Газетный функциональный

стиль

Ryerson University, CanadaEgerton Ryerson

Как готовят журналистов

Good journalistic English

Limit the number of ideas in each sentence

Use the active voice whenever possible

Be positive Avoid monotony Use specific words Strike out meaningless modifiers

Good journalistic English Avoid needless repetition (once is

enough, twice a feast, thrice a felony) Avoid monologophobia (a

monologophobe would rather walk down Yonge Street naked than be caught using the same word more than once in three lines of type)

Care for meanings Avoid cliches like the plague

Tight writing

Following is a list of multi-syllable words

and fat, vague or unnecessary words and

phrases accompanied by their leancounterparts.

Strike out meaningless modifiers

A great many times Often, frequently

At about 9 p.m. About 9 p.m. or At 9 p.m. A little less than AlmostA small number FewA large number of Many

Tight writing

A sufficient number of EnoughA majority of MostAdvance reservations

ReservationsAs a general rule UsuallyApproximately AboutComplete monopoly MonopolyDespite the fact that Although

Tight writing

Due to the fact that BecauseEach year AnnuallyEvery week WeeklyEvery day DailyHis proposal includes His proposal isIn the event that IfIn respect to About, onIn spite of Despite

Verbal insanity

The farm was used to produce produce The farm was used to produce produce The dump was so full its manager had torefuse more refuse The dump was so full its manager had torefuse more refuse We must polish the Polish furniture We must polish the Polish furniture

Домашнее задание:

Since there is no time like the present, hethought it was time to present the present

I did not object to the object

The insurance for the invalid was invalid

They were too close to the door to close it.

Let’s face it — English is a crazylanguage. It sometimes seems all

Englishspeakers should be committed to anasylum for the verbally insane.

There is no egg in eggplant, no ham inhamburger; neither apple nor pine inpineapple. English muffins weren’tinvented in England nor french fries inFrance. Sweetmeats are candies, whilesweetbreads, which aren’t sweet, aremeat.

Among the language’s paradoxes, we find

that quicksand can work slowly, boxing

rings are square and a guinea pig isneither from Guinea nor a pig.

And why is it that writers write but fingers

don’t fing, grocers don’t groce andhammers don’t ham?

if a vegetarian eats vegetables, whatdoes a humanitarian eat?

How can a slim chance and a fat chance

be the same, while a wise man and awise guy are opposites?

Question: Is the following sentence punctuated correctly?

"The goal of our conferences is to provide you with pertinent, useful information that will help you perform your job responsibilities more effectively and efficiently, thus enabling you to add value to your organization."

Answer: Yes, but at 34 words and 187 characters, it's a little long. Try this:

"Our conferences give you information to help you work smarter and faster, adding value to your organization."(17 words, 92 characters)