Klarinet Archive - Posting 000920.txt from 2000/03

From: Tony@-----.uk (Tony Pay)
Subj: Re: [kl] Omit needless syllables
Date: Tue, 28 Mar 2000 20:55:11 -0500

On Fri, 24 Mar 2000 17:39:42 -0800, wde1@-----.com said:

> Tony Pay wrote:
>
> "'Omit unnecessary words' (Strunk and White)"
>
> For the record, the instruction is "omit needless words."

Thanks, Bill. I didn't check.

Just in passing, I was persuaded a few years ago by a wise friend of
mine that the 'needless' in the instruction has to be read in both
directions: that is, as also meaning, *don't* omit *needful* words.

Sometimes we can be led into false economy in writing, and be unwilling
to repeat a word -- even when repeating that word would actually make
the sense of the passage clearer.

Example:

'We will be serious if you will be serious.'

This sort of patterning is also very poweful in music.

Anyone further interested, try this reference:

http://www.atm.damtp.cam.ac.uk/people/mem/papers/LHCE/lucidity-supplem-index.html

...also the directory one level up, namely:

http://www.atm.damtp.cam.ac.uk/people/mem/papers/LHCE/

Tony
--
_________ Tony Pay
|ony:-) 79 Southmoor Rd Tony@-----.uk
| |ay Oxford OX2 6RE www.gmn.com/artists/welcome.asp
tel/fax 01865 553339

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