E-Primer

[Jim Venis <ujv01 -at- EAGLE -dot- NETCOM -dot- COM>]

Had trouble with our hardware last week. Hope you still find this useful:
> >
> > A Short Primer on E-Prime
> >
> > by Jim Venis
> >
> > The label "E-Prime" refers to a subset of the English language
> > that, in its strictest interpretation, excludes all forms of the verb
> > "to be."
> >
> > In the 1960s, general semanticist D. David Bourland Jr.,
> > extending earlier work by Korzybski, coined the name from the
> > following formula: E - e = E'. In words, we can state this formula
> > as: "English, minus the subset of English represented by the verb
> > 'to be,' equals E-Prime."
> >
> > (As you know, forms of "to be" include "is," "are," "were," "was,"
> > "am," "be," "become," "been," and "being." Writers using E-Prime
> > also need to watch out for combination forms--"weren't," "it's,"
> > "aren't," and so on.  Even "ain't" represents a form of "to be.")
> >
> > Why write in E-Prime?  I can tell you from experience that you
> > may not find it easy!  E-Prime helps writers to produce text that
> > readers find more clear, more vivid, and more quickly
> > understandable.  Primarily, you can think of E-Prime as a writing
> > discipline that helps to reveal hidden assumptions behind
> > statements.  Although E-Prime has stylistic effects, you shouldn't
> > think of it as a stylistic method.  Think of it as a logic method.
> >
> > Moreover, E-Prime helps us to think in terms that general
> > semanticists call "multiordinal." They hold that the discipline of
> > E-Prime helps us to recognize the nature of our environment as a
> > continuum of greys, and not as a collection of blacks and whites.
> > They hold that we can use E-Prime to overcome what they call
> > "medieval" logic--sometimes referred to as Aristotelian logic.
> >
> >
> >
> > Five Suggestions for Working in E-Prime:
> >
> > 1.  If you find it difficult to compose a sentence in E-Prime, refer to
> > the basic "silent level" experience and describe the actual event.
> >
> > Revise "This food is good." to "This food tastes good."
> >
> > 2.  Take an "is" statement at a high level of abstraction/assumption
> > and bring it down to earth.  Remove the assumptions and work
> > with what you have left.
> >
> > Revise "Joan is smart." to "Joan makes $100,000 per year."
> > Revise "Linda is helpful." to "Linda helped me."
> >
> > 3.  Replace the "is" verb with an action verb.
> >
> > Revise "David is a doctor." to "David practices medicine." Revise
> > "He is a mechanic." to "He repairs cars."
> >
> > 4.  Say what you mean.
> >
> > Revise "Is Lisa there?" to "May I speak with Lisa?"
> >
> > 5.  Change the sentence from passive to active voice.
> >
> > Revise "It was done." to "Jack did it."
> >
> > If you get truly stymied, start over.  Try writing an entirely
> > different--but more informative--E-Prime sentence or expression.
> >
> >
> >
> > Curious about general semantics?
> >
> > Most dictionaries define general semantics as a philosophy of
> > language that explores the relationship between the form of
> > language and its use, and that attempts to improve the
> > capacity to express ideas.  As an ethical movement, we also
> > can say that general semantics seeks to improve the
> > communication between human beings and their
> > environments.  The movement began with the 1933 publication
> > of "Science and Sanity" by Alfred Korzybski, a Polish engineer
> > turned linguist.
> >
> > Do not confuse general semantics with the branch of semiotics
> > called semantics.  This semantics deals with the relationship
> > between signs and symbols and their meanings.
> >
> > Not all general semanticists use E-Prime.
> >
> >
> >
> > International Society for General Semantics
> > P.O. Box 728
> > Concord, CA 94522
> >
> > 510-798-0311
> >

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
James S. (Jim) Venis                 | "I should not talk so much about myself
                                     | if there were anybody else whom I knew
"Venis" rhymes with "Dennis." MERCI! | as well. Unfortunately, I am confined
                                     | to this theme by the narrowness of my
ujv01 -at- eagle -dot- unidata -dot- com              | experience." --Henry Thoreau
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Any disclaimer you can IMAGINE applies.