词条 | E-Prime | |||||||||
释义 |
E-Prime (short for English-Prime or English Prime,[1] sometimes denoted É or E′) is a version of the English language that excludes all forms of the verb to be, including all conjugations, contractions and archaic forms. Some scholars advocate using E-Prime as a device to clarify thinking and strengthen writing.[2] A number of other scholars have criticized E-Prime's utility. HistoryD. David Bourland Jr., who had studied under Alfred Korzybski, devised E-Prime as an addition to Korzybski's general semantics in the late 1940s.[3] Bourland published the concept in a 1965 essay entitled "A Linguistic Note: Writing in E-Prime" (originally published in General Semantics Bulletin). The essay quickly generated controversy within the general semantics field{{fact|date=November 2016}}, partly because practitioners of general semantics{{who|date=November 2016}} sometimes saw Bourland as attacking the verb {{'}}to be{{'}} as such, and not just certain usages.{{fact|date=November 2016}} Bourland collected and published three volumes of essays in support of his innovation. The first (1991), co-edited by Paul Dennithorne Johnston, bore the title: To Be or Not: An E-Prime Anthology.[4] For the second, More E-Prime: To Be or Not II, published in 1994, he added a third editor, Jeremy Klein. Bourland and Johnston then edited a third book, E-Prime III: a third anthology, published in 1997. Different functions of "to be"In the English language, the verb 'to be' (also known as the copula) has several distinct functions:
Bourland sees specifically the "identity" and "predication" functions as pernicious, but advocates eliminating all forms for the sake of simplicity. In the case of the "existence" form (and less idiomatically, the "location" form), one might (for example) simply substitute the verb "exists". Other copula-substitutes in English include taste, feel, smell, sound, grow, remain, stay, and turn, among others a user of E-prime might use instead of to be.{{cn|date=February 2018}} ExamplesWords not used in E-prime include: be, being, been, am, is, isn't, are, aren't, was, wasn't, were, and weren't. Contractions formed from a pronoun and a form of to be are also not used, including: I'm, you're, we're, they're, he's, she's, it's, there's, here's, where's, how's, what's, who's, and that's. E-Prime also prohibits contractions of to be found in nonstandard dialects of English, such as "ain't". RationaleBourland and other advocates also suggest that use of E-Prime leads to a less dogmatic style of language that reduces the possibility of misunderstanding or conflict.[5][6] Kellogg and Bourland describe misuse of the verb to be as creating a "deity mode of speech", allowing "even the most ignorant to transform their opinions magically into god-like pronouncements on the nature of things".[7] Psychological effects{{multiple issues|section=y|{{original research|section|date=July 2016}}{{POV section|date=July 2016}}{{off topic|date=July 2016}}}}While teaching at the University of Florida, Alfred Korzybski counseled his students to eliminate the infinitive and verb forms of "to be" from their vocabulary, whereas a second group continued to use "I am," "You are," "They are" statements as usual. For example, instead of saying, "I am depressed," a student was asked to eliminate that emotionally primed verb and to say something else, such as, "I feel depressed when ..." or "I tend to make myself depressed about ..."{{Citation needed|date=May 2014}}{{Page needed|date=May 2014}} Korzybski observed improvement "of one full letter grade" by "students who did not generalize by using that infinitive".[8] Albert Ellis advocated the use of E-Prime when discussing psychological distress to encourage framing these experiences as temporary (see also Solution focused brief therapy) and to encourage a sense of agency by specifying the subject of statements.[9] According to Ellis, rational emotive behavior therapy "has favored E-Prime more than any other form of psychotherapy and I think it is still the only form of therapy that has some of its main books written in E-Prime".[10] However, Ellis did not always use E-Prime because he believed it interferes with readability.[9]Examples
Works written in E-Prime
CriticismsMany authors have questioned E-Prime's effectiveness at improving readability and reducing prejudice (Lakoff, 1992; Murphy, 1992; Parkinson, 1992; Kenyon, 1992; French, 1992, 1993; Lohrey, 1993). These authors observed that a communication under the copula ban can remain extremely unclear and imply prejudice, while losing important speech patterns, such as identities and identification. Further, prejudices and judgments that are made are more difficult to notice or refute. James D. French, a computer programmer at the University of California, Berkeley, summarized ten arguments against E-Prime (in the context of general semantics) as follows:[14]
According to an article (written in E-Prime and advocating a role for E-Prime in ESL and EFL programs) published by the Office of English Language Programs of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in the State Department of the United States, "Requiring students to avoid the verb to be on every assignment would deter students from developing other fundamental skills of fluent writing."[15] See also
References{{Refbegin}}
