what is good english?
 

it is wrong to think that one can write english by mastering a few rules of grammar.there was never a greater delusion.rules of grammar do count but they are not the whole matter.thus it is possible that one may write enlish which may be grammatically correct but may not still be good english.

the pakistani student is in a particularly difficult position in acquiring the knowledge of english because it is a foreign language--foreign to him in spirit, in origin,in traditions and in genius.he can not be blamed if he finds it difficult to master introcacies of english ideom and usage.

the secret of writing good english does not lie in memorizing the rules of grammar but in developing the habits to clear thinking and expressions.as METTHEW ARNOLD has put it so beautifully : "have something to say and say it as clearly as possible". most of the students in pakistan have an involved style because they have either nothing to say or say it as vaguely as they can. perspicuity and lucidity is the first requisite of a good style.the writer's chief aim should be to convey his ideas to others as clearly any lucidly as possible. in order to attain lucidity, he should avoid confusion of ideas, vagueness of expression, repetition of argument and use of slang & bombast

pakistani students specially guard against the use of difficult and out-of-way words and expressions.most of the students labour under the misunderstanding that english worth writing is the english overloaded with difficult words and phrases.they prefer long and high-sounding words to simple and familiar words of everyday prose because they want to dazzle the reader . they do not realize that a bombastic style is a thing of the past and provokes ridicule rather than admiration. they should therefore, make it a point to use simple and familiar words and avoid difficult expressions as they would avoid the devil or the plague.H.W.FOWLER and F.G.FOWLER in their valuable book. the king's enlish have given the following practical rules in the domain of vocabulary."prefer the familiar words to the far-fetched. prefer the concrete word to the abstract. prefer the single word to the circumlocution. prefer the short word to the long".