Chapter 9 Discussion

This chapter emphasized the importance of style when editing. I feel that it would have been helpful if this chapter came earlier. Personally, I don't do much editing after I've finished a paper, so I try to construct my sentences carefully the first time I write. Luckily, I had a technical editing class last semester and that book had a chapter on style. So I am familiar with some of the techniques mentioned in this chapter.

Discussion Points

1. I agree with the beginning section that says that style should not be used to conceal a lack of content. Yet, students often use style to hide the fact that they don't know what they're talking about especially on essay tests. I know I've done this in the past. Most of my teachers were fooled although a couple saw through it. Did the rest of you ever do this? When I'm writing my thesis, I need to make sure that I know my information as I write. I've got my timeline, so I can budget enough time to do the research instead of trying to put something together at the last minute.
2. Contracts are often difficult to understand, because they use a lot of technical jargon and go into so much detail that people tend to skim them. As a result, many people may be signing something they don't understand. I think the writers of these contracts may do this purposely. It would be against their interests to make their documents clearer, because then people would be more likely to realize they're getting a bad deal. Do you think that style is ever intentionally used to obscure meaning?
3. I disagree with the breathing length idea for a sentence. It doesn't take complex compound sentences into account. The whole premise that people only breathe at the end of a sentence is false. We also breathe at other marks of punctuation, such as commas and semi-colons. A long sentence without any punctuation at all might be difficult to read, but as long as there are breaks built into the sentence there shouldn't be a problem.