WHAT IS NEWSPAPER ENGLISH? ‘Car your mind of cast ~ Dr Johnson ‘The lnginge of fours i nearer the spoken word than busines la ung nom the one had, or academic guage on te othe. In fac i ‘overt the spoken Woed asi ever was fn he pas "Television an ead ave tae this happen, People ae 0 ed to ae ting thir ne fom live sanoncee, se thee Vow Irom Uno ie wees, that fey expect sombing ke the sume language from thelr ‘owpaper and ther pero. But ven tore tevnion and dio there was alway a good raeon| ‘why jours should prefer what Wiliam Wordsworth cle the com ton language of mee’ (ad, he would hve add he bad Hved today, ‘trom "The common langage For exam, you would nave o be vey pomposs josnaist before you ‘ould write at smcone was aking ery endeavour to locale a dos ‘ment You eve tht Kind of ting to yor bank manage. You wie 8 ‘ou would, "He is doing his best of ‘Bank managers writ in hat way Doase they are nw to admit that they ive lw something and Sey want to Keep ther iy, Bul Joutnaite who se veh language are only puting temseves bemesn the sory and the readers “Toe following adveriaemen i for a ytet eae for leaky root: 1s speci 35 tn foam aplieaon - combo if necesury wth any extemal etetion werk save altho problems of roof decay and Trips prevent storm ammage Italo frevents snow and rin ingress2 Newspaper Lanwoge Wir dd the comwrite not put ‘Stops the snow and rin coming i’? Becaute he needed to ge the impresion that his ens knew more ost soow aid ram thin thei curtomers di Anjene cum sce AoW SOW {ts trough «root Bu ‘snow and rain gress ferent mater, you sweat seine! spect forts “The profesional spokesperson, the white-collar worker witha stake in Ii finn the aadowner, the pol are the spells jealous of ar ‘aperise, aus guage a a stild to prowet thle partir ire, Tikes sie wich simple and tora he sam om paper wo Do l= Montaigne Poitsans may we words which sound grand but bave no acl miko tng. Exper ie oboare words abd priest sow tht al they nd (hee coleagus can undetand the point st sus (Aer alte Tee hoods depend ont) “The journalist the complete oppo His or her task isto break down the sil an to cose what her may be tying to copa. A Property deteloper who announces tate ie sense To eeonmentl ossceratins may hope to dar the grees 108s. Good aural are ot fale by such weasel talk. Tey dicard the phrase, get at wontver tewth may Ink bet and fn the words Wich sos aeuztely come Teumedite clarity, then, is the aim. Clarity, and dienes. The le hand columa below sa modest example of thesisrvrie’s language: ‘The preset docurst as been ised into eo scone The Second is derved purty fom the ‘ork of Profese Ih Bloodnack fd the author is patti to him {rb lor orto of he tee teens For the soed section | ‘end par om Profesor Job Blondaock’s work He bas gone cary ota ay eat an a “Tere is nothing weribly wrong with the se of the Ief-band vesion Buti impersonal Thies and people have things done tothe, But noes do hogs thenselves (ha Deon vied" deve, “The rghtesandexurin sys the eae ting a8 our might ave wien iL AI! the sexzentes ave people ding something in hem. Nous eve ay to verbs. (Hs close eriey ofthe tex” becomes He has apne careful thvough my txt). And the journalist els no ea 0 eid sing the Aivperon tngslae Vor when neces. He floger have £0 ptené he somoone eke, with cy referent “the present author” Tere was atime, roughly up tothe Second World War, What ie newipaper Brash? 