Letters to the Editor  More on Style  David Kahn, May 2006  To
the Editor:  Jerry Z. Muller rightly complains that academics
write poorly (March 2006 Perspectives). He correctly prescribes
using the active voice. But every sentence except the first and
the last in his first two paragraphs has "was" as its main verb!
May I offer two rules for writing that I apply and that might
help others?  (1) Use active verbs, as Muller said. Often a verb
hides under a noun. For example, "The relation of A to B is as X
to Y" can become "A relates to B as X to Y." This tightens the
text and puts an engine into every sentence.  (2) One sentence,
one idea. The qualifications can go into the next sentence.
Admittedly this requires repetition. But it clarifies the text.
Harder for the writer; easier for the reader. I have often
thought that it would benefit historians—and judges and
bureaucrats and anyone else who has to write—if they worked a
couple of years on a tabloid under a tough editor. They would
learn to write directly