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Orwell's basic rules
Learn from the best!
Article by : SpunOut.ie
George Orwell is regarded as one of the greatest writers of the 20th Century and is author of famous novels such as Animal Farm and 1984. Here are some editing tips, which are borrowed from his article “Politics and the English Language”
- Never use a long word where a short word will do. (i.e. ‘It was a great game of football’ instead of ‘It was a sensational game of exquisite football’)
- Use metaphors sparingly within an article. (i.e. 'A storm is brewing in Sligo after a T.D. refused to shake the Mayor’s hand' Better to save your metaphors for catchy headlines)
- Never use a simile (a figure of speech containing a comparison) or other figure of speech that you are used to seeing in print. (i.e. she performed the song like a dream. Never use the passive when you can use the active verb. (i.e. I phoned George=active. George was phoned by me=passive).
- Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent. (i.e. ‘ I bid the shopkeeper adieu after buying a bottle of H20')
