Argument in George Orwell’s “Politics and the English Language”
Question 29 • 26-27 Ignite English 12 NG KY-English Language Arts 12
Read the excerpt from "Politics and the English Language" by George Orwell.There is a long list of fly-blown metaphors which could similarly be got rid of if enough people would interest themselves in the job; and it should also be possible to laugh the not ‘un-’ formation out of existence, to reduce the amount of Latin and Greek in the average sentence, to drive out foreign phrases and strayed scientific words, and, in general, to make pretentiousness unfashionable. But all these are minor points. The defense of the English language implies more than this, and perhaps it is best to start by saying what it does not imply.
Answer
A
to entertain readers with complex words
B
to entertain readers with clever ideas
C
to persuade readers to use more Latin and Greek in writing
D
to persuade readers to eliminate certain types of vague language
Explanation
Orwell argues that writers should remove worn-out metaphors, awkward “not un-” constructions, excessive Latin and Greek, foreign phrases, and pretentious wording. These examples show that he wants people to eliminate unclear or needlessly complicated language. Therefore, “to persuade readers to eliminate certain types of vague language” is the best choice; he is not encouraging more complex words or more Latin and Greek.
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