Lesilie Alexander Hill was born in 1918 in Greece and educated at Cambridge University. In this lesson he has pointed out the rules and regulations to be observed in sharpening one’s writing skills. He has given valuable tips regarding the secret of successful writing.
In the essay, “Principles of Good Writing”, L.A. Hill tells us the principles that we should follow if we want to write well-how to think clearly and logically, how to increase vocabulary and expression, how to find subjects for writing, how to make them interesting and what to avoid in writing. If we want to write well we must think clearly and logically. To develop it we should practice thinking about a subject and follow it step by step. We should practice it repeatedly. For example, if we think about the freedom of a man, we shall find that his freedom is limited first to what is possible, then to what is legal. His freedom is limited so because he cannot fly to Mars; that is impossible, and he must not kill his neighbour, as that is illegal. Repeated practice of this sort on various topics will improve our availability to think clearly and logically. To increase our vocabulary or stock of words and expressions, we should read widely and carefully. We should note down the interesting and useful expressions and know their meanings with the help of a dictionary.
One can learn writing by writing only. So one should write without waiting for any inspiration. Good writing depends more upon hard labour and less upon inspiration. How to find subject matters to write on? If we carefully observe things around us we shall find many interesting things to write about. We should read our newspapers, books and magazines carefully, and note down the striking things and ideas that we come across. If we develop a warm understanding of human joys and sorrows, we shall find many interesting things to write about in every ordinary incidents of life. To be a good writer, it is not enough to find out interesting subjects. One has to write about them in an interesting way. To write interestingly, one has to select what kind of readers he wants to write for. Then one can find out what kind of subjects interests them. If we read woman’s magazine we shall find what subject interests them, and we find subjects that interests young people from magazines meant for young people like sports magazines. Moreover, we must remember that subjects that concern us at present interest us more. A writer should thus select subjects that are of present interest and that are interesting to the kind of readers that he aims at. The subjects that we choose must be ones that we know very well. Only then, we can write on them with authority and conviction.
While writing on the chosen subject we should write in a systematic way. In the first paragraph, for example, we should state clearly, what we are going to write about and why. In the middle, we should present the ideas and arguments in support of it. We should write only the relevant things and avoid the irrelevant. In the last paragraph, we should summarize leading to a neat and clear end of what we have been talking about earlier. However, the reader will not find interest in our writing unless we ourselves are intensely interested in it. In our writing, we must try to convey the feeling that we ourselves are deeply interested in the subject, and our own interest will infect the reader as it were. However, while doing so, we must not force upon them our own personal problems, which have no importance to the readers in general.
The writer trying to write well must not try to tell the reader the obvious things. If a subject is of importance, it should be discussed seriously. The reader knows that. He does not need to be told so in many words. One should avoid abstract words and expressions as far as practicable. One should instead use the concrete words and expressions. So one should avoid euphemism, which is used to hide unpleasant things in pleasant language, for example, special treatment to mean savage torture.
A writer must follow the same style consistently. We must not mix up the formal and the slang expressions in the same piece of writing. It is absurd if we write, “I have had no alternative but to give it the thumbs-down.” The expression “I have had no alternative but to give” is a formal piece of expression, whereas the expression, “to give it the thumbs-down”, is a very colloquial or slang expression. The mixture is very ridiculous. If we do not at times find the right word or expression, we should use the expression that comes to us for the time being or leave the space blank to be filled up later. Later we may think and find out a better expression otherwise our flow of thoughts may be interrupted. After the writing is over, we must read it over again critically. We can replace words and expressions that we find weak or vague with better ones.
If we following these rules we can be master in writing. So that it is advised to all the students must concentrate the skill, which is very essential to your career growth.
1. Verbiage = the manner in which something is expressed in words / technical speech or writing.
2. Rhetorical = the art or study of using language effectively and persuasively.
3. Metaphorical = A figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily designates one thing is used to designate another, thus making an implicit comparison.
4. Legalese = The specialized vocabulary of the legal profession, especially when considered to be complex or abstruse.
5. Sarcastic = Expressing or marked by sarcasm
6. Euphemistic = the act or an example of substituting a mild, indirect, or vague term for one considered harsh, blunt, or offensive
