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    The Penguin Guide To Plain English

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    Ilias
    The document discusses proper word usage and avoiding ambiguity through precise language. It provides examples of how words like "avoid", "avert", and "preempt" are often misused when a more accurate word exists. Specifically, one should use "avert" rather than "avoid" when preventing a negative outcome. And "obviate" is a better choice than "avoid" for preventing something by prior action. The document urges discrimination in word choice to maintain subtle distinctions and clarity.

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    The Penguin Guide To Plain English

    Uploaded by

    Ilias
    21 views1 page
    The document discusses proper word usage and avoiding ambiguity through precise language. It provides examples of how words like "avoid", "avert", and "preempt" are often misused when a more accurate word exists. Specifically, one should use "avert" rather than "avoid" when preventing a negative outcome. And "obviate" is a better choice than "avoid" for preventing something by prior action. The document urges discrimination in word choice to maintain subtle distinctions and clarity.

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    The document discusses proper word usage and avoiding ambiguity through precise language. It provides examples of how words like "avoid", "avert", and "preempt" are often misused when a more accurate word exists. Specifically, one should use "avert" rather than "avoid" when preventing a negative outcome. And "obviate" is a better choice than "avoid" for preventing something by prior action. The document urges discrimination in word choice to maintain subtle distinctions and clarity.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    21 views1 page

    The Penguin Guide To Plain English

    Uploaded by

    Ilias
    The document discusses proper word usage and avoiding ambiguity through precise language. It provides examples of how words like "avoid", "avert", and "preempt" are often misused when a more accurate word exists. Specifically, one should use "avert" rather than "avoid" when preventing a negative outcome. And "obviate" is a better choice than "avoid" for preventing something by prior action. The document urges discrimination in word choice to maintain subtle distinctions and clarity.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
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    The Penguin Guide to Plain English

    The drivers quick thinking avoided a major railway disaster.


    This should read: averted a major railway disaster. To avoid something
    is to render it void, or o f no effect. It can also m ean to escape something
    or to have nothing to do w ith it. To avert is to turn away. She averted
    her eyes in em barrassment, we say. Thus it means to deflect something
    from the course it is taking and therefore to w ard off a possible devel
    opment.
    In the basic meaning of the verb avoid the overlap w ith notions o f
    preventing or averting is not sufficient to justify turning it into a verb
    virtually synonymous w ith either prevent or avert. Yet that is w hat
    has happened. This is not so m uch a question o f correctness or incorrect
    ness as of discrimination in the use of words. People w ho care for
    language will naturally not like to see subtle distinctions lost. W e may
    avoid a puddle in the road by stepping round it. W e may avoid paying
    income tax by various questionable means. But w here evasion is less an
    issue than prevention, the w ord can be used very unhappily, as in the
    following.
    We had no criticism of the cab seats, which gave enough support to avoid
    fatigue.
    As I read that, I get the image o f cab seats narrowly escaping exhaustion.
    Surely to prevent fatigue w ould be better.
    Remove each piece from the table one at a time . . . This avoids having to
    reconstruct the entire pattern.
    Here, in instructions for practising decorative decoupage, there is an
    excellent chance to use a now neglected w ord especially appropriate
    w here something is prevented by anticipatory action: This obviates
    having to reconstruct the entire pattern.
    A bad habit has lately developed o f misusing the w ord preem pt.
    Although it has a special intransitive use in the game of Bridge, it properly
    means to acquire or appropriate beforehand. Someone m ight preem pt
    a deal at an auction by putting in a high offer in advance. But one does
    not preem pt someone elses announcem ent by getting in first w ith it.
    That is to anticipate it. Nor can anyone preem pt the building o f a
    motorw ay by organizing objections to it. That is to forestall it. And
    again no one can preem pt some parallel claim ants case by accepting a
    low offer before that claim ants case comes up. That is to prejudice it.

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