Yak the Younger’s new English Curriculumadvocates significant reduction in use of the verb “to be” – correctly identifying overuse of this particular verb as one of the hallmarks of weak writing.
I happen to like this facet of the curriculum. My ninth-grade English teacher waged a personal war on the offending verb, banning it from all compositions and imposing a 1/3 grade reduction for each time The-Verb-We-Must-Not-Name appeared in an assigned writing project.With the exception of one deliberate (andadmittedly defiant) useage, I managed to completely avoid use of “to be” in writing assignments for an entire year. A year in which my writing improved remarkably, in large part due to the additional effort required to avoid use of words appearing on the “banned terms list” the teacher handed out on the first day of class.
Despite the intervening years I still remember that banned word list and (believe it or not) still hear that teacher’s voice every time I use The-Verb-We-Must-Not-Name in print. Obviously, her exercise in creativity worked – perhaps better than intended.
It occurs to me, however, thatmy recent blogging efforts may not do justice to lessons previously learned. (That, and my recent adventures in the weeds leave me sorely in need ofacademic entertainment.) Therefore, I hereby impose a one-week blogging ban on The-Verb-We-Must-Not-Name. “To be”or not “to be” -no longer a question. Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous exercises, or to take arms against a sea of weeds, and by self-entertainment defeat them?
Time will tell.
The Rules of The Game:
1. One week of blogging.
2.Minimum of two substantive entries per day.
3. The verb “to be” banned in all forms,obvious (I am, it will be, he was) and not-so-obvious (it’s, you’re). If I can’t say it without “is”- then I can’t say it.
Feel free to play along if you like. Otherwise, stay tuned. Things could get interesting from here.
Trackposted to Stuck On Stupid, Perri Nelson’s Website, The Bullwinkle Blog, third world county, DeMediacratic Nation, and Conservative Cat, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.
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That sounds like an interesting challenge. Do you have any more examples from the list? I’m (DOH just used a form of “to be”) interested in the whole list, because I would love to improve my writing.
Comment by PerriNelson — July 25, 2007 @ 11:40 am
Sounds like a game for former President Clinton… after all, if he has trouble parsing “is” then ought he not to be adept at avoiding all forms of the verb?
Comment by David — July 25, 2007 @ 12:21 pm
Perri: I might have an old copy of the list floating around somewhere, though I admit that with difficulty (primarily because it requires me to reveal the existence of paper material left over from high school – thereby proving my status as pack rat par excellance).
And yes, I encountered challenges in drafting a response which did not violate the self-imposed vocabulary restrictions. Now I have to learn to do this without sounding stilted…
Comment by Random Yak — July 25, 2007 @ 3:09 pm