George Orwell’s observations on effective writing are as relevant now as they were when he made them in 1946. You can find plenty of criticism about them on the internet and in other essays, but those who criticise generally miss the point of what Orwell was pointing out – that to be effective writing has to be from the point of view of the reader rather than the writer.
Anyway – here they are:
• Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
• Never use a long word where a short one will do.
• If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
• Never use the passive where you can use the active.
• Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
• Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.
Let me know what you think.l