Ranting to /dev/null

E-prime

E-prime refers to a variant of English that does not use the verb "to be" or any of its forms. The Wikipedia entry (here) contains more information. According to E-prime's proponants, "being" verbs tend towards ambiguity, misdirection, or lack of clarity by suggesting either logical equivalence or a static state, neither of which present themselves as the likely intention of the speaker.

Give it a shot. Removing it from one's vocabulary forces one to express ideas clearly and directly without relying on a frequently obscurantist semantic shortcut. I've found that writing this way also helps one avoid passive voice.

If you'll notice, I wrote this post entirely using E-prime, a more difficult feat than it likely appears.