- By Jim Evans
- Entertainment
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SMART TALK
by Dr. Will S. Sert
BITS AND PIECES: At the Center for English as a First Language, we have a collection of these special redundancies that use two synonyms. My colleague, Dr. Shirley Glibb, thinks teachers such as those at Smith Elementary and Wesson High, here in Underbelly, Texas, might be partly at fault.
Miss Shirley Markem Lowe, for instance tells her twelfth grade English classes to write essays of at least 250 words. This tempts students to develop the habit of padding their writing with useless words, such as bits and pieces instead of bits or pieces.
Writing about their hopes and aspirations only adds to the word count without adding information. They can pick a career or choose one, but saying it's hard to pick and choose is saying they don't have much to say.
The rules and regulations of every English class should put the importance of clear, tight, quality communication over and above word count, which is almost always bad.
The very best English teachers often set a maximum word count and grade on clarity, effective word use, and quality and depth of information.
Lo and behold, their students achieve greater success in their chosen fields. They can communicate better, and they can think better. That's what it's all about.