Characters

Define whole and simple subject. Define nominalization. What is Principle of Clarity 1?

Make the subjects of most of your sentences short, specific, and concrete (i.e put characters or “the doer” into the subject position).

Making sure characters are in the subject position is more important than making sure verbs are actions

1) If you don’t have a character as the simple subject, skim the sentence for possessive pronouns attached to a nominalization, adjectives, and objects of prepositions.

Government intervention in fast-changing technologies has led to the distortion of market evolution and interference in new market technology

2) Skim passage for actions involving those characters. Ask who is doing what.

Government intervention in fast-changing technologies has led to the distortion of market evolution and interference in new product development.

Government intervention in fast-changing technologies has led to the distortion of market evolution and interference in new product development.

Medieval theological debates often address issues considered trivial by modern philosophical thought.

1) Flesh and blood characters are best. But abstractions (freedom of speech, amendment) can be characters if your readers are very familiar with them.

2) Add a character (researcher)

3) Use a vague pronoun (one, we, you), all of which are unsatisfactory

4) Absent character (and thus passive voice)