Using-Appropriate-Language

UsingAppropriateLanguageSomepatientsdecidetobagcounselingbecausetheirshrinksseemstrungout.Somepatientsdecidetoabandoncounselingbecausetheirtherapistsseemdisturbed.RevisingnonstandarddialectSoutherners:reckon(think,suppose)PeopleinMaineinvitetheirBostonfriendstocomedownratherthanup(north)tovisit.NewYorkersstandonratherthaninlineforamovie.UsingregionalismsonlywhenappropriateSlang:Manystudentsstartoutprettytogetherbutthengetweird.Revised:Manystudentsstartoutwithcleargoalsbutthenlosetheirdirection.UsingslangonlywhenappropriateMixeddiction:AccordingtoaNativeAmericanmyth,theGreatCreatorhadadoghangingaroundwithhimwhenhecreatedtheearth.Revised:AccordingtoaNativeAmericanmyth,theGreatCreatorwasaccompaniedbyadogwhenhecreatedtheearth.UsingcolloquiallanguageonlywhenappropriateObsoletewordsormeanings:nolongerusedatall.E.g.enwheel(“toencircle”),cote(“topass”)Archaicwordsormeanings:occurnowonlyinspecialcontextssuchapoetry.E.g.fast(“near”,asinfastbytheroad),belike(“perhaps”)Bothobsoleteandarchaicwordsareinappropriateinnonfictionwritingforanacademicaudience.RevisingobsoleteorarchaicwordsandneologismsNeologisms:wordscreated(orcoined)sorecentlythattheyhavenotcomeintoestablisheduse.E.g.prequelpre-“before”quelendingofsequel(amovieorbookthattakesthestoryofanexistingmovieorbookbackintime)Someneologismsdobecomeacceptedaspartofourgeneralvocabularye.g.motelmotor+hotelButmostneologismspassquicklyfromthelanguage.Unlesssuchwordsserveaspecialpurposeinyourwritingandaresuretobeunderstoodbyyourreaders,youshouldavoidthem.Chemists:esters酯类,phosphatides磷脂Goegraphersandmapmakers:isobars等压线,isotherms等温线Literarycritics:motifs（文艺作品等的）主题,subtexts潜台词Whenyouarewritingfornonspecialists,avoidunnecessarytechnicaltermsandcarefullydefinetermsyoumustuse.UsingtechnicalwordswithcareAkindofeuphamismthatdeliberatelyevadesthetruthisdoubletalk(alsocalleddoublespeakorweaselwords):languageintendedtoconfuseortobemisunderstood.Todaydoubletalkisunfortunatelycommoninpoliticsandadvertising.e.g.Therevenueenhancementisreallyatax.Thebiodegradablebagsmaylastdecades.RevisingindirectorpretentiouswritingEuphemismandsometimesdoubletalkseemtokeepcompanywithfancywriting.Anywritingthatismoreelaboratethanitssubjectrequireswillsoundpretentious—thatis,excessivelyshowy.Pretentious:Toperpetuateourendeavorofprovidingfundsforourelderlycitizensaswedoatthepresentmoment,wewillfacetheexigencyofenhancedcontributionsfromallourcitizens.Revised:WecannotcontinuetofundSocialSecurityandMedicarefortheelderlyunlessweraisetaxes.Revisingsexistandotherbiasedlanguage1.Avoidingstereotypesofrace,ethnicity,religion,ageandothercharacteristicsAstereotypeisageneralizationbasedonpoorevidence,akindofformulaforunderstandingandjudgingpeoplesimplybecauseoftheirmembershipinagroup.E.g.Menareuncommunicative.Womenareemotional.Liberalswanttoraisetaxes.Conservativesareaffluent.Stereotype:Elderlydriversshouldhavetheirlicenseslimitedtodaytimedriving.Revised:Driverswithimpairednightvisionshouldhavetheirlicenseslimitedtodaytimedriving.Stereotype:Theadministratorsaretooblindtoseetheneedforanewgymnasium.Revised:Theadministratorsdonotunderstandtheneedforanewgymnasium.AvoiddemeaningandpatronizinglanguageSexist:Dr.KeithKimandLydiaHawkinswrotethearticle.Revised:Dr.KeithKimandDr.LydiaHawkinswrotethearticle.Revised:KeithKimandLydiaHawkinswrotethearticle.2.AvoidsexistlanguageSexist:Ladiesareenteringformerlymaleoccupations.Revised:Womenareenteringformerlymaleoccupations.Sexist:Intheannualofficepicture,thephotographeraskedthementostandbehindthegirls.Revised:Intheannualofficepicture,thephotographeraskedthementostandbehindthewomen.AvoidoccupationalorsocialstereotypesSexist:Theconsideratedoctorcommendsanursewhensheprovideshispatientswithgoodcare.Revised:Theconsideratedoctorcommendsanursewhoprovidesgoodcareforpatients.Sexist:MothersconcernedaboutthepossibilityofReyessyndromeshouldavoidgivingaspirintotheirsickchildren.Revised:ParentsconcernedaboutthepossibilityofReyessyndromeshouldavoidgivingaspirintotheirsickchildren.AvoidreferringneedlesslytogenderSexist:MarieCurie,awomanchemist,discoveredradium.Revised:MarieCurie,achemist,discoveredradium.Sexist:Thepatientsweretendedbyamalenurse.Revised:Thepatientsweretendedbyanurse.Avoidusingmanorwordscontainingmantorefertoallhumanbeingsbusinessmanbusinesspersonchairmanchair,chairpersoncongressmanrepresentativeinCongress,legislatorcraftsmancraftsperson,artisanlaymanlaypersonmankindhumankind,humanity,humanbeings,peoplepolicemanpoliceofficersalesmansalesperson,salesrepresentativeSexist:Manhasnotreachedthelimitsofsocialjustices.Revised:Humankind[orHumanity]hasnotreachedthelimitsofsocialjustice.Sexist:Thefurnitureconsistsofmanmadedmaterials.Revised:Thefurnitureconsistsofsyntheticmaterials.Avoidthegeneriche,themalepronounusedtorefertobothgendersSexist:Thenewbornchildexploreshisworld.Revised:Thenewbornchildrenexploretheirworld.Revised:Thenewbornchildexplorestheworld.Revised:Thenewbornchildexploreshisorherworld.Avoidlabelsthat(intentionallyornot)disparagethepersonorgroupyourefer