Meet Mr Zinsser.
Mr William Zinsser is a writer and a teacher. He was a writer/editor at the New York Herald Tribune newspaper. He has taught writing at Yale University, The New School, and Columbia University.
Mr Zinsser has written 17 books. His most famous book is called On Writing Well.
It is a modern classic.
Last autumn, Mr Zinsser gave a talk at the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. It was a welcome talk for incoming international students. Mr Zinsser’s title was, “Writing English as a Second Language.” It is a very good speech, with very good advice.
I would like to share some of it with my students.
On Latin vs Anglo-Saxon: The English language is derived from two main sources. One is Latin, the florid language of ancient Rome. The other is Anglo-Saxon, the plain languages of England and northern Europe. The words derived from Latin are the enemy—they will strangle and suffocate everything you write. The Anglo-Saxon words will set you free.
On Bad Nouns: In general they are long, pompous nouns that end in -ion—like implementation and maximization and communication (five syllables long!)—or that end in -ent—like development and fulfillment. Those nouns express a vague concept or an abstract idea, not a specific action that we can picture—somebody doing something.
On Good Nouns: The good nouns are the thousands of short, simple, infinitely old Anglo-Saxon nouns that express the fundamentals of everyday life: house, home, child, chair, bread, milk, sea, sky, earth, field, grass, road … words that are in our bones, words that resonate with the oldest truths.
On Good Verbs: Your best tools are short, plain Anglo-Saxon verbs. I mean active verbs, not passive verbs. If you could write an article using only active verbs, your article would automatically have clarity and warmth and vigor…So fall in love with active verbs. They are your best friends.
Mr. Zinsser has 4 Principles of Good English. They are:
- clarity
- simplicity
- brevity
- humanity
On Clarity: If it’s not clear you might as well not write it. You might as well stay in bed.
On Simplicity: Simple is good. Most students from other countries don’t know that. When I read them a sentence that I admire, a simple sentence with short words, they think I’m joking. “Oh, Mr. Zinsser, you’re so funny,” a bright young woman from Nigeria told me. “If I wrote sentences like that, people would think I’m stupid.” Stupid like Thoreau, I want to say…or like the King James Bible…or stupid like Abraham Lincoln.
On Brevity: Short is always better than long. Short sentences are better than long sentences. Short words are better than long words. Don’t say currently if you can say now. Don’t say assistance if you can say help. Don’t say numerous if you can say many.
On Humanity: Be yourself. Never try in your writing to be someone you’re not. Your product, finally, is you. Don’t lose that person by putting on airs, trying to sound superior.
One Thought per Sentence: One maxim that my students find helpful is: One thought per sentence. Readers only process one thought at a time. So give them time to digest the first set of facts you want them to know. Then give them the next piece of information they need to know, which further explains the first fact. Be grateful for the period. Writing is so hard that all of us, once launched, tend to ramble. Instead of a period we use a comma, followed by a transitional word (and, while), and soon we have strayed into a wilderness that seems to have no road back out.
Conclusion:
- Short is better than long.
- Simple is good.
- Long Latin nouns are the enemy.
- Anglo-Saxon active verbs are your best friend.
- One thought per sentence.
Thank you, Mr Zinsser.
The complete speech is here.
William Zinsser’s website is here.
Henriot Champagne
