(How to synthesis information)
Reading and Viewing.
“Young people’s leisure activities have changed in many ways from the past.”
Comment on this statement.In your response,you must support your views by referring to Texts 4 and 5 as well as your own experiences and observations.
Text 4
Leisure Pursuits of Today's Young Man; Forsaking TV for Online Games and Wanton Web Sites
By JOHN SCHWARTZ
Published: March 29, 2004
Note to the television networks: Pete Brandel is not missing. He's right here, but like a lot of other 20-something men he's just not watching as much TV.
Mr. Brandel, a 24-year-old real estate agent in Chicago, says that these days he looks to the Internet for news and entertainment. Television, he says, is bogged down by commercials and teasers that waste his time.
''I'll go to the Comedy Central Web site and download David Chappelle clips rather than wait to see them on TV,'' he said.
The television industry was shaken last October when the ratings from Nielsen Media Research showed that a huge part of a highly prized slice of the American population was watching less television. As the fall TV season began, viewership among men from 18 to 34 fell 12 percent compared with the year before, Nielsen reported. And for the youngest group of adult men, those 18 to 24, the decline was a steeper 20 percent.
In a world where fortunes are made and lost over the evanescent jitterings of fractions of audience share, the Nielsen announcement was the equivalent of a nuclear strike, a smallpox outbreak and a bad hair day all rolled into one.
But those who track the uses of technology say that the underlying shift in viewership made perfect sense. The so-called missing men might be more aptly called the missing guys, and they are doing what guys do: playing games, obsessing over sports and girls, and hanging out with buddies -- often online.
And the evidence is accumulating that the behavior of guys like Mr. Brandel is changing faster than once thought. The rapid expansion of high-speed Internet access lets the computer become the video jukebox that Mr. Brandel uses to watch comedy clips. The seemingly inexhaustible appetite for computer games, DVD players, music and video file-sharing -- and, yes, online pornography -- all contribute to the trend, these experts say. While no one activity is enough to account for the drop that Nielsen reported, all of them together create a vast cloud of diversion that has drawn men inexorably away from television.
A spokesman for Nielsen Media Research cautioned against reading too profound a societal shift into the ratings slide. Jack Loftus, the vice president for communications, took a gentle view of the ratings data, saying that the total loss of average viewership, spread out across the entire population of men 18 to 34, translated to a reduction of ''about four-and-a-half minutes'' a person each night, which he characterized as ''a bathroom break.'' The amount of viewing time lost, he said, has not narrowed since October.
That is understandable, experts say, given that nearly 75 percent of males 18 to 34 have Internet access, according to the latest figures from comScore Media Metrix, making them the most wired segment of the population. By comparison, 57 percent of men from 35 to 44 are online, comScore found in research for the Online Publishers Association, which is releasing the results today.
Between the allure of high-speed Internet services, computer games and other activities, ''you begin to have the ability to get entertained and distracted in a million ways, and not just television,'' said Rishad Tobaccowala, an executive with the Starcom MediaVest Group, a company that advises advertisers on where to put their money.
Incompatible survey methods make it impossible to say that a rise in one kind of activity corresponds precisely to a drop in another. But study after study show that those in the age range of the ''missing guys'' are devoting much more of their time and attention to interactions that take them away from passive activities like watching sit-coms and even popular reality TV shows like ''The Apprentice'' and ''American Idol.''
David F. Poltrack, executive vice president for research at CBS, says that the trend of young men watching somewhat less television is clear, but that the Nielsen numbers still do not add up. The effect ''should have been seen gradually over time,'' he said, not ''all of a sudden.''
Changes in Nielsen methodology, he said, are responsible for ''roughly half of that drop.'' He also predicted that television viewing would stabilize since young men were mavens of multitasking and tended to keep the television set on while using the computer, and that it could head upward again with new episodes of shows like ''The Sopranos,'' which attract a male audience.
When they are online, young men gravitate toward places frequented by other young men. Everyone goes to the most popular sites, like Google and Yahoo, but there are realms where the guy demographic is more heavily represented. They are 36 percent more likely to spend time at Web sites devoted to computer games than the general Internet population, and nearly 50 percent more likely to visit sports sites.
