meaningless phrases has corrupted much of modern day English. Perhaps it is necessary to take into consideration of what clearer English could achieve if applied.

Cicero in his philosophical contexts agrees with familiarity as an important factor in friendship. Both philosophers also share a common view of trust. According to Aristotle, a good and sufficient friendship requires mutual trust. On the other hand, Cicero seems to agree with Aristotle while stating that most of the people involve themselves in relationships looking for steadfastness and honesty. This implies that trust remains as the basis for the two virtue stated by Cicero.

Now most would argue that mistakes in writing are simply things such as grammar errors or typos. To an experienced writer on the other hand a mistake is so much more. A mistake is not some petty error such as those, as grammar and spelling are second nature and are easy to spot and fix. Mistakes are an experience, something that can be learned from more so than any book or lecture. They represent a human element of imperfection, that there are advantages to disadvantages.