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Plain English: Difference between revisions
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{{a|plainenglish|}}Here is a resource about plain English. About [[parts of speech]]; about how a [[mediocre lawyer]] can turn the [[active]] [[passive]]; make a simple [[preposition]] into a [[Compound preposition|compound one]] in the blink of an eye. About how to [[Nominalisation|nominalise]] [[verb|verbs]] - or should I say, how to ''subject [[verb|verbs]] to [[nominalisation]]''. About how to ornament a perfectly sensible [[conjunction]] into a dense [[conjunctival phrase]]. | {{a|plainenglish|}}Here is a resource about plain English. About [[parts of speech]]; about how a [[mediocre lawyer]] can turn the [[active]] [[passive]]; make a simple [[preposition]] into a [[Compound preposition|compound one]] in the blink of an eye. About how to [[Nominalisation|nominalise]] [[verb|verbs]] - or should I say, how to ''subject [[verb|verbs]] to [[nominalisation]]''. About how to ornament a perfectly sensible [[conjunction]] into a dense [[conjunctival phrase]]. | ||
As I have grown older and, frankly, tired of waiting for it, I have come to disbelieve the [[efficient language hypothesis]] to which those who appeal to [[plain English]] subscribe. It will not arrive by itself; it will not evolve; it is not an unstable aberration waiting on some tipping point to correct itself. It is systemic. It is a function of how lawyers train, organise and evaluate themselves. The systemic forces encouraging prolixity are psychological, instinctive and visceral; they outweigh the intricate silken constructions our rational selves conjure in the air. They are the elephant to our logical rider. If we are to fix this, we need to come from a different place. | As I have grown older and, frankly, tired of waiting for it, I have come to disbelieve the [[efficient language hypothesis]] to which those who appeal to [[plain English]] subscribe. It will not arrive by itself; it will not evolve; it is not an unstable aberration waiting on some tipping point to correct itself. It is systemic. It is a function of how lawyers train, organise and evaluate themselves. The systemic forces encouraging prolixity are psychological, instinctive and visceral; they outweigh the intricate silken constructions our rational selves conjure in the air. They are the elephant to our logical rider. If we are to fix this, we need to come from a different place. We are trying that with the [[semantic code project]]. Nothing ventured; nothing gained. | ||
Some intellectual impostures, then: | |||
*[[Plain English - Why|Why]]- Why should I write in plain English? | *[[Plain English - Why|Why]]- Why should I write in plain English? | ||
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*[[Plain English - How|How]] - Ok, so how do I do this? | *[[Plain English - How|How]] - Ok, so how do I do this? | ||
*[[Plain English - Details|Details]] - Any specific examples? | *[[Plain English - Details|Details]] - Any specific examples? | ||