The missing men ''represent the most active Internet users by far, viewing more pages and spending more time online than any other age group,'' said Michael Zimbalist, president of the Online Publishers Association. ''There is no doubt that the Web has become the dominant medium in their lives.''
Other distractions abound. Men in that age group are also gadget fans, with nearly 48 percent more owning video game consoles than the rest of Internet users and nearly 17 percent owning digital music players like the Apple iPod.
ComScore also collects data on Internet pornography-viewing habits, although that was not part of the online publishers' report. According to the company, more than 70 percent of men from 18 to 34 visit a pornographic site in a typical month, and those men make up 25 percent of the visitors to such sites. They are 39 percent more likely than the rest of the Internet population to visit the sites, said Graham Mudd, an analyst for comScore.
''It's a high number,'' Mr. Mudd said, ''but it won't shock anyone who's worked in the industry.''
Text 5
Hot in Pursuit
Reading and Viewing.
“Young people’s leisure activities have changed in many ways from the past.”
Comment on this statement.In your response,you must support your views by referring to Texts 4 and 5 as well as your own experiences and observations.
Text 4
Leisure Pursuits of Today's Young Man; Forsaking TV for Online Games and Wanton Web Sites
By JOHN SCHWARTZ
Published: March 29, 2004
Note to the television networks: Pete Brandel is not missing. He's right here, but like a lot of other 20-something men he's just not watching as much TV.
Mr. Brandel, a 24-year-old real estate agent in Chicago, says that these days he looks to the Internet for news and entertainment. Television, he says, is bogged down by commercials and teasers that waste his time.
''I'll go to the Comedy Central Web site and download David Chappelle clips rather than wait to see them on TV,'' he said.
The television industry was shaken last October when the ratings from Nielsen Media Research showed that a huge part of a highly prized slice of the American population was watching less television. As the fall TV season began, viewership among men from 18 to 34 fell 12 percent compared with the year before, Nielsen reported. And for the youngest group of adult men, those 18 to 24, the decline was a steeper 20 percent.
In a world where fortunes are made and lost over the evanescent jitterings of fractions of audience share, the Nielsen announcement was the equivalent of a nuclear strike, a smallpox outbreak and a bad hair day all rolled into one.
But those who track the uses of technology say that the underlying shift in viewership made perfect sense. The so-called missing men might be more aptly called the missing guys, and they are doing what guys do: playing games, obsessing over sports and girls, and hanging out with buddies -- often online.
And the evidence is accumulating that the behavior of guys like Mr. Brandel is changing faster than once thought. The rapid expansion of high-speed Internet access lets the computer become the video jukebox that Mr. Brandel uses to watch comedy clips. The seemingly inexhaustible appetite for computer games, DVD players, music and video file-sharing -- and, yes, online pornography -- all contribute to the trend, these experts say. While no one activity is enough to account for the drop that Nielsen reported, all of them together create a vast cloud of diversion that has drawn men inexorably away from television.
A spokesman for Nielsen Media Research cautioned against reading too profound a societal shift into the ratings slide. Jack Loftus, the vice president for communications, took a gentle view of the ratings data, saying that the total loss of average viewership, spread out across the entire population of men 18 to 34, translated to a reduction of ''about four-and-a-half minutes'' a person each night, which he characterized as ''a bathroom break.'' The amount of viewing time lost, he said, has not narrowed since October.
That is understandable, experts say, given that nearly 75 percent of males 18 to 34 have Internet access, according to the latest figures from comScore Media Metrix, making them the most wired segment of the population. By comparison, 57 percent of men from 35 to 44 are online, comScore found in research for the Online Publishers Association, which is releasing the results today.
Between the allure of high-speed Internet services, computer games and other activities, ''you begin to have the ability to get entertained and distracted in a million ways, and not just television,'' said Rishad Tobaccowala, an executive with the Starcom MediaVest Group, a company that advises advertisers on where to put their money.
Incompatible survey methods make it impossible to say that a rise in one kind of activity corresponds precisely to a drop in another. But study after study show that those in the age range of the ''missing guys'' are devoting much more of their time and attention to interactions that take them away from passive activities like watching sit-coms and even popular reality TV shows like ''The Apprentice'' and ''American Idol.''