Footnotes1. ^{{cite book |editor-last=Cascini |editor-first=Gaetano |title=TRIZ Future Conference 2004: Florence, 3-5 November 2004 |publisher=Firenze University Press |date=2004 |isbn=88-8453-220-5 |url=http://digital.casalini.it/8884532205 |access-date=15 June 2017}} 2. ^{{cite web |url=http://www.ctlow.ca/E-Prime/zimmerman.html |title=E-Prime as a Revision Strategy |accessdate=2009-01-10 |last=Zimmerman |first=Daniel |date=Fall 2001 |work=ETC: A Review of General Semantics 58.3 |pages=340–347 |quote=Using E-Prime, I require students to paraphrase about half their sentences—admittedly, in a special way, but using as stylistic models the best of the rest of their sentences, already written in 'native' E-Prime. The more gracefully and effectively they learn to do this, the more they begin to sound like themselves as writers, rather than like all the other writers around them sound about half the time.}} 3. ^Cullen Murphy, "Just curious: essays", 1995, ISBN , 039570099X [https://books.google.com/books?id=cMYXAQAAIAAJ&q=%22David+Bourland%22+prime&dq=%22David+Bourland%22+prime&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ML0oUsXiAqWdigL_mYHwDw&ved=0CFIQ6AEwCDgK p. 78] 4. ^{{cite book|editor1-last= Bourland|editor1-first= D. David|editor2-last= Johnston|editor2-first= Paul Dennithorne |title=To Be or Not: An E-Prime Anthology |year=1991 |publisher=International Society for General Semantics |location=San Francisco |isbn=0-918970-38-5 |page=185}} 5. ^{{cite journal |first=D. David, Jr. |last=Bourland |title=To be or not to be: E-Prime as a tool for critical thinking |url=http://www.esgs.org/uk/art/epr1.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080103161605/http://www.esgs.org/uk/art/epr1.htm |archive-date=2008-01-03 |work=ETC: A Review of General Semantics |volume=46 |issue=3 |year=1989 |publisher=Institute of General Semantics |pages=202–211 |quote=In writing and talking {{bracket|E‑Prime}} provides a method for materially reducing ‘the human misunderstanding’. |deadurl=yes |df= }} 6. ^{{cite web |last=Lundin |first=Leigh |title=Professional Tips: To Be or Not |date=2013-03-03 |location=Miami |url=http://www.sleuthsayers.org/2013/03/professional-tips-to-be-or-not.html |work=On É |publisher=SleuthSayers}} 7. ^{{cite journal |title=Working with E-Prime: Some Practical Notes |journal=Et cetera |last=Kellogg |first=E. W. |last2=Bourland Jr. |first2=D. David |jstor=42577258 |url=http://www.generalsemantics.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/articles/etc/47-4-kellogg-bourland.pdf |accessdate=2015-04-06}} 8. ^{{cite book |last=Ellis |first=Albert | authorlink=Albert Ellis |title=Albert Ellis: Evolution of a Revolution |publisher=Barricade Books |year=2010}} 9. ^1 {{cite book |last=Ellis |first=Albert | authorlink=Albert Ellis |title=Feeling Better, Getting Better, Staying Better: Profound Self-Help Therapy |publisher=Impact Publishers |year=2001 |p=2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wLtw0YB8ZBsC&pg=PA2}} 10. ^{{cite book | last=Ellis |first=Albert | authorlink=Albert Ellis | editor1-last=Ellis |editor1-first=Albert | editor2-last=Blau | editor2-first=Shaun | title=The Albert Ellis Reader: A Guide to Well-Being Using Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy | publisher=Citadel Press | year=1998 | p=312 | isbn=978-0-8065-2032-2 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LorJYkPSQOwC | accessdate=12 April 2017}} 11. ^{{cite web|last1=Maas |first1=David |title=The New American Standard Bible in E-Prime - The Gospel and Acts |url=http://www.generalsemantics.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/46011331-E-Prime-Bible-NASB-DFM-Part-07-the-Gospel-and-Acts-Revised-Edition-12-28-2010.pdf |website=WebCite |publisher=The Institute of General Semantics |accessdate=24 June 2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://www.webcitation.org/6QZ2sqPws?url=http://www.generalsemantics.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/46011331-E-Prime-Bible-NASB-DFM-Part-07-the-Gospel-and-Acts-Revised-Edition-12-28-2010.pdf |archivedate=June 24, 2014 |df= }} 12. ^{{cite web|title=Scoundrel Days: A Memoir|url=https://penguin.com.au/books/scoundrel-days-a-memoir-9780702259562|publisher=Penguin Books Australia|accessdate=1 March 2017}} 13. ^http://www.generalsemantics.org/the-general-semantics-learning-center/applications-of-general-semantics/the-new-american-standard-bible-in-e-prime/ 14. ^Compare:{{cite journal |last=French |first=James D |year=1992 |title=The Top Ten Arguments Against E-Prime |journal=ETC: A Review of General Semantics |volume=49 |issue=2 |pages=75–79 |publisher=Institute of General Semantics }} 15. ^{{cite web |first=John C. |last=Herbert |title=English Prime as an Instructional Tool in Writing Classes |url=http://exchanges.state.gov/forum/vols/vol41/no3/p26.htm |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061007112531/http://exchanges.state.gov/forum/vols/vol41/no3/p26.htm |archivedate=2006-10-07 |work=English Teaching Forum Online |publisher=United States Department of State |accessdate=2009-10-06 |quote=When applying the aforementioned ideas to any writing assignment, teachers must make sure their students know that the proposed set of guidelines represents only one means to an end and does not present an end in itself. Requiring students to avoid the verb to be on every assignment would deter students from developing other fundamental skills of fluent writing. However, introducing E-Prime restrictions for at least one assignment forces students to spend more time with their essays, to think critically about acceptable grammar and vocabulary, and to search for new, or nearly forgotten, vocabulary. }} External links
3 : Controlled English|General semantics|Literary techniques |
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