609. Use simple rather than pretentious expressions.
| Prefer | get up | to | arise |
| wife or husband | to | better half | |
| eat | to | partake of | |
| dog | to | canine | |
| cat | to | feline | |
| horse | to | equine | |
| clergyman | to | divine | |
| give | to | donate | |
| flowers | to | floral offering | |
| man | to | gentleman | |
| woman | to | lady | |
| letter | to | kind favor | |
| arm or leg | to | limb | |
| funeral | to | last sad rites or obsequies | |
| often | to | oftentimes | |
| body | to | remains | |
| live | to | reside | |
| house or home | to | residence | |
| go to bed | to | retire | |
| friend | to | boy friend, girl friend, gentleman friend, or lady friend |
610. Use uncontracted forms in dignified writing.
Conversational. I can’t and won’t go.
Dignified. I cannot and will not go.
611. Use I, me, or my rather than some form of we or the writer.
Insufferably modest. In the opinion of the present writer Locke should win.
Direct. Locke should win.
Direct. I think Locke should win.