David F. Poltrack, executive vice president for research at CBS, says that the trend of young men watching somewhat less television is clear, but that the Nielsen numbers still do not add up. The effect ''should have been seen gradually over time,'' he said, not ''all of a sudden.''
Changes in Nielsen methodology, he said, are responsible for ''roughly half of that drop.'' He also predicted that television viewing would stabilize since young men were mavens of multitasking and tended to keep the television set on while using the computer, and that it could head upward again with new episodes of shows like ''The Sopranos,'' which attract a male audience.
When they are online, young men gravitate toward places frequented by other young men. Everyone goes to the most popular sites, like Google and Yahoo, but there are realms where the guy demographic is more heavily represented. They are 36 percent more likely to spend time at Web sites devoted to computer games than the general Internet population, and nearly 50 percent more likely to visit sports sites.
The missing men ''represent the most active Internet users by far, viewing more pages and spending more time online than any other age group,'' said Michael Zimbalist, president of the Online Publishers Association. ''There is no doubt that the Web has become the dominant medium in their lives.''
Other distractions abound. Men in that age group are also gadget fans, with nearly 48 percent more owning video game consoles than the rest of Internet users and nearly 17 percent owning digital music players like the Apple iPod.
ComScore also collects data on Internet pornography-viewing habits, although that was not part of the online publishers' report. According to the company, more than 70 percent of men from 18 to 34 visit a pornographic site in a typical month, and those men make up 25 percent of the visitors to such sites. They are 39 percent more likely than the rest of the Internet population to visit the sites, said Graham Mudd, an analyst for comScore.
''It's a high number,'' Mr. Mudd said, ''but it won't shock anyone who's worked in the industry.''
Text 5
Hot in Pursuit
What is the message in this picture about the entertainment
of youths?
of youths?
Sample synthesis
Introduction -2 /3 general statements stating your main opinion on the issue.
Body paragraph –Comments /analyses/critique/explain with support by referring to quotations from texts 4 and 5.
Conclusion-1/2 sentences to summarize main opinion.
Good answers are well structured,distilling the essence of the two texts equally as well as clearly expressing an opinion.Reference has to be made to the central ideas of the two texts.The synthesis should provide substantial evidence and explanation.Quotations from texts are integrated using appropriate conventions.Answer shows clear understanding of the main ideas of the texts.
Underline and highlight the sentences,phrases that you would like to make references to.
The activities carried out by young people during leisure time has changed significantly over the years.This is evident especially with the advancement in technology as well as the differences between past and present expectations of society.
Youths in the past spent time on physical activities such as swimming and playing sports.Nowadays,however youths spend their time chatting with friends online as stated in Text 4 by John Schwartz “ they are doing what guys do: playing games, obsessing over sports and girls, and hanging out with buddies -- often online.” Social networking sites like Friendster and Facebook have diverted youths from the traditional networks of socializing such as at football fields or malls to a cheaper mode of interaction and entertainment.Whereas in the 1960s and 70s,the favoured leisure pursuit of youths was listening to the radio and watching television
which as mentioned in Text 4 are “passive activities”,the present generation prefer a more interactive medium of entertainment with 3 dimensional graphics and real time simultaneous connectivity.This increase in dependency on technologically sound gadgets has resulted in a dramatic decrease in participation in physical activity and a rising incidence of obesity in youths.
Another disadvantage of youths being lured away from the popular past time of watching television is there is less and less social interaction between family members.
Youths in the past used to spend time watching their favourite tv shows or soap operas with their family in the living room and this lead to strengthening the bonds between family members as they could chit chat and share their opinions about the tv shows but with the shift to the use of the internet ,youths are increasingly alienated from pursuing common activities with their family members.This breakdown in communication between family members is portrayed in Text 5 entitled “Hot in Pursuit”which depicts two siblings totally engrossed in playing video games on the playstation consoles.The aim of defeating the opponent in a game may possibly increase hostility between siblings and intensify sibling rivalry as such games promote competitiveness and aggression rather than co-operation.
