Jonathan Swift on Style - Keeping It Simple

Jonathan Swift on Style - Keeping It Simple Other writers agree: that wise guy of English prose, Jonathan Swift, knew a thing or two about good style: Swifts style is, in its line, perfect; the manner is a complete expression of the matter, the terms appropriate, and the artifice concealed. It is simplicity in the true sense of the word.(Samuel Coleridge, Lecture on Style, 1818)No better style in English prose was ever written, or can be.(William Dean Howells, Preface, Gullivers Travels, 1913)Swift, the greatest writer of English prose, and the greatest man who has ever written great English prose.  (T.S. Eliot, The Varieties of Metaphysical Poetry, 1926) So when the author of Gullivers Travels and A Modest Proposal offers some free advice on writing, we probably ought to pay attention. Lets start with his famous definition of style as proper words in proper places. Short and sweet. But then, we might ask, whos to say whats proper? And just what does Swifts maxim really mean? To find out, lets return to the source. Swifts cryptic definition of style appears in the essay Letter to a Young Gentleman Lately Entered Into Holy Orders (1721). There he identifies clarity, directness, and freshness of expression as the chief qualities of a proper style: And truly, as they say a man is known by his company, so it should seem that a mans company may be known by his means of expressing himself, either in public assemblies or private conversations.It would be endless to run over the several defects of style among us. I shall therefore say nothing of the mean and paltry (which are usually attended by the fustian), much less of the slovenly or indecent. Two things I will just warn you against: the first is, the frequency of flat unnecessary epithets; and the other is, the folly of using old threadbare phrases, which will often make you go out of your way to find and apply them, are nauseous to rational hearers, and will seldom express your meaning as well as your own natural words.Although, as I have already observed, our English tongue is too little cultivated in this kingdom, yet the faults are, nine in ten, owing to affectation, and not to the want of understanding. When a mans thoughts are clear, the properest words will generally off er themselves first, and his own judgment will direct him in what order to place them so as they may be best understood. Where men err against this method, it is usually on purpose, and to show their learning, their oratory, their politeness, or their knowledge of the world. In short, that simplicity without which no human performance can arrive to any great perfection is nowhere more eminently useful than in this. Always think of your audience, Swift advises, and dont baffle them with obscure terms and hard words. Lawyers, surgeons, clergy, and especially academics should avoid using jargon when communicating with outsiders. I know not how it comes to pass, he says, that professors in most arts and sciences are generally the worst qualified to explain their meaning to those who are not of their tribe. One of the wittiest writers in the English language, Swift understood that his gift was rare: I cannot forbear warning you, in the most earnest manner, against endeavoring at wit in your sermons, because by the strictest computation it is very near a million to one that you have none; and because too many of your calling have consequently made themselves everlastingly ridiculous by attempting it. In other words, dont try to be a joker if you cant tell a joke. And at all times, keep it simple. Sound advice, right? But keeping it simple- putting proper words in proper places- is a lot harder than it sounds. As Sir Walter Scott once said, Swifts style seems so simple that one would think any child might write as he does, and yet if we try we find to our despair that it is impossible (quoted in The Cambridge History of English and American Literature).

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Quotes

'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn' Quotes Mark Twains novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885), is the famous tale of Huckleberry Finn, who journeys down the Mississippi River with an escaped slave, Jim. The wit and wisdom of Mark Twain shines through in this novel. Here are a few famous quotations from the novel: There was things which he stretched, but mainly he told the truth. The average man dont like trouble and danger. The pitifulest thing out is a mob; thats what an army isa mob; they dont fight with courage thats born in them, but with courage thats borrowed from their mass, and from their officers. But a mob without any MAN at the head of it is BENEATH pitifulness. Music is a good thing; and after all that soul-butter and hogwash I never see it freshen up things so, and sound so honest and bully. All I say is, kings is kings, and you got to make allowances. Take them all around, theyre a mighty ornery lot. Its the way theyre raised. Its lovely to live on a raft. We had the sky up there, all speckled with stars, and we used to lay on our backs and look up at them, and discuss about whether they was made or only just happened. We said there warnt no home like a raft, after all. Other places do seem so cramped up and smothery, but a raft dont. You feel mighty free and easy and comfortable on a raft. Pray for me! I reckoned if she knowed me shed take a job that was more nearer her size. But I bet she done it, just the sameshe was just that kind. She had the grit to pray for Judus if she took the notionthere warnt no back-down to her, I judge. I haint ever seen her since that time that I see her go out of that door; no, I haint ever seen her since, but I reckon Ive thought of her a many and a many a million times, and of her saying she would pray for me; and if ever Id a thought it would do any good for me to pray for HER, blamed if I wouldnt a done it or bust. Then away out in the woods I heard that kind of a sound that a ghost makes when it wants to tell about something thats on its mind and cant make itself understood, and so cant rest easy in its grave, and has to go about that way every night grieving.

