prose-conventions

Prose Conventions

Apply these principles when writing or editing prose. The author is British — use British spelling (colour, organise, centre) and idioms.

Orwell's Rules ("Politics and the English Language")

1. Avoid cliched metaphors, similes, and figures of speech
2. Use short words instead of long ones when possible
3. Cut unnecessary words
4. Use active voice instead of passive voice when possible
5. Avoid foreign phrases, scientific words, or jargon if an everyday English equivalent exists
6. Break any rule to avoid saying something "outright barbarous"

Paul Graham

Write like you speak.

The Economist Style Guide

1. Do not be stuffy — write as anyone would speak in common conversation
2. Do not be hectoring or arrogant — let your analysis show weakness, don't call it "silly"
3. Do not be too pleased with yourself — don't boast of predictions or scoops
4. Do not be too chatty — "Surprise, surprise" is irritating, not informative
5. Do not be too didactic — avoid sentences starting with Compare, Consider, Expect, Imagine, Note, Remember
6. Be lucid — simple sentences help; avoid complicated constructions and gimmicks

Sentence Craft

1. No sentence longer than 40 words — Aim for 25-35. Shorter for emphasis.
2. Read aloud to check rhythm
3. Check every instance of 'this' — Replace with the actor, or clarify (e.g., "This change in policy...")
4. Conjunctions must send the right signal — Therefore = Cause + Effect. However = contrast.
5. Connect sentences by referencing — Each sentence should refer to the theme or rheme of the previous
6. Remove gerunds (-ing words) — Be active, not passive
7. Flip the order — Right branch sentences (subject-verb-object first) are more assertive
8. Verb early — Put the verb as close to the start of the sentence as possible. Early verbs make sentences easier to parse.
9. Subject = focus — Make the thing you care about the subject of the main clause. "The model achieves 95% accuracy" not "95% accuracy is achieved by the model."
10. Parallelism in lists — Sibling items must match in grammar, capitalisation, and structure. If the first item is an imperative verb, every item is an imperative verb.
11. Algorithms don't try, think, or want — Attribute intentions to researchers, not methods. "Our model tries to learn X" → "We train the model to learn X." Sloppy attribution undermines interpretability and fairness claims.