The writer in Text 4 is exaggerating the powerful influence of the Internet as he fears that it may overtake watching television as the preferred leisure activity of youths.He claimed in text 4 that “Nielsen Media Research showed that a huge part of a highly prized slice of the American population was watching less television”
He backs up his claim by quoting research statistics which stated that “youngest group of adult men, those 18 to 24, the decline was a steeper 20 percent. “
Besides he speculated that the reason for the fall in the popularity of television is due to the frequent interruptions of commercials,that waste time.However it can be argued that it’s a misconception as there are also constant distractions of advertisements put up by Adware over the internet which is more irritating especially when the site is hijacked by unwanted commercials promoting everything under the sun from creams to hotels.
The reliability of the statistics collected by Nielsen media research is to be doubted as the tone of the writer of Text 4 uses a lot of hyperbole to debunk the validity of the figures as seen in the lines “where fortunes are made and lost over the evanescent jitterings of fractions of audience share, the Nielsen announcement was the equivalent of a nuclear strike, a smallpox outbreak and a bad hair day”.
Today with the open communication system of the Internet,youths are able to access pornographic sites.As mentioned in Text 4, “more than 70 percent of men from 18 to 34 visit a pornographic site in a typical month”.While in the past,parents were more aware of what their children did and had better supervision of them,today’s parents are anxious about the threats posed by the internet and mobile phone .Generally parents are unaware of their children’s social life and how they spend their free time.
Overall,the way today’s young people spend their free time is poles apart from the youths of yesterday did.However,care should be taken to realize that it’s not necessarily better today.
Sample answer
Read the article "Are you man enough?"by a university undergraduate that portrays a certain image of masculinity.The advertisement also appears to convey a message.
Write a response expressing your views on the written text and the visual text.Justify your views by referring to the article and the images and where appropriate,your own reading and viewing.
Examiner's comments
This student is able to interpret the subtext of the article and the advertisement.He/She is able to use subject specific words and give rebuttal to the ideas expressed using examples from her /his own experience/observation.He/She is able to understand key cultural attitude and beliefs in the texts.This is a critically analyzed answer with evidence of independent thinking.The student engages with the text through astute generalizations,concrete examples from his/her own cultural worldview.This student can differentiate between literal and connotative terms as well as critique common stereotypes.
The advertisement shown in Text 7 is the product of male gender stereotype,which has a term of its own,known as "hegemonic masculinity."The advertisement by the ATARI 7800 video game console,gives us the implied meaning that men,in particular teenagers with raging hormones,are always hot tempered and like to cause violence to show off their strength.This is because it was mentioned that the boys targeted loved "to destroy cities," break heads" and so on.On the other hand,the advertisement in Text 8 by a body building association,implies that women only favour strong men and strong men are those who have tough,bulging muscles with equally huge egos.In my opinion,although times have changed,this message of masculinity will continue to exist in mainstream society,especially among teenagers and young adults.Although the way the message is implied might have changed,it will still carry the same idea;that is a man is considered a real "man" or "macho" only if he oozes with masculinity.This situation has to change as masculinity cannot be solely measured by a man's physical attributes as there are various other positive attributes a man might possess.
The article in Text 9 claims that often our deeds are measured in terms of whether they are masculine or feminine enough.This is very true as this culture or mindset has been prevalent in society throughout the years.For instance, aboy who loves to cook and sew might be taunted by his peers as he may be looked upon as a "sissy" or"effeminate" male,although there are numerous male tailors and chefs all over the world.Similarly, a girl who plays football might be considered strange,although there are various female soccer national teams which participated in international tournaments like the Women World Cup.
Secondly,the writer mentions in the article that men should ditch this culture of hegemonic masculinity and start forming a new perception of masculinity.Again,I agree with this point of view as if we want a change,we should spark and embrace change.For instance,when a person decides that he wants to become a classical dancer such as Marvin Khoo,we should support the person and not discourage him.This is because strength, a feature attributed to male masculinity is not only reflected in body building,weight lifting and so on.A classical dancer too needs strength when he carries out difficult movements during his dance,such as jumping,bending his body into difficult ,awkward postures and so on.