Money Laundering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Money Laundering - Essay Example Money represents the lifeblood of a criminal or a terrorist organisation and it is for this reason that most countries and global institutions have an interest in detecting and preventing money laundering2. Researchers suggest that the estimated aggregate funds processed by money laundering activities from around the world range from US$ 590 billion to US$ 1.5 trillion3. However, approaches to regulation, implementation and enforcement of anti-money laundering legislation differ despite a consensus for global cooperation and affect the anti-money laundering efforts as nations try to balance regulation, cost of enforcement and rights4 . The major financial centres from around the world have presented a need for greatest vigilance and effort directed towards prevention and prosecution of those involved in money laundering because global flows of dirty money are either generated in affluent economies or flow through these centres. Thus, it makes sense to try to examine the nature, empha sis and implementation of the anti-money laundering regulation and efforts in London and the UK within a broader regional and global context involving other major financial centres from around the world. It is with the previously mentioned objectives of interest to all those with an interest in the topic of discussion that this dissertation attempts to examine critically the prevailing anti-money laundering regime in the UK. To try to examine the anti-money laundering approach in the United Kingdom from the perspectives of domestic concerns, rights, expenses incurred for enforcement and development of European and international law and regulation. To present an examination of the processes for money laundering, their evolution and the manner in which the United Kingdom anti-money laundering regime acts to effectively prevent and deter money laundering. To try to present suggestions for improvements in effectiveness of the anti-money laundering regime in the United Kingdom,

Critical Assessment of a published qualitative research article Essay

Critical Assessment of a published qualitative research article - Essay Example The realities in Morgan’s stories are uncommon because what he writes is also common for students who have little or no English background with the English language. The only difference is the style through, which they approach their realities. In the case study, it is clear that the teachers are in denial to accept the validity of the student’s realities and experiences and existence of previous learning experiences, whether home based or school based. To understand the concept of the teacher’s refusal to accept the student’s reality, the author explores the English learning experience of two Bangladeshi children who attend mainstream English lessons. The study was conducted at an inner city school because it was public and had multicultural policy settings. The first study indicated that the teachers’ approach to Abdul made him weak, in that, instead of bilingualism being beneficial to him; it became a challenge because his teacher made it difficult to accept his realities. The first study was supported by the Cummins’ theory of Common Underlying Proficiency. The second study showed that the teacher can make the student learn better if they understand and accept their realities. â€Å" It was noticed that in subsequent work an= number of changes occurred to the student’s writing† (Hammersley & Woods, 2014, 187). In the case of Mashud, he learnt bilingualism fast, because his teacher was willing to accept his reality and help him correct grammar and make the relevant changes in his composition. The study concludes with the reflections of Ms. Montgomery, where it is seen that although she does not understand the cultural diversity of the student, it does not hinder her from dealing with the realities of his student. â€Å"These doubts led Ms Montgomery to think carefully on broad issues related to cultural reproduction† (Hammersley & Woods, 2014, 188). By so doing, she achieves to hasten a

Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Networking Essay Example for Free

Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Networking Essay  « Vocabulary and Grammar – An Elementary lesson for CELTA trainees at CELT Athens What steps are part of the process of designing a syllabus? What knowledge skills do teachers need?  » The Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Networks for Language Teachers Does this look familiar To –ing or not to –ing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦that is today’s question! One of my students asked me last month why we use the –ing form for blogging, networking, computing†¦..Good question! My answer? Because technology is constantly changing and plus usually these actions are constant, happen often, plus they are amusing but can be annoying – so we use the present continuous form†¦. On Wednesday 18 January, #ELTchatters wished each other a Happy New Year and got their teeth into a very stimulating chat. As language teachers, do we find these social networking platforms and services amusing or annoying Our students are already using a wide-range of social network sites and teachers are beginning to familiarize themselves with such sites, to keep up with technology but more importantly, to discuss and exchange ideas and develop as teachers. We read and write blogs, visit forums, develop Nings and Wikis, all of which are constantly changing and being updated. The #ELTchat itself is proof of this†¦.it’s fast, furious, fun and educational! We have joined ther World of Technology, for good or for bad? By the way, did you know that if Facebook was a country, it would be the third largest country in the world!!! So in the ELT world, here are the main themes from the discussion. Advantages: * There will be more pro chatters tonight as most members are keen SN users. * #ELTCHAT is one of the major advantages of SNs for teachers. * SNs have radically changed teachers’ lives. We will never feel alone again. * Facebook has become a professionally developing site rather than just a social network. * SN has revolutionized the way we think and opened wider perspectives. * SNs are global and 24/7. * SNs should be harnessed by 21 century teachers with enthusiasm. * Use Facebook for personal contacts and Google+ for PD. * SNs are an extension of staffroom chats with links, banter and discussions. ‘Virtual staffroom†. * #ELTchat is great as it is an ‘outer of class collaboration’ discussion, as few teachers in the workplace know how to collaborate. * SNs create friends which lead to face to face meetings. * Share worksheets/mind maps for students, time-saving. * Twitter tags can inform parents’ of students’ progress. * Non-native teachers are also exposed to real language in the modern world. * SNs, like Twitter and #ELTchat are energizing! Plus, through #ElTchat, you find more people to follow! So, start following!!! Disadvantages: * All SNs are time-consuming. * Some teachers find SNs too daunting to tackle. * SNs can become addictive. They can take over your life, leaving little time for family and friends. Knowing when to stop is crucial – try to switch off! * Replication of themes from one SN to another is annoying. * Students become obsessed in finding their teachers on FB and intrude in teachers’private lives. * Privacy issues with FB AND Twitter – do not accept people you don’t know or protected accounts on Twitter. * Tweetdeck often has technical problems. Mentioned sites, platforms and services worth checking out: * http://www.edmod Secure Social Networking for Teachers * http://moodle.org/Moodle is a Course Management System (CMS), also known as a Learning Management System (LMS) or a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). It is a Free web application that educators can use to create effective online learning sites * http://www.blackboard.com/ Blackboard helps clients enrich all aspects of the education experience by engaging and assessing learners, making their daily lives more convenient and †¦ * http://www.collaborizeclassroom.com/ is a free online collaborative education platform that allows students and teachers to transcend the boundaries of their physical classroom to engage in an online collaborative  learning environment. * http://bloggerindraft.blogspot.com/2011/08/introducing-google-scribe-in-blogger.html-an aid to write your blog! * http://aplanet-project.org/ Autonomous Personal Learning Networks For Teachers * http://www.scoop.it/t/interactive-teaching-and-learningExploration of engaging learning spaces and technologies that suppo rt them. * http://www.evernote.com/ Remember everything! * http://www.diigo.com/ To collect, highlight and remember those bookmarks! The chat went on to discuss the issue of coping with lack of time and organizing information and links shared. This lead to a variety of suggestions for bookmarking and who prefers Twitter, FB, Google+. Everyone had their own opinion! A blog challenge was proposed: @esolcourses: Best method for organizing #ELTchat bookmarks! Choose one and demo! As ever, there were some great links shared: * http://t.cohttp://evasimkesyan.edublogs.org/2012/01/18/evo-digitalstorytelling4kids-and-the-tool-of-the-week//JBbayIuc * http://learningfundamentals.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Focus.jpg How to focus in times of distraction. Excellent mind map presentation! * http://cybraryman.com/facebook.html All you need to know about SN s and your students. * http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8142721/Social-networking-teachers-blame-Facebook-and-Twitter-for-pupils-poor-grades.html * http://educationland.wordpress.com/my-worksheets/http://educationland.wordpress.com/worksheets/http:/www.facebook.com/pages/Education-Land/221436857914023http:/t.co/gzX8zGIR Share worksheet and ideas! That’s the summary folks! I would like to add that I didn’t mention specific names on the summary as so many people commented on this chat, so there is something from everyone!! Thanks for another energy-boosting, informative chat! Happy Social Networking!!!