3 For aa eplnaion of ema rma seth Glosary on page 207 ‘en soporte ware wl sgn and joss refered fo themes wSuaPtoenponden (00 Benge ao, ofcourse). The dae ae het nc abort sons forts Chater 8) Woe mera ooo many nous and not ough verbs om obi a fru bon byte Arie of Caner [sores Cate] ries 0 redras o alarming trends: the low ron GARE om in modern inking ant the kipleation of Sateprela- (ons of fe Cros ina ecuneiel a How dead thse Jone suas sound! A journals might ave rephrased writes to redress two alamiag tends, Modem thinkers, he ‘ecselpey too Hite atsation fo the Cross. And when they do write ‘hitin ie écumeriel ap, Uy intrpret i 0 many Ways Tass pe “The best deiton 1 know of the tae language of Jooraism i by kam ate In his exay On Panay Sle, waiten se the cay ‘etc entry and tll sound in hs, he ai rte «penis far o te Enpsh syle iso wt 8 ay Te Wea ean common convertion, who hd’ » HoroHg Reend a coke oF words ce nell couse wih ee, eaPaRY Ean seting nd all penta erate ped we ae to write in sch # le, sit Haz, we st ‘eal ours ‘rth tae idm of the language” It might sound cay, But it was (on the contrary, there nothiog that requires more pesto, Tis cao to act t pompous sl, fuse a word twice us Bi 38 the ehng you unto eprey fle mt cay 1 pc pon The ery treed that exact sit ves jouraliss can fall nto the same bad way of wrting unless they srt erea Tere bso sgh off about, and Ke may be caching, From4 Newpeper Lanuage the Diily Tolerant, eporting, Kenseth Clarke, the then Education Seat Far hat pop css ruc a seraics or potery woul disappear for become probity expensive wore “largely groundless ‘esing that misters woud malaain eure Tees of fnmacial sop port for eeu ad sereton in determining enane und ‘This sounds ike one of Mr Clack civ servant talking, ater thas the ran himself Bat whoever inspired miners cud mata cent level of financial ngpor vaste natural, and sac te reporter Wasa ‘toting anyone disly be coal have trandated ito something ss ‘puting such an Tenure and recretion would be geting just as mb upper fom central poserament a hey ware geting at present dont Te suport, but se bave to have i because it means » percentage, epending om how much tie counls pot in ~ so we cant $39 OME, ‘terse we waue have done) “The st stp covacde writing natrally i to puree one's copy of rds which sound "pedantic an orton” when they bave perfectly good ules in oriauy speech Here is st of some common words nd (on bracken) a peace Yersion of acs mswee respond) ke (equest equi) fern (Commence) Ry [putchase) cboose opt set Geena) od (cove teint) fed flocs) od out scr) Be fei, bin) menos (etenomte) iRehome (anv a one's residence) re (dona) e (pecs) fe beone (preste) Eve (poses lave ° (onain) rep ast hery lenge) isin ioc i, is situated in) : (repens), Was newspaper Engh? ‘spent forms par) Text take (conde) sare (appeebesd) ie (tomate ive (eit) ret (Gacoamce) ed (cor requie) ml tremner) mt (oles, eros) ad (pense) a ‘sue) we (discern, aoe) send ‘cist how (Geronste, exit, evince) sat finite) say (eemainy eat (espe tiie pert Guteipat ta (Gorm, spprie, acquaint, srtte) ty {eodenvo, tte) frm out eveatat) ue (employ, ze) wait (attend) vent (seuie) Mrs brated (olfered sontsions) ‘Ait hose words woul have dihtel Mr Borhrop Trumbull the sl sesprtan alow aationocr in George Flo's Middlemarch, who was a amateur of upsir pirat and never used poor language without flsteting Hist ‘On ye unybody py ask sald Me Trusbul, with oud and good Rinderd, though cutting saree, “AnybOSy may nerowste ‘Mapbovy may pve Ui rears an fnterogatve tra” be continue, ‘Aronoronmes cing wth his sve Tse constantly done by goed Taker, even when thy anit 20 answer is what we call 2 hue of speech spose at «high gure, a one might ay Secing someone riding Waller S20 he obsess 1 have bovght one of bis works mys — a very nie thing, 8 very Topeise postion etd Ivankoe. You wil not get any writer (0 Seaham ay Ei — be wl ot, my pion, be speci6 Newspaper Language surpased. Ihave just been reading a portion atthe sommencsment of ‘Ane of feurstars (oe It comment well" Tags aver beges With SMe Bortop Tiunbul they slap commence, bath in pave He td ine Randi 1s wroag to “ink (or as Mr Trumbull would pat it eroneous to appt) tit ur ancstrs mae 2 point of Using log Words where we Se short oes Pempontyupuet Gege Biot junta opts o ty (Gtudemarch wae pabihed Jo 187L) Bod English was always bad English ‘Me Trumbull tought of sm eagy phase shen searebeé for 9 more