George Orwell's Essay "Politics and the English Language"

This essay argues that writing clearly is essential for healthy democracies because of the interdependence between writing clearly and thinking clearly. The essay also provides simple instructions for writing more clearly—which facilitates thinking more clearly. "Politics and the English Language" was probably the most important influence that drove me to radically change the way I wrote, back when I was in grad school. My writing became dramatically more clear, precise, deliberate, and effective. Download PDF

George Orwell, 1940.