Less Could be More in Anna Karenina :: Tolstoy Anna Karenina Essays

Less Could be More in Anna Karenina    Anna Karenina was well-written, with a good plot, and valuable themes. But it fell short in each of these categories, because Tolstoy simply tried to do too much. The language was beautiful but, at times, far too descriptive. The plot was also well written, but tedious and hard to follow in many parts of the book. And the Themes were great and important, but they were many, and at times, not appropriate for this book. The book was great, but it could have said much more, and been better, if Tolstoy had said a little less.    The language in Anna Karenina was wonderful, although graphic and too descriptive in much of the book. Tolstoy was a great writer, and that is why this book is a classic. However, he should have made choices about what to emphasize, and what not to. Tolstoy had a great writing style. He used some wonderful techniques and literary devices in his writing to make is books so great. One example of this is how he often times placed characters in his books that mirrored himself, as is true with Anna Karenina. While this tool can be effective, in Anna Karenina it was mostly awkward. This character seemed to be somewhat misplaced, and unimportant. He also used a good deal of foreshadowing to give his books a more unique style. In one instance during Anna Karenina, Anna arrives at the train station to find that a man has been run-over by the train, which greatly foreshadows her own poignant suicide in part seven of the book. Tolstoy's language is compelling and fluid. He paints a clear and accurate picture in the reader's mind of all the details throughout the book. But his strength can very much be his weakness, because in trying to be so thorough and compelling, he over-analyzed and over-described many parts of the book.    The themes of this book were many. Some were well developed and appropriate to the story, but others seemed unnecessary. The books major themes were marriage and unhappiness, while the book also deals with depression, and making choices. This book follows several marriages and families, and these themes proved themselves to be very important and essential in Anna Karenina.

Ethics Scholarship Essay Essay

One ethical issue to which I became aware of while in college mainly involved cases illegal drugs, bribery, and cheating. Although there is an existing law against illegal drugs and most schools and universities are very stringent in imposing penalties for illegal activities and other things that are criminal in nature, sadly there are still some students who find ways to break those rules, especially outside the campus. While I am not the one involved in these illegal activities, I felt that I had a moral obligation because two of my classmates were involved. These classmates of mine were actually good people, but unfortunately, they ended up with the wrong company. It took place not very long ago, during a house party held by one of the rich students in the university. This certain student, whom I personally know, constantly held parties in his/her lavish house. My two classmates were not invited because the host of the party didn’t like their introvert nature. They were very shy, had very little friends, and were only interested in playing video games and the like. Nevertheless, as I have mentioned above, they were people who possessed values. The problem is they just lacked social skills. One day in class, I noticed that they were talking to a guy who was a notorious rule breaker in the university and was one of the friend of the rich person mentioned earlier. Later, I found out that they were invited to one of the parties held by the rich person and they were both very excited to go as it was their first time to have the change to mingle with a lot of people. On the night of the party, I was to see them talking to a couple of girls and boys. Although I do not wish to judge them, I was a bit confused because, as mentioned above, they were very shy and were not the type of people who would approach someone for a casual conversation. I felt happy for my two classmates but I noticed that certain things about them started to change in the succeeding months. There were instances that they were absent from class, which was something they never did, and there were also times that they were asleep during a lecture or an exam. After some time, I spoke with one of the two and found out that the reason behind their unusual behavior was because of illegal drugs. This person further revealed that they were invited to the rich student’s party on the condition that they would do the assignments of a group of people who were close to of him/her (rich student). This classmate of mine also told me that they were doing drugs because it was considered â€Å"cool† among their new circle of friends. However, the main problem was that both these classmates of mine were nearly failing a lot of their subjects due to their absences and neglect. Because I was concerned for them, I sought the help of fellow students who were also concerned and together we notified the university officials on condition of anonymity. Although it was the right thing to do, I had an ethical dilemma because as a result of my actions, my two classmates were indefinitely suspended from school and were taken to a rehabilitation facility. I was very bothered at first because in a way, I cost them a lot by revealing their secret illegal activities. But after several months, I realized that it was the only thing to do because I didn’t want their future to be ruined by drugs. Basically, this event has impacted me in such a way that I carefully choose whom I associate with. Although I have a lot of friends, I only trust people whom I am sure would not give in to negative influences and to peer-pressure from the wrong ground. It also made me more vigilant and more careful of people who are trying to be nice to me but actually have ulterior motives. On the business perspective, it made me more cautious in dealing with alleged â€Å"easy money† gimmicks and deals which are perpetrated by people who have questionable backgrounds. In short, it made me wiser and clever in terms of business dealings because now I am more aware of the capabilities of certain people who only claim to offer good deals but in truth, do not offer anything of value at all.