Short and Clear Writing

In the beginning of part two, the author sets down two principles; writing should be short and clear and it should be comfortable. In some areas such as engineering and other sciences this is hard to obtain. This industry is one of complex ideas and in-depth analysis. Can an industry that has complexity as an inherent value be reported in a clear and comfortable way? Many other industries and fields can more easily cut the jargon and gobbledygook. Overall, evaluating writing by those two criteria should create better writing.

In Stuart Chase's section on Gobbledygook he shows many examples of problems in language and how they can be cleaned up. I think the best way to characterize this is "over verbalized" language. I think in an academic setting many are trying to prove they are smart and have abilities. Students use so many big and complicated words in order to impress their professors and peers. I think it hides the true value of the work. There may be a flaw in the logic and argument but it may be hard to find if the work is full of gobbledygook. Eliminating gobbledygook allows the true value of the work to show.



William Zinsser's four articles of faith are ideals that should be kept in mind when writing anything, not just pieces for a job. The first one, clarity, is what Chase was aiming for in the Gobbledygook section and the next two, simplicity and brevity, go together. You can't have one without the other. The last one, humanity, goes along with knowing the audience. Realizing their humanity and comprehension allows the reader or listener to get the point with quickness and clarity.