Learning Goals:
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We will read and understand George Orwell's essay "Politics and the English Language"
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We will understand Orwell's writing rules
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We will understand how to use rhetorical devices with skill and effectiveness in our writing
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We will understand how to identify and analyze examples of good and bad writing
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We will understand how to apply Orwell's rules to our own writing
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We will be able to use punctuation correctly and accurately
Length: 750 words minimum
Assignment: Write an essay in which you will identify and examine one kind of bad English and one kind of good English in various examples of language and speech. In one part show how the writer breaks one or more of Orwell's rules for good writing. In another part show how the writer follows one or more rules, and/or demonstrates the principles of truly graceful writing. Be specific.
In the essay you should suggest how or why the person has developed the kind of language you identify, or you may wish to speculate on how it may affect people's thinking.
Be careful to include your sources by referring to titles and speakers and/or authors of the examples you use within the text of your writing. Use assignment rules format.
Do not refer to examples of writing dealt with in class (the examples you found are acceptable), in
Orwell's essay, in Thinking through the Essay , or in Elements of Writing . Consider sources from media, or your independent study novels.
Aim for your own writing to be clear, precise, economical, vigorous and graceful. How many of Orwell's rules did you follow?
The essay requires that you choose for each paragraph a kind of good and bad English and analyze it. The following is a list of kinds of good and bad English.
1) Kinds of Good English
a) Fresh, arresting metaphors
b) Effective use of sound, rhythm, parallelism
c) Forceful, vigorous verbs
d) Clear, concrete sentences (especially expressing complex ideas)
e) Effective use of sentence variety
2) Kinds of Bad English
a) Dying metaphors
b) Verbal false limbs
c) Pretentious diction
d) Meaningless words
e) Redundancies
f) Jargon
g) Dead subjects and verbs
h) Inappropriate use of euphemism
i) Wordiness
j) Unnecessary use of the passive voice