Another point which I would like to agree with the writer is a man who is confident of his own masculinity will willingly accept others with non stereotypical instances of masculinity such as mentioned in the text about boys who're into dancing and sewing.This is because when a person refuses to follow a stereotype,he has to come to terms with his own personality through a successful introspective soul searching.Therefore he understands and does not fear those different from him.
In conclusion,men must no longer fall victim to hegemonic masculinity and like the character in the advertisement should not look down on themselves because of their skinny bodies.Instead they should be proud of who they are and accept other men who have different personalities and move towards forming a more positive image of masculinity.
Reference words and transition linkers are of a different colour.
Write a response expressing your views on the written text and the visual text.Justify your views by referring to the article and the images and where appropriate,your own reading and viewing.
Examiner's comments
This student is able to interpret the subtext of the article and the advertisement.He/She is able to use subject specific words and give rebuttal to the ideas expressed using examples from her /his own experience/observation.He/She is able to understand key cultural attitude and beliefs in the texts.This is a critically analyzed answer with evidence of independent thinking.The student engages with the text through astute generalizations,concrete examples from his/her own cultural worldview.This student can differentiate between literal and connotative terms as well as critique common stereotypes.
The advertisement shown in Text 7 is the product of male gender stereotype,which has a term of its own,known as "hegemonic masculinity."The advertisement by the ATARI 7800 video game console,gives us the implied meaning that men,in particular teenagers with raging hormones,are always hot tempered and like to cause violence to show off their strength.This is because it was mentioned that the boys targeted loved "to destroy cities," break heads" and so on.On the other hand,the advertisement in Text 8 by a body building association,implies that women only favour strong men and strong men are those who have tough,bulging muscles with equally huge egos.In my opinion,although times have changed,this message of masculinity will continue to exist in mainstream society,especially among teenagers and young adults.Although the way the message is implied might have changed,it will still carry the same idea;that is a man is considered a real "man" or "macho" only if he oozes with masculinity.This situation has to change as masculinity cannot be solely measured by a man's physical attributes as there are various other positive attributes a man might possess.
The article in Text 9 claims that often our deeds are measured in terms of whether they are masculine or feminine enough.This is very true as this culture or mindset has been prevalent in society throughout the years.For instance, aboy who loves to cook and sew might be taunted by his peers as he may be looked upon as a "sissy" or"effeminate" male,although there are numerous male tailors and chefs all over the world.Similarly, a girl who plays football might be considered strange,although there are various female soccer national teams which participated in international tournaments like the Women World Cup.
Secondly,the writer mentions in the article that men should ditch this culture of hegemonic masculinity and start forming a new perception of masculinity.Again,I agree with this point of view as if we want a change,we should spark and embrace change.For instance,when a person decides that he wants to become a classical dancer such as Marvin Khoo,we should support the person and not discourage him.This is because strength, a feature attributed to male masculinity is not only reflected in body building,weight lifting and so on.A classical dancer too needs strength when he carries out difficult movements during his dance,such as jumping,bending his body into difficult ,awkward postures and so on.
Another point which I would like to agree with the writer is a man who is confident of his own masculinity will willingly accept others with non stereotypical instances of masculinity such as mentioned in the text about boys who're into dancing and sewing.This is because when a person refuses to follow a stereotype,he has to come to terms with his own personality through a successful introspective soul searching.Therefore he understands and does not fear those different from him.
In conclusion,men must no longer fall victim to hegemonic masculinity and like the character in the advertisement should not look down on themselves because of their skinny bodies.Instead they should be proud of who they are and accept other men who have different personalities and move towards forming a more positive image of masculinity.
Reference words and transition linkers are of a different colour.
Language empowerment:
Language EmpowermentThe use of clichés or stock phrases in writing
Cliché is a Phrase that is used excessively and has become a bit meaningless and even irritating.
SAMPLE CLICHES:
• Always look on the bright sight of life
• To be or not to be
• Live and learn
• Live and let live
• C'est la vie
• Que sera, sera
• What goes around comes around
• Don't worry, be happy!