sigue paraphrse of 20 that "avery ice ching? becomes "x ery ‘perio putin’. Good wears do the reves of this they HO Brough ther woot and ask themselves whether they Save wien )- Tad wie ave nearly swage Haunted by the woton that Lal ond Greek words se sraner ta Suton 00 — George Orwell thing which can be pat la simpler, more diet and therefore more Forct a: Al he words i he above fst, you may have aosced, are verbs. Here aug sine tore common words aad pasts, with their Teumulss in tracks owe (rst) owt tate Ist (teat pisce —tostin) ety ol Sayin apes) ‘rooeh own wey ou lore) rest (staceed Poy femslenent Fouthiyeabost fammoniate) doubt lube 008 (eroneoas pach (distin ‘ua textomary) fefore tpi) leer (erect) Seep. tprectom) Tis (taemeten) mmole! (paradigm) ‘ine tine fter) Water went contin) fencing Gang eric) chalky ole eakreous mate) ne peton en Peavey tty ots ol) ‘sweat ‘Sho words ae We td the od ones when Hor ae bes ofall Winston Chir What i newspaper Engh? 7 People who are not usd 1 writing bain by taking what day ant to Sythe ty wo fad imporantaouadng wocds for, ae Me Trumbull SEU. Sov parent whose child wes tothe choot retary: 1 rere to inform you tat vet an inispestion Jane is prevent from ateding school toy. Wh she should have done, of couse, was 10 forget the important word sd ue the onesie hed ome into her hed nthe Best place am aa Jane iit oy an enaot come to shoo. Pardon ny Latin My ls dtr gn he short sine wor it andthe mote dbo Me one Clee in aimoet ery ce ety from Latin) ia rakes “Shari We sboldt be hnking of de elibote on re Tam mo yi ht heh ou cow an be sed wth ete as eso ogi My pos tha mos TEESLC ui pups and tht ubtte one of the. for he ae ond when te snl ord al ts meu 8 seus ms Seat ngage and «mark of be ater “Se ofthe Sng wordy is es are mee foxare,U can ik of oso on whiny jl shied any wer re 6 oe thea ep docuen, sod ae subreny o prrf, On ne Bae te eatt il codatour to sara hs Lor’ nensons hes ‘Sey mean thy lak in ns Bas Owl forme ‘But to sugges that we should alana the simple alte f bead Tes fumes en, Potion the plo Langung, Gorge Orel 5 [Never we lag word wheee ashore one wil do, and bis advice often quoted by aches of Eaglsh. Ths bas ted to Fee minuncstaning inte pst b the mils sehool of newpaper [Rita Gnctuing some whe bave writen Books for young jure) Aiko have peeve ken him to sean tht shor words are bound Be Tre thetfoup ones wheres all e aunt wos that we shoul" use Teng ones unecessarySeba Newspaper Langiage And rometines the longer wort! indeed necessary, o,f ot nese sar, at leat more expresive. For example, i would be ll 10 ple ee to porcie every time percte bs overtones which se acs, supers ied: perceive you are a we Whig” be was implying that he had done 1 of thinking bere coming to that conclusion. And, of couse, Bs erepion may ave bees wrong... None ofthis impli by se. 7 Ors point wa that Utd be foot ~ nd 208 ey ooh, Ba “To ke anther obvious example hee ae cera tines when We nee the word detrate ouldings deteriorate) But we apply the Orvel Formal, We sy Hy eoeiton got Wome My late ae aot Ins of syony, or ett epcaning, Someone wo sls sai ead intend of cane wou veo arr a «muse Tet us ao ook mre closely at some of the words in those sts: Gof Anower (respond): Respond sopgess an emotonal or physi reaction, fot jut dn Scknovledgerntnt. anol be kop fortis parpove. You fnew alter. regond oa stn. + Li fitninted Minted is 00 good a word to waste on mere lghing systems. Jsefl bough, a6 2 metaphor. (Metaphors. “Words frexpronios nich derive one Ug in ene of anor) hak the Hon Menter fr be rainating re Buy (purchase) Prchse should be never be used in news stores for up. But we migh woe i ocasoaly as t noun, ‘She let the sbop feroonad th npc, Sap (tate) Some people mistakenly thnk that ay apie only othe Spoken ‘ord and Oat vote shold always be used or the writen Word. So they wate “He stated in‘his Iter." Done fl for this Wr: Re sé in is leter' The