7. Poetic = Having a quality or style characteristic of poetry
8. Figurative = Containing many figures of speech; ornate.
Antonyms
Abstract X concrete
Elaborate X simple
Relevant X unimportant
Natural X artificial
Eager X uninterested
Synonyms
Arbitrary = dictatorial/masterful willful
Paradoxical = contradictory
Vivid = visual / pictorial
Genuine = real/ right
Frequent = periodic/ frequent
Matching
Charge = complaint against someone about something
Serve = supplies of food and other things
Sincere = honest
Pleased = happy
Worse = very bad
Bush = a plant with many small branches
Project = a carefully planned piece of work
Provisions = work
Bruises = injury caused by being hit by something
Rear = back
In the essay, “Principles of Good Writing”, L.A. Hill tells us the principles that we should follow if we want to write well-how to think clearly and logically, how to increase vocabulary and expression, how to find subjects for writing, how to make them interesting and what to avoid in writing. If we want to write well we must think clearly and logically. To develop it we should practice thinking about a subject and follow it step by step. We should practice it repeatedly. For example, if we think about the freedom of a man, we shall find that his freedom is limited first to what is possible, then to what is legal. His freedom is limited so because he cannot fly to Mars; that is impossible, and he must not kill his neighbour, as that is illegal. Repeated practice of this sort on various topics will improve our availability to think clearly and logically. To increase our vocabulary or stock of words and expressions, we should read widely and carefully. We should note down the interesting and useful expressions and know their meanings with the help of a dictionary.
One can learn writing by writing only. So one should write without waiting for any inspiration. Good writing depends more upon hard labour and less upon inspiration. How to find subject matters to write on? If we carefully observe things around us we shall find many interesting things to write about. We should read our newspapers, books and magazines carefully, and note down the striking things and ideas that we come across. If we develop a warm understanding of human joys and sorrows, we shall find many interesting things to write about in every ordinary incidents of life. To be a good writer, it is not enough to find out interesting subjects. One has to write about them in an interesting way. To write interestingly, one has to select what kind of readers he wants to write for. Then one can find out what kind of subjects interests them. If we read woman’s magazine we shall find what subject interests them, and we find subjects that interests young people from magazines meant for young people like sports magazines. Moreover, we must remember that subjects that concern us at present interest us more. A writer should thus select subjects that are of present interest and that are interesting to the kind of readers that he aims at. The subjects that we choose must be ones that we know very well. Only then, we can write on them with authority and conviction.
While writing on the chosen subject we should write in a systematic way. In the first paragraph, for example, we should state clearly, what we are going to write about and why. In the middle, we should present the ideas and arguments in support of it. We should write only the relevant things and avoid the irrelevant. In the last paragraph, we should summarize leading to a neat and clear end of what we have been talking about earlier. However, the reader will not find interest in our writing unless we ourselves are intensely interested in it. In our writing, we must try to convey the feeling that we ourselves are deeply interested in the subject, and our own interest will infect the reader as it were. However, while doing so, we must not force upon them our own personal problems, which have no importance to the readers in general.
The writer trying to write well must not try to tell the reader the obvious things. If a subject is of importance, it should be discussed seriously. The reader knows that. He does not need to be told so in many words. One should avoid abstract words and expressions as far as practicable. One should instead use the concrete words and expressions. So one should avoid euphemism, which is used to hide unpleasant things in pleasant language, for example, special treatment to mean savage torture.
A writer must follow the same style consistently. We must not mix up the formal and the slang expressions in the same piece of writing. It is absurd if we write, “I have had no alternative but to give it the thumbs-down.” The expression “I have had no alternative but to give” is a formal piece of expression, whereas the expression, “to give it the thumbs-down”, is a very colloquial or slang expression. The mixture is very ridiculous. If we do not at times find the right word or expression, we should use the expression that comes to us for the time being or leave the space blank to be filled up later. Later we may think and find out a better expression otherwise our flow of thoughts may be interrupted. After the writing is over, we must read it over again critically. We can replace words and expressions that we find weak or vague with better ones.
If we following these rules we can be master in writing. So that it is advised to all the students must concentrate the skill, which is very essential to your career growth.
1. Verbiage = the manner in which something is expressed in words / technical speech or writing.
2. Rhetorical = the art or study of using language effectively and persuasively.
3. Metaphorical = A figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily designates one thing is used to designate another, thus making an implicit comparison.
4. Legalese = The specialized vocabulary of the legal profession, especially when considered to be complex or abstruse.
5. Sarcastic = Expressing or marked by sarcasm
6. Euphemistic = the act or an example of substituting a mild, indirect, or vague term for one considered harsh, blunt, or offensive
7. Poetic = Having a quality or style characteristic of poetry
8. Figurative = Containing many figures of speech; ornate.
Antonyms
Abstract X concrete
Elaborate X simple
Relevant X unimportant
Natural X artificial
Eager X uninterested
Synonyms
Arbitrary = dictatorial/masterful willful
Paradoxical = contradictory
Vivid = visual / pictorial
Genuine = real/ right
Frequent = periodic/ frequent
Matching
Charge = complaint against someone about something
Serve = supplies of food and other things
Sincere = honest
Pleased = happy
Worse = very bad
Bush = a plant with many small branches
Project = a carefully planned piece of work
Provisions = work
Bruises = injury caused by being hit by something
Rear = back
No comments:
Post a Comment