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Murder your darlings: Difference between revisions
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*''express or implied ...'': that's it: you've covered the universe of possible statements there. | *''express or implied ...'': that's it: you've covered the universe of possible statements there. | ||
*''whether orally or in writing...'': so does that include, like, body language? arched eyebrows? | *''whether orally or in writing...'': so does that include, like, body language? arched eyebrows? | ||
*''We reserve the right to ...'' - Wait a minute: Did you just give that right away? If so, you can't reserve it. If you didn't, you've still got it, so — you know — ''shut up already''. | *''[[We reserve the right]] to ...'' - Wait a minute: Did you just give that right away? If so, you can't reserve it. If you didn't, you've still got it, so — you know — ''shut up already''. | ||
*", whether ... or otherwise," - kill it. Go on, just kill it. You'll feel so much better. | *", [[whether]] ... or otherwise," - kill it. Go on, just kill it. You'll feel so much better. | ||
*''We may, but shall not be obligated to, ...'': collapses quite happily down to “we may ...”. | *''We may, but shall not be [[obligated]] to, ...'': collapses quite happily down to “we may ...”. | ||
*And while we're on the subject of obligations, “[[obligated]]” is only a word if you have some kind of aversion to verbs: It is a {{tag|verb}}, inevitably used in the {{tag|passive}} (I am ''[[obliged]]'') that was then [[nominalisation|nominalised]] into a noun (I am subject to an ''[[obligation]]'') and then inexpertly converted back to a verb again (I am ''[[obligated]]''). There's a better, {{tag|active}}, English {{tag|verb}}: “[[must]]”. | *And while we're on the subject of obligations, “[[obligated]]” is only a word if you have some kind of aversion to verbs: It is a {{tag|verb}}, inevitably used in the {{tag|passive}} (I am ''[[obliged]]'') that was then [[nominalisation|nominalised]] into a noun (I am subject to an ''[[obligation]]'') and then inexpertly converted back to a verb again (I am ''[[obligated]]''). There's a better, {{tag|active}}, English {{tag|verb}}: “[[must]]”. | ||
*''[[Please be advised]]/[[please be aware]]/[[please note]]'': {{pleasebeadvised}} | *''[[Please be advised]]/[[please be aware]]/[[please note]]'': {{pleasebeadvised}} | ||
*''The parties agree that...'': A curiously redundant thing to write, it being an agreement and everything. Try something novel - ''don't say it''. | *''[[The parties agree that]]...'': A curiously redundant thing to write, it being an agreement and everything. Try something novel - ''don't say it''. | ||
{{c|Plain English}} | {{c|Plain English}} | ||