Basic English had a champion within the form of John Wayne, the well-known American film3497670

Primary English had a champion in the type of John Wayne, the famous American movie star who died in 1979. He was an unlikely English teacher but he was an educated and completed man. Nevertheless, as a film star of a particular kind he couldn't afford to let too many individuals know that.

His role in the movies, the no-nonsense impartial macho man (normally a cowboy), became his role in real life too. He was the primary person I heard utilizing the phrase 'a ten-dollar word.' In his dealings with British journalists he might rarely resist the temptation to mock their accents and he pounced on any phrase he considered to be too elegant, calling it 'a ten-dollar word.'

It was a public 'face', of course. In his youth he was a student at the University of Southern California and he was undeniably a properly-read man. This all-America frontier hero could not afford to be generally known as any form of intellectual. His 'ignorant' act has significance for us as students or teachers of English: we should always avoid ten-dollar words until we're about sixty years outdated or have an airport named after us (as he has - Orange County, California).

In response to reviews, examples of phrases that might provoke him have been 'endeavor' as a substitute of 'attempt', 'gratuity' instead of 'tip', 'wherewithal' as a substitute of 'money', 'avocation' instead of 'pastime' and most English phrases with a French flavor. I did not agree with many of his political views but I think he has a point right here, particularly for students who're finding out English as their second language. We should use plain phrases if we would like people to grasp us.

Possibly John Wayne didn't understand it, however he was in settlement with the nice expert on British English, Sir Ernest Gowers, whose book 'Complete Plain Words' (1954) is considered to be the 'bible' of English phrase use. Sir Ernest wrote: 'this book is wholly concerned with... the choice and association of phrases in such a method as to get an thought as exactly as potential out of 1 thoughts into another.'

Sadly, for a lot of college students this recommendation reaches further down the value scale to what I would name five and even -dollar words. For example, the verb 'to enter' will appear in your English dictionary. But for regular conversational use we are saying 'to come in', as in 'Could I come in?' moderately than 'May I enter?' which generally simply sounds international or facetious.

Equally with 'persons' because the plural of 'individual' - it seems to be appropriate to the scholar but often it is not (except you are a policeman giving evidence). Common people say 'individuals'. Sadly for the coed, 'persons' is, after all, perfectly correct in the grammatical sense - I, you, he, she etc., phrases that the student maybe hears every day. So their confusion is understandable.

How are you going to keep away from the over-elegant use? Nicely, hearken to good English. Additionally, learn all of the entries for the phrase in your dictionary, not simply the first one. This will provide help to to seek out the true that means and it offers you a really feel for words.

There is a secret in all this for us - one that John Wayne, American, knew very well. Should you examine any language as a second or overseas language, you'll ultimately have a bigger vocabulary - and more right learn more  grammar - than many of your native-born listeners. As academics or superior foreign students we must be just like the film stars; we should not discuss 'over the heads' of our listeners.

Finally, never attempt to use words like 'obloquy' or 'interstitially' (which most likely sound quite affordable in some languages). These are hundred-greenback phrases and John Wayne would in all probability have gotten out his six-weapons if he'd heard them. And if he did, I would not have called the sheriff to save lots of you.