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Orwell's Rules of English

George Orwell in his essay "Politics and the English Language" (1946) criticises "ugly and inaccurate" contemporary written English.
He suggests six rules he says will help avoid most of the errors of which he gives examples.

Read these rules and consider whether they are good advice for clearly expressed writtten English.

1. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
2. Never use a long word where a short one will do.
3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
4. Never use the passive where you can use the active.
5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
6. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

It must be said that Orwell himself concedes he has no doubt violated some of his rules in the very essay in which they were included.

Nevertheless are these useful guidelines for your own writing?

Are there occasions or particular styles where this advice would be inappropriate?

 

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Plain English