Richard Lederers English Is a Crazy Language free essay sample

The use of these techniques makes the entire paragraph more entertaining and easy to read and let the readers know how important the English language is. At the beginning of paragraph 6, the first sentence, â€Å"Language is like the air we breathe†(160), is an example of simile. In this sentence, we can find the word â€Å"like†, and if there is an explicit comparison between two things using like, it is the signal of simile. In this sentence, the author states the importance of language in a very effective way. The author uses air to describe language, as we all know, air is the most important element in our life, which we cannot live without. Since language is just like air, which means language is all around us and we also cannot live without it. In case some readers cannot understand it, the author explains why language is just like air in the second sentence. We will write a custom essay sample on Richard Lederers English Is a Crazy Language or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page â€Å"It’s invisible, inescapable, indispensable, and we take it for granted†(160). As we can see, the second sentence is combined with three related words: invisible, inescapable and indispensable, which are all adjectives and demonstrates parallelism. The author considers these three words as the characteristics if language; however, these words can also be used to describe air. Paraphrase the author’s sentence in my own words language is indiscernible, unavoidable and essential. Although the meanings are the same, the author’s sentence is stronger. The use of alliteration is the author’s secret. Each of these word starts with â€Å"in†, which makes the whole sentence more strength and entertaining. It is definitely an impressive way to write sentence in this way. If one wants to make one’s essay more entertaining instead of a dull article one can uses rhetorical techniques, which can make the whole essay more interesting and easy to read. In the second part of paragraph 6 the author uses parallelism as the main rhetorical techniques. In the second part of paragraph 6, Lederer uses many different examples to emphasize how paradoxical and complex English is. â€Å"Hot dog can be cold, darkrooms can be lit†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (160). All of these brief phrases are related with each other in a same structure. If a sentence is written in this kind of structure, it is also considered as a parallelism. The most interesting thing is that the author also writes all of these small phrases in a paradoxical way, which well explain the complex of English and the use of the rhetorical technique of repetition also makes the whole sentence more strength. This kind of combination helps the readers to understand the author’s main idea more easily and an entertaining sentence is not only a good way to influence the readers but also a good way to catch the readers’ eyes. In the last sentence, â€Å"And doesn’t it seem at least a little bizarre that we go to the bathroom in order to go to the bathroom†(160). The author uses a new type of rhetorical technique, which is called a rhetorical question. Rhetorical questions end with a question mark under normal circumstances, and the answer is always hidden in the sentence. In this case, Lederer asks if the English is weird. The answer is and only can be yes, English is weird. The rhetorical question is a very interesting method, which can makes the whole paragraph more interesting and lets the readers to think more. However, it is not easy for one to use rhetorical question in a completely correct way. Rhetorical question is a very tricky skill and difficult to grasp, but if one can perfectly handle this skill, it is definitely a great advantage. Rhetoric is the study of how writers and speakers use words to influence the audience, just like â€Å"English Is a Crazy Language,† the use of rhetorical techniques makes it very remarkable and impressive. The rhetorical techniques are not only the art of word but also a good way to make your essay more perfect. As students, we can also use the rhetorical techniques to make the essay more outstanding.