chara atest i ie But He ae ert state er ten” 4+ Find (octe= Lote ins toca! tam, 1 should be kept where i felons, in enamerng and ral exate, You locate «sprocket on # shaft anda hou i looted in a dae, though “ha det ‘woud proBely do aswel loa eno at place, but & place ‘here 2 ns beng made 1+ Sia finite” enpe who write ite when they mean cor are Just bens sippy The person who faite 4 pease ayo! Be he ne who actualy acts 1+ Pus (place): Slpines again. Place bas is own meaning: “Find @ slace for, mpg dlberation on ie pat of the peso doing the Flacng. Se yeu do not place your fot in i, nor do you place the Inet he ez But you place a player in tea. hat it newspaper Englah? 9 Ty att, enderour): The eo longer words ate ae as nouns: ‘he team ts to maketh aterps the pli supports is ehdea = ‘our Tenn think oto reason fring eter of Ue in nv ors inte a Tne (conta) Avatar bit of exe agents argon (The house com tats four bedrooms’) Terie, Ue coma whese fbi 2 pot 10 Inake “The pison was too smal 0 cata so many prisoners eve (poses): Powe sary evr needed, But omens 14. valuale work 1 pases. — ral Johnien, Book review in {he Sindy Telegraph Te means have oo ons own ses, aot have inthe sense of ave tabi of tave been published. Pose sh ‘Show (amantrat,eshb)= Demonstrate 8 usefl n the laboratory And an air hones demoastrtes te set equpment, Bot shows i Otherwise, sow il ney alwayr dor Bat dmonsmare ie comes ‘shen wed in th sons of exer Ie by ass society” Me Major meas, which Link be does Crces open to tbat then tered ar he imal demonstrates) Sine tine ago Getty Wheneroft he Sunday Tleraph Exhibit ifr plete galleries and te the. “The majority of paloe offers. eit 2 bravery of which we shouldbe proud. Leader in Tooy “The rest of tha der wa in good ologalEagish, Evi was fo man ost bere ‘Se der: I eede more effort dice someting thn fs See would stake senso most tae, Dut cere as an xa ge tole for we when, an ony when. se, Meet fontontor): An enenaniee ore tha just mestng. I carries jst a cment of tension or sup. Keep for sch oscanions. Wait frend): Waiting oa someore ies moce mei atviy than tending on tera dient is what one does to wedlings, hans fe, thought beter jos to go 0 the. ‘Need (rege): Hardly ever ntrcangrale, Require for need is bt tern ait (De you requ tes) need bath when Tam diy, 1 ‘ute a bath ia the hous a Suing, “Tae launch of Brit's fiat Trent submarine yesterday masked the reemerence of defence at an lation soe wih the partis10. Novpaper Language split over whethe thee or four ofthe Ein vey are requie, Yorkshire Post ‘Why coped? Is" this just the vor of sighly pompous word Myles tu eCopalen was laughing atin hs Catch of lc (For move bout Niles se Chapter 2) Ure (employ) Oty employer employ. Get (recive) Each of this pai bis ts own meaning sod they sbould not be confide should nearly always be slea wi ned. (Geting and pet ne ay mse on pwc (Waste) comes something altgeter dierent if we chene ito (One docs nt ay Tn going to rscive some ep, then Tm going to recive mel On the othe hand, Wis moe Most ge han oe (Pa) oes not mean the same a Tere lt ve tt at Bot personally T nou rather use get even Where resie would be ‘gute acarate 1 would sy "Have you gt my eter” and ot ie Sorpris oday. And T would stongly advise You to do the sme, 1+ Go (proceed) Gand writers never 89 proce wie all they mead is ao, Procesions, or people n te, procred: and perhaps, sot, less formal groups af peopl. The rest of uss 0, or wk o dive for whatever. Pobiomen ging evidence tie to 8 they mee procnd tng tothe sen of he cine because gies x wate pres, and pompous judges ay to counel ‘Pease procisd™ becnse thy ae Pompous. Winsor Churchill sed to say “pray proceed” to pepe Re tras talkng 1, but be as bors in L8 1 Dic (aecease)" The twa words sce ot synonyms, Die an be wsed Siguratively (Tho ought ied on my lige), Deceawe cannot Te cuptemm among opie who are frightened (ae many of x0) of deat ed sould Be allowed them. Apa om tt, ney 1+ Wrong (erroneous): These do men dierent things, though thst insangs overlap Wong my cary 2 ssa implication fis 920 to stead but eran fat meane mistaken, People who admit tat Uhr hele ge eronsous are bing menly-moutheg { i | I | | What is newspaperBrglih? 