szara0r4 ur cookle poy has changed Review our skies pofevlr mare details ad a change your cookie pofrone, Byconenungto browse his sa ou are agroing our use of cases. Wiring: Taling seneo| The Econemist Ea Siete ecb ne SUBSCRIBE zal Stratec in planning and execution. TTT BUOY GREAT. ne PUREE Woridpoltics Susiness & trance Economics Sclence & technology Guu Blogs Debsle Multimedia Pant eation Writing Talking sense Apsycholinguist invites writers to improve their prose by getting into readers’ minds ‘Sep 812014] From the printadison Tweet (35 @inciper, ive 25) ‘The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person's Guide to Writing inthe 1st Century. By ‘Steven Pinker. Viking: 359 pages; $27.95. Allon Lane; £20. Buy from Amazon, com, ‘Amazon.co.uk ‘STEVEN PINKER’S career bogan with language in mine—partoulay inthe minds of Chilren, Since then, he has become a celebrated (and sometimes controversial) public ‘explorer f human nature and the reasons violence has declined, With “The Sense of Siyle* he retums to his first ove, language and thought Mi Pinker wants to help writes get inside their readers’ minds. ‘The single biggest cause of bad writing, he says, “the curse ‘of knowledge", Children have an impossible time imagining that others do not know the things they know, and adults only parialy grow out ofthis. Bad writers dwell on irelevant details, or make logical connections that are logical only to In thie eection How tof a broken system Avitofa mess ‘he unlucky contin them Bod coton Me Pinker steers writers towards @ “classic style, in which the Asin star itor clearly points out things that may have escaped the Correction reader's notice, but which anyone can understand with patient raga ‘guidance. Classic style uses concrete words in straightforward sentences easly parsed by man's limited brain, Bad wrting, exempitied by academese, bureaucratese and bewildering gadget manuals, does the opposite. ‘Sentences are long, fled with abstract words, and make sense only to thase who already know mast ofthe information. (Nr Pinker admits that he struggles daily with papers in his own academic fel.) Related topics Grammar Culture ana style anquage and ingustios ‘Steen Pinker Why, psychologically, is bad writng bad? Working memory, which holds syntactic Constructions in mind untl they are complete, is easily overwhelmed. Mr Pinker uses ‘memorable (and often funny) examples to show exactly what kid of sentences tax the mind. For example, violating expectations, such as upsetting chronological order, makes the reader do extra work. (When financial oumalists say that an equity fell to $76 from $110, they invte confusion.) And the much-derided passive voice can make a passage flow more ‘smoothly by preserving the deal order of ald information, then new, comment i Print mal Repents& permissions mae te The Canada Summit 2014 Confronting the Big Questions December 3rd | Toronto, Canada Advertisement SAVE 10% ‘whn you regisor by November ath with cade IECBACIO Pratinum penser AIMIA Sve sponsor @ hips oconomist.con/newsibooks-and-as/21615476-peychalinguis-Inles-witers-improwe-thr-prose-getng readers src=scnfbywtalingsonse M4szara0r4 Wiring: Taling seneo| The Econemist Inthe last this ofthe book Mr Pinker trades his lab coat fora blue pencil, wading into the Recent Activity battles over usage. As a Ingust he isa “descritvst’,beleving that the mass of speakers, Why doce liberal iceland want o ban online not a minority of experts, make the ules. Many so-called rules are superstitions that good POrMOOTSe Td writers routinely ignore, Readers should feel ree to spi infatves, end sentences wth areposiions, use than’ folowed by an accusative Ike “him’, or come home from work and BBs yre sorority cst? tel ther spouses “Honey's me. M Pinker even offers an elegant defence of the despised voy une 4 gure milon ander andes Bute also takes a tun as prescrpivst”(or stele), ponng to rules that raaders realy Wy are The Economist's writers anonymous? ‘should master for formal writina Sama hava a Innic in tha nrammar like tha carract use of 1098 people recommend thle “whom”. Some ar Next in Books and arts X Jsted), but na ia sea onan fare nonetheless ¢ ong rican slavery usages just anno: yeey cat scientists, but he ‘Good writing is ne pe of Follow The Economist eiting is tke the show: "The mess Je humour From the print edition Sep 6th 2074 accompanies Mr ‘operatically rate usage guides thal disparage those who disagree as idiots or barbarians. Mr Pinker explains eloquently not just what odo, but also why. Latest updates » Airport security Joking asise Ee a Ho Cet ou 2 go View al comments (4) By Justice in Ferguson: Allhnel may break loose Denveray Ara | our 8 More from Te Economist ke 29] ‘The Economist! 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