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Question about passage: For instance, he'd like to outlaw all leads involving...



 
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ESL Forum | English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
when do I use "had"? | "amount to" or "amounts to"?
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Question about passage: For instance, he'd like to outlaw all leads involving... #1 (permalink) Sat Jan 05, 2008 10:32 am   Question about passage: For instance, he'd like to outlaw all leads involving...		  
Hi, I have one question about this review.
Quote:
Whether you write an occasional professional letter or a daily newspaper column, William Zinsser's On Writing Well should be required reading. Simplicity is Zinsser's mantra: he preaches a stripped-down writing style, strong and clear. He has no patience for excess (most use of adjectives and adverbs, he writes, just adds clutter) or tired phraseology (for instance, he'd like to outlaw all leads involving those "future archaeologists" most often found "stumbl[ing] upon the remains of our civilization"). He recommends that all writers of nonfiction read their work aloud (don't commit something to paper that you wouldn't actually say) and write under the assumption that "the reader knows nothing" (not to be confused with assuming the reader's an idiot). In addition to the chapters on the expected--usage, audience, interviews, leads--Zinsser also focuses on such trouble spots as science and technical writing, business writing, sports, and humor.


Can you explain the bold portion for me ? I don't understand it.
What do "outlaw," "leads," "archaeologists," "remains of our civilization" imply ?
Sympathy
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Joined: 08 Dec 2007
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Question about passage: For instance, he'd like to outlaw all leads involving... #2 (permalink) Sat Jan 05, 2008 16:43 pm   Question about passage: For instance, he'd like to outlaw all leads involving...		  
The way I perceive the meaning of the sentence, tired phraseology is simply writing cliche phrases and the quoted sentence "stumbling upon the remains of our civilization" is just an example of one.

But I could be totally wrong ^^
Thanos
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Joined: 08 Dec 2007
Posts: 12
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Question about passage: For instance, he'd like to outlaw all leads involving... #3 (permalink) Sat Jan 05, 2008 17:08 pm   Question about passage: For instance, he'd like to outlaw all leads involving...		  
Can you make it clearer ? I still don't get the meaning of the sentence. And what does "leads" here mean ?
I thought it means "example." Is that right ?
Sympathy
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Joined: 08 Dec 2007
Posts: 99
Question about passage: For instance, he'd like to outlaw all leads involving... #4 (permalink) Sat Jan 05, 2008 17:38 pm   Question about passage: For instance, he'd like to outlaw all leads involving...		  
According to Bartleby a lead can be :
Quote:
7a. The introductory portion of a news story.
b. An important, usually prominently displayed news story.


So that can be a sound explanation as it relates with writing for newspapers.
Still, I am only guessing, maybe someone else can enlighten you a bit further.
Thanos
I'm new here and I like it ;-)


Joined: 08 Dec 2007
Posts: 12
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when do I use "had"? | "amount to" or "amounts to"?
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