18 ‘+ Bad (tote): Only trains ant bass tomate But seominal isa tice Gowrowing fem the would of eine, reading Anak tern Sires the ope has gong tok you, Avoid mists, ns Bet ‘He has sever found a eure fr is teminally sor attention span fd he peobubly never wil ~ Profle by Lesley White of retiing Tory MP Alan Car, i the Sway Times Mr Car's shor attention span mast ave been deeply viatog to bie fiends, but wae not atl dase The author masa’ von ally another mal borrowing too many people sid terminally ‘then they mane sonia or iotaby, the word Would eal Tos savour, which wovid bea ity. So de at's ry to Kap i alive ‘Thee few examples should be enow ta show that th lange, cas cally derived slteratives have thet pucular us. Whes waters beng ‘her on rag trols to wich they a nite, then we have ery ‘aly a mechoniel mind belies tat the so-called Azglo-Sixon ervatves should always be preered, and oaly she starched od ted il pent fal int the Letina ~ Jacques Barzun (oH hen of, But gt them oot shogether would be wo deve ous Seles ofa as eange of ieas and out ede fa great de of plese Temight be worth seg if thee & workable st of rules about when ‘o we the Latiate words and whan aot If the Laat yerson never in ‘ny cecumtances improves onthe home-gsowo version, Ten thee is no ‘question about, For example here ee many occasions wien gie dos fot men donate ut ane ob whish nate doesnot mean ete. Soy tea et do without donot, Tor the same reason, doubt ft English language would be ser ua powered sf ste loving ascertain etna approximately opt peceiste ingress vee sae egress forms part, nprebend ‘enolument paripate ‘alleen ‘oncoming remaneste Miacat oor 1 (Ordinary, everyday things are best sven ondinary, everyday aames, Call ‘ta Bouse nt residence, x meal aoa epast place not location & leer nota communion cr mse, cr of bus not coneyance, & tnn-out note disbursement stand pepper ot conden, food Rot12 Newspaper Lane What i newspaper Bagluh? 13 Cnty shy es seme than thi tof show-off argon is Bored “jargon tens wich wound perfectly a iti hse proper eovtext et Sot oew onc, whee they oe probly tagcat anyway ‘Bow acsstom your using Hig won for ie matte, — ‘Dr Johason somethin, and ac on, Grander things car support grandes names, Sich ae kal to te aliederine. The rich prints Rote etered by (ora the poor worker's hy door An dferao shot than 8 mere fics, or was befor he hacks Began overasing ‘What tick of ear emios tured Hier’ cheap, noi it tothe iar race nto bags of fu? ~ Gurdon ete about the Volswagen Beste “And abst ide ant emotions re oft aoce emphatic when the words ied for them are takes lem Lan. Terror grips more ftely “Toe introduction ofa tem fom piology into 2 midlebrow plese boot autor cas jst pretend these of the phrase asm i Taw ae O Pag Jogi (en you fopene Tyas) ae eens non sceife Ske) fs cy nay of ie find here no nate Hoglsh equivalent of the Latin horror” Medseval fen J a uJ if pin ho oyna song these Unt pes ws ete Teta tok fm nc Grey gr moe ey than Dany goed, too at ping th bins Btwn sx an | thee Toee wnt Se me sped for he enon ten atin Bo te Say Tn eva the ne Tb no AroSeon west foray 4 ree tgee eer eat eresosiena trae oliad Sys il tas res = i ‘Stotte werd tun gealon och who oth rae Dabur mete popes 0 i Tan fave to oy oy Jorma eof ate weds 0 efor the Second World War the rape was fr tems boomed om | cup toe te Gee a 139 ss Wen and chit pres thew rh tak of : ‘ett Scie anh Ie Syed wor hans i ee tnt ste poston moment sed soe th ‘Meaing in pojhology Has been most clsed and i lay meine ap by the dictonarn, Nomads weiter who want co be it the Sar ae mote sly to ake their Tanguge fom hat of commer Dictionaries