Describes two ways to combat "bad tone" and "unclear thinking" in writing. Describes "breaking the ice" as being aware of a written message's appearance--the message's readability. Explains that "fog-lifting" is accomplished by writing clearly, and by paying particular attention to the verb "to…

Suggests that the form of English called "E-Prime" (which eliminates all forms of the verb "to be") has a certain attraction, but argues that many important uses of the verb "to be" remain in the English language. Provides examples and develops a method of designating the various forms of the verb in terms of the…

Discusses the preferences expressed in guides to language usage regarding the correlation of the adjectives "any,""each," and "every" with plural pronouns and possessives ("To each their own") in order to avoid allegedly sexist constructions ("To each his own"). (GT)

Discusses a controversy about the presence of non-English speaking people in Chicago and reports responses to a "linguistic security test" published in the "Chicago Tribune"; concludes that language attitudes are powerful, strongly held, and seem to partake of larger social attitudes. (GT)