The seven most overused journalistic clichés
• 1. At the end of the day
• 2. Split second
• 3. About face
• 4. Unsung heroes
• 5. Outpouring of support
• 6. Last-ditch effort
• 7. Concerned residents
• A phrase that has been overused to the point where it loses any wit or descriptive merit it may once have had. Tabloid newspapers are a rich source of clichés and should be… avoided like the plague!
• (Yes, that was a sneaky cliché.)
• How do you spot a cliché in your own writing though? Or check that your carefully crafted phrase isn’t actually flogging a dead horse? Well here’s a nifty web-site called ‘Cliché Finder’ that allows you to check if you’re about to use a cliché. Of course there are no absolutes here.
POLITICS and THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
By George Orwell
Modern English,especially written English is full of bad habits which spread by imitation and which can be avoided if one is willing to take the necessary trouble.
What makes bad English?
1. staleness of imagery
2.lack of precision
-the writer has a meaning and cannot express it
-he accidentally says something else
-he is almost indifferent as to whether his words mean anything or not
Prose consists less and less of words chosen for the sake of meaning and more and more of phrases tacked together like the sections of a prefabricated hen-house.(clichés and stock phrases)
Dying Metaphors
Worn our metaphors fail to evoke vivid ,visual imagery
Eg: toe the line , stand shoulder to shoulder with, play into the hands of
Operators or verbal false limbs
Save the trouble of picking out appropriate verbs and nouns
Pad each sentence with extra syllables which give an appearance of symmetry
Eg: make contact with ,give rise to,have the effect of ,serve the purpose of,play a leading part(role)in,exhibit a tendency to
These “ verbal false limbs” eliminates simple verbs.
Instead of being a single word such as break,stop,spoil,mend,kill,a verb becomes a phrase,made up of a noun or adjective tacked on to some general purposes verb such as prove,serve,form,play,render
The passive voice is used instead of the active
Noun constructions are used instead of gerunds(by examination of instead of by examining)
The range of verbs is further cut down by means of the –ize and de-formations
Dehumanize,deconstruct,vocalize,neutralize,decentralize
Banal statements given an appearance of profundity be means of the not un-formation.(avoid double negatives)
Not uncommon, not unacceptable,not unusual
Simple conjunctions and prepositions are replaced by phrases like
With respect to,having regard to,the fact that,in view of,in the interests of
End of sentences are saved from anticlimax by such resounding commonplaces like
Greatly to be desired,cannot be left out of account,deserving of serious consideration,brought to a satisfactory conclusion
Pretentious Diction (Pompous,bombastic vocabulary)
To dress up simple statements and give an air of scientific impartiality to biased judgments.
Eg. Phenomenon ,virtual , primary , constitute , exhibit , utilize , eliminate, objective ,element
Adjectives to dignify the sordid processes of international politics
Eg. Epoch-making, epic ,historic ,triumphant, age-old ,inevitable
Writing that aims at glorifying war takes on an archaic colour.
Eg. Realm ,throne , banner ,clarion ,shield ,sword
Foreign words and expressions are used to give an air of culture and elegance
Eg. Cul de sac ,status quo, savoir-faire ,faux pax,zeitgeist,kismet
The normal way of coining a new word is to use a Latin or Greek root with the appropriate affix and where necessary the –ize formation.
It is easier to make up words (deregionalize,impermissible,extra-marital..)than to think up the English words that will cover one’s meaning.
Meaningless Words (Glittering glitterati, empty weasel words)
Eg. Plastic,human,sentimental,natural,vitality,values
Many political words are similarly abused.
Eg. Democracy,socialism,freedom,patriotic,justice,realistic
In the case of a word like democracy,not only is there no agreed definition,but the attempt to make one is resisted from all sides.It is almost universally felt that when we call a country democratic we are praising it;consequently the defenders of every kind of regime claim that it is a democracy,and fear that they might have to stop using the word if it were tied down to any one meaning.
Words of this kind are often used in a consciously dishonest way.That is,the person who uses them has his own private definition,but allows his hearer to think he means something quite different.
Other words used in variable meanings,,in most cases more or less dishonestly,are: class,science,progressive,equality,totalitarian
Modern writing at its worst does not consist in picking out words for the sake of their meaning and inventing images in order to make the meaning clearer.