offer tro main defitions of jargon (1 speed language (neal jargon, spt iegoa) and (2) sheningless chatter, a of bids {ihe earlor desis. “The two Jefintions ae not all hat eomtadtory. What makes sense 10 the spelt may ound tothe rest of us ke mere barbarous nose. So {Ps ponies to admis ‘Avoid Jargon’ Everything depends on Who 208 sae ‘The 166 turbos were slighy more apmashet tan the new 165 twos Gn the Chihern ines between Bester Nord and Marylebone. ~ Tiny Gazette epoting the ews ofthe caman of 8 os ealweay peste soup. ‘cause al jargon is more of Tess exlsive only certain peopl wil beable to undertand 1s bound vo annoy sme and please oes. “Te oalyworthwhl advie for those wo write io non-specialist joa iWon indulge in ust to show off You are suppewed to be tling "Tae diet mare hnguape ks cerpess and we know tat thing tcl 10 mc Hom this edo ule tes. "Gale sondentry det ad pilsoper) your ade someting they didat know befor, not persuading them how cave you ae, OF coune, if you etplan the jargon as you go long, thats efevent mater: an give tbe toe pice, Originally, of ours, to go ypmarke meant to offer beter oF more Sekine kn of boods which wold appest to fcber cotomers. Then market was for aaything or anyone ruperor to other things or people Tur we'e mot sure wht seme meant in he sentence above, Are {be 166 turbos beter ~ more power, say ~ or simply deter, or bot (Os ther engineering more advanot (Hey wer Beier in his sese ‘ey could of course be cheaper) The skort aster is at sparks opus wend: We must expect ito be heedlsly bandied about without {teas to its meusog Fay. Te CAP reform ithe bottom ie so far as GATT is concerned. = ‘nena journals, on BBC Radio 4 1 wi coal be suse what this chp ws taking abot, OF eure weeI ae Newspaper Langage ‘know that the Borom fine was the ist gure on a balance abet, 3 i fine co ean te sent trth f= tution, showing what was relly Tappening. Hat ican also mean the king pi or the baring poston othe ec fron and Ihave fing tha twas one oF mote tye ngs thot oor BRC man had nmin. It wasnt Because be as feng techni tha fas cues’ = 1 Haew what CAP and GATT were wut bees he wat ot Being technica. He was 2 financial journalist sng # Ensim in pon-auacl sense In shor, apotber vogue Sword witch conveys too sany things and therfore ends up conveying sot ver ch ‘The CAP refoms will hive & negatve effect on Bris fms Incomes Another BRC mn, onthe abe propane “This not jargon, bok st aanoyed me vo much tat I cou help rmenGoning it For mealy-nouted, asinine pomposty i easly outases the eae-anonee ‘We ae hoping for postive respone fom the mem- bership" he hopes hy vote ye) Tae ave some jrgon woud t be handled with cre if tall. Om the righ I offer alters select, they aze no diferent rom What most peopl ean by the words oa Ie Axjomate (rom ge and matts) Too obviow wy mention, oes rite 88 Coarse rom ren) Arostely charming Cnt (rer madi) Cold sh ‘Concept Fem phissory) ies, hig Image rom sc) Repuation Torres (rom pss ae Restonehip ‘onpatng Parameter (rom maths and Lies ‘ston Seensio Grae snemtogriphy) Station, sat of play Specrum (rom ps) Range ‘Trasmate (Wom meine) Upting The fst thee, as it happant ae fshnally ‘wrong’ ~ te specialist ‘mening isnot th are a the lay meaning. Tis barely enacts nest {ee ondear mbich ss a mean, What des ster is thst hee spe file words bave Besome frst modish then backneyed, They are 20 Songer te thio t we ech group of ineess hat is own vocabuley. We have mentioned ni manages sate agent, ci sevens in Which By ther words What nenspaper Engh? 1S ye sll kaow them, Ifyou rg thal someone “eject aking shops i Riou of grassroots monitoring ou ca ess without being tod that ‘hey work i one ofthe caring profesons nd have an “vera commit pent tothe commit’ where they wil ok and foes” a diversity of ‘Ginpatpine cous The moral higs grouse’, on the olker Rand, i pics tls Isamu tient these args, slong as we dont ‘ort nconsioaly uring tem oust.