No Bureaucratese
|
by: Guest |
More and more in today’s writing one sees what is known as bureaucratese, the use of obscure and pedantic vocabulary. It can be found in government, corporation, and academic reports where it appears to be to impress rather than to inform. Pick up any government report, corporation memo, or academic thesis and one will find this kind of writing.
It would appear that this kind of writing is meant more to confuse, to befuddle, and to avoid clear, concise, and precise writing. Often known as ‘gobbledygook’, it rarely does little to clarify, to illuminate, and to elucidate the writer’s thoughts. Perhaps it is not meant to.
If a writer wants to tap into the greatest readership, one must stick to the simplest word, the uncomplicated sentence, the plain paragraph, and shortest composition to get the idea, the point, or the action across. Writing for the Internet has made this design more prevalent than ever before because it is for the masses, the common reader so it must be exact, specific, and clear; readers today do not have time to decipher bureaucratese.
As always, good writing is simple and clear; if a simple word can replace an obscure word it should be used; if a simple sentence can substitute for a compound-complex sentence, then it should; if a simple paragraph can supplant a convoluted one, then it must. Wordiness and long-winded sentences and paragraphs should be avoided.
The old adage “Keep it simple, stupid” should apply to all writing.
Charles O. Goulet has a BA in history and a BEd in English literature so he writes historical novels, most based on Canadian history. He may be contacted at:
E-mail: go1c@telusplanet.net
Website: http://www.telusplanet.net/public/go1c
Blog: http://go1c.blogspot.com
About the Author
Rating: Not yet rated