It consists in gumming together long strips of words which have already been set in order by someone else,and making the results presentable by sheer humbug.It is easier-even quicker,once you have the habit to say”In my opinion it is a not unjustifiable assumption that “than to say “I think”
By using stale metaphors,similes and idioms,you save much mental effort,at the cost of leaving your meaning vague,not only for your reader but for yourself.
A scrupulous writer,in every sentence that he writes,will ask himself at least four questions,thus:
What am I trying to say?
What words will express it?
What idiom or image will make it clearer?
Is this image fresh enough to have an effect?
Could I put it more shortly?
Have I said anything that is avoidably ugly?
Political language has to consist largely of euphemism,question-begging and sheer cloudy vagueness.
Defenceless villages are bombarded from the air,the inhabitants driven out into the countryside,the huts set on fire with incendiary bullets-this is called pacification
Millions of peasants are robbed of their farms and sent trudging along the roads with no more than they can carry:this is called transfer of population
People are imprisoned for years without trial,or shot in the back of the neck or sent to die of scurvy in Artic lumber camps:this is called elimination of unreliable elements.
Such phraseology is needed if one wants to name things without calling up mental pictures of them.The inflated style is itself a kind of euphemism.
“In my humble opinion,that’s a social disclaimer” By James Valentine (ABC)
Social disclaimers are the phrases you use when you know that what follows is insulting (John Mulhall)
A social disclaimer always says the exact opposite of what is meant and is always followed by “but”.
“With all due respect” is never followed by “your views were most sound and I see now how specious my argument truly is.”
“With all due respect” is a clear indication that you have scant respect for this person and itb is your onerous duty to now explain your view again in terms the village idiot can follow.
Emma was straight in with “I don’t mean to be rude but..”
Puneet has found “Don’t take this personally,” to be useful,particularly,when he wants to say something quite personal.
“Don’t take this personally but that dress on you sucks/you smell like rotten fish
“I don’t mean to pry” but I simply have to
“I don’t usually gossip,”but I’m sure going to now.
“I don’t want to judge”but let me get my wig and gavel.
Positive disclaimer
Yes,I take your point but let’s get back to my point which unlike your point is actually interesting and relevant.
“I hear what you are saying.” Then the speaker goes on to hammer his point yet again showing along the way he didn’t hear a thing the other person said.
“We make no apology” .It always means there’s something coming that they ought to be apologizing for.
By George Orwell
Modern English,especially written English is full of bad habits which spread by imitation and which can be avoided if one is willing to take the necessary trouble.
What makes bad English?
1. staleness of imagery
2.lack of precision
-the writer has a meaning and cannot express it
-he accidentally says something else
-he is almost indifferent as to whether his words mean anything or not
Prose consists less and less of words chosen for the sake of meaning and more and more of phrases tacked together like the sections of a prefabricated hen-house.(clichés and stock phrases)
Dying Metaphors
Worn our metaphors fail to evoke vivid ,visual imagery
Eg: toe the line , stand shoulder to shoulder with, play into the hands of
Operators or verbal false limbs
Save the trouble of picking out appropriate verbs and nouns
Pad each sentence with extra syllables which give an appearance of symmetry
Eg: make contact with ,give rise to,have the effect of ,serve the purpose of,play a leading part(role)in,exhibit a tendency to
These “ verbal false limbs” eliminates simple verbs.
Instead of being a single word such as break,stop,spoil,mend,kill,a verb becomes a phrase,made up of a noun or adjective tacked on to some general purposes verb such as prove,serve,form,play,render
The passive voice is used instead of the active
Noun constructions are used instead of gerunds(by examination of instead of by examining)
The range of verbs is further cut down by means of the –ize and de-formations
Dehumanize,deconstruct,vocalize,neutralize,decentralize
Banal statements given an appearance of profundity be means of the not un-formation.(avoid double negatives)
Not uncommon, not unacceptable,not unusual
Simple conjunctions and prepositions are replaced by phrases like
With respect to,having regard to,the fact that,in view of,in the interests of
End of sentences are saved from anticlimax by such resounding commonplaces like
Greatly to be desired,cannot be left out of account,deserving of serious consideration,brought to a satisfactory conclusion
Pretentious Diction (Pompous,bombastic vocabulary)
To dress up simple statements and give an air of scientific impartiality to biased judgments.
Eg. Phenomenon ,virtual , primary , constitute , exhibit , utilize , eliminate, objective ,element
Adjectives to dignify the sordid processes of international politics
Eg. Epoch-making, epic ,historic ,triumphant, age-old ,inevitable
Writing that aims at glorifying war takes on an archaic colour.
Eg. Realm ,throne , banner ,clarion ,shield ,sword
Foreign words and expressions are used to give an air of culture and elegance
Eg. Cul de sac ,status quo, savoir-faire ,faux pax,zeitgeist,kismet
The normal way of coining a new word is to use a Latin or Greek root with the appropriate affix and where necessary the –ize formation.
It is easier to make up words (deregionalize,impermissible,extra-marital..)than to think up the English words that will cover one’s meaning.
Meaningless Words (Glittering glitterati, empty weasel words)
Eg. Plastic,human,sentimental,natural,vitality,values
Many political words are similarly abused.
Eg. Democracy,socialism,freedom,patriotic,justice,realistic
In the case of a word like democracy,not only is there no agreed definition,but the attempt to make one is resisted from all sides.It is almost universally felt that when we call a country democratic we are praising it;consequently the defenders of every kind of regime claim that it is a democracy,and fear that they might have to stop using the word if it were tied down to any one meaning.
Words of this kind are often used in a consciously dishonest way.That is,the person who uses them has his own private definition,but allows his hearer to think he means something quite different.
Other words used in variable meanings,,in most cases more or less dishonestly,are: class,science,progressive,equality,totalitarian
Modern writing at its worst does not consist in picking out words for the sake of their meaning and inventing images in order to make the meaning clearer.
It consists in gumming together long strips of words which have already been set in order by someone else,and making the results presentable by sheer humbug.It is easier-even quicker,once you have the habit to say”In my opinion it is a not unjustifiable assumption that “than to say “I think”
By using stale metaphors,similes and idioms,you save much mental effort,at the cost of leaving your meaning vague,not only for your reader but for yourself.
A scrupulous writer,in every sentence that he writes,will ask himself at least four questions,thus:
What am I trying to say?
What words will express it?
What idiom or image will make it clearer?
Is this image fresh enough to have an effect?
Could I put it more shortly?
Have I said anything that is avoidably ugly?
Political language has to consist largely of euphemism,question-begging and sheer cloudy vagueness.
Defenceless villages are bombarded from the air,the inhabitants driven out into the countryside,the huts set on fire with incendiary bullets-this is called pacification
Millions of peasants are robbed of their farms and sent trudging along the roads with no more than they can carry:this is called transfer of population
People are imprisoned for years without trial,or shot in the back of the neck or sent to die of scurvy in Artic lumber camps:this is called elimination of unreliable elements.
Such phraseology is needed if one wants to name things without calling up mental pictures of them.The inflated style is itself a kind of euphemism.
“In my humble opinion,that’s a social disclaimer” By James Valentine (ABC)
Social disclaimers are the phrases you use when you know that what follows is insulting (John Mulhall)
A social disclaimer always says the exact opposite of what is meant and is always followed by “but”.
“With all due respect” is never followed by “your views were most sound and I see now how specious my argument truly is.”
“With all due respect” is a clear indication that you have scant respect for this person and itb is your onerous duty to now explain your view again in terms the village idiot can follow.
Emma was straight in with “I don’t mean to be rude but..”
Puneet has found “Don’t take this personally,” to be useful,particularly,when he wants to say something quite personal.
“Don’t take this personally but that dress on you sucks/you smell like rotten fish
“I don’t mean to pry” but I simply have to
“I don’t usually gossip,”but I’m sure going to now.
“I don’t want to judge”but let me get my wig and gavel.
Positive disclaimer
Yes,I take your point but let’s get back to my point which unlike your point is actually interesting and relevant.
“I hear what you are saying.” Then the speaker goes on to hammer his point yet again showing along the way he didn’t hear a thing the other person said.
“We make no apology” .It always means there’s something coming that they ought to be apologizing for.
