Category: Communication

The topic I would like to talk about is abortion. Some of you may think that my views are biased as my religion is strictly against abortion, however I do not go by these statements, as I would like to do what is morally correct. Statistics I have collected will help me convey my views on abortion. Research shows that most abortions are being done on women under the age of 20.

These young women feel like they are throwing away their life’s potential early by having a child during their teenage years, and it is understandable that those women would want to live their lives properly before settling down, and abortion is what they see as their best option, however, for those women I ask, isn’t adoption a better, more humane solution? And with over 1.5 million American families wanting to adopt, there is no such thing as an unwanted child.

Adoption  is a better option where there are no costs. With abortion, the cost will range from $500-$2000, in the US, depending on how far along a woman is, in her pregnancy. When you chose to put your child up for adoption, all of the pregnancy related charges, are paid for for by the adoptive family. In both cases a young woman, would still be able to pursue earlier goals, and you will still be able to carry on with your youthful lifestyle. However abortion will end with the death of potential life, whereas adoption allows you to make an unable family happy. Wouldn’t it feel better to make people smile, than to feel guilty about the choice you made later on?

Dear Miss Kerr,

I have read and reviewed your article on modern day slang. You do not seem to agree with these words being added into the Oxford Dictionary, as you seem to believe that each of these words is a fad that will come and go, and that they are “linguistic calamities”. You believe that these words should not be added into the the Oxford dictionary, and that they should not be mixed in with the more elegant words in the English language. I disagree with you and am writing to tell you my own opinion on the matter.

Miss Kerr you argue that slang such as “wicked”, and “fugly” are no longer in use when communicating using slang any more, and have been replaced with “sick”, and “butters” even though they are all slang. However you do not understand that once a descriptive piece of slang has been overused it does not retain the same effect it once did. It is in the same context as when a writer overuses a certain word when doing a piece of writing; the word will lose its meaning when overused, and thus another must take its place. This is the same rule with descriptive words in slang.

You stated that “words like twerking, unlike and selfie are nothing more than slang which, just like any fashion trend, come and go”. Words that express emotion or are descriptive examples of slang tend to be fashion trends that “come and go”, however the slang words you quoted in this extract do not fall into these categories. The words in the extract above are all verbs that describe an action. Verbs are almost impossible to change which is why I disagree with you, my proof being, the verb ‘walk’ has not been replaced by any slang words as far as I know. The same goes for many other verbs. A slang version of any verb would be unneeded as most verbs aren’t meant to express anything or describe anything.

Throughout your article you slander anybody who uses slang, however most people only ever use slang when with their peers and in informal occasions, like talking to their friends. I for one, and I’m sure many others have enough common sense to know when to use slang or not. While talking to someone higher than myself, (e.g. a teacher, my parents) I tend to use formal English, as in some way I agree with your point that people that will use slang with people higher than them are seen as “apathetic, ASBO-wielding yobs who cant communicate properly”, to a certain extent.

At the beginning of your article you use the words, “Srsly though, these words make me wanna vom”. This extract is hardly even slang. These would be three examples of abbreviations that are hardly ever used outside of the digital. Newer technology has seen the introduction of newer language uses, (e.g. ‘LOL’ would be an abbreviation for ‘laugh out loud’). Abbreviations are used to make texting easier and slightly less time consuming, which is why it is logical and practical, and should not be ridiculed. Also the younger generation didn’t come up with the abbreviation technique, like they did with slang. Abbreviations are used in ordinary language too, some examples could be ‘I’m’ instead of ‘I am’, or ‘haven’t’ instead of ‘have not’.

In your article you wrote that the constant introduction of new slang is harmful to the English language, and that to have them in the Oxford dictionary would be an even worse idea than the words themselves. I disagree with you as one of the best screenwriters of all time William Shakespeare used vast amounts of slang when writing his own screenplays. These words are now in the Oxford dictionary and are also probably one of the words you consider to be “eloquent”. Shakespeare used many of these words and some of the ones we owe to him are still used today, e.g. disheartened. Shakespeare also created some of his own words by adding prefixes where they had not been seen before e.g. invulnerable, indistinguishable, inauspicious, among many others. You argue that “Shakespeare will be turning in his grave”, I’m sure that will only because of your own views. From your point of view Shakespeare is a despicable person for using slang and not using the “great”, “eloquent” words instead. To the rest of the world, however, Shakespeare is a literary god, and a father of language and not an “apathetic, ASBO-wielding yob who can’t communicate properly”, as you stated slang-users are.

Slang is not such a bad idea, and although recently there have been new additions to the slang language, slang has been in language for a long time. Most people know when slang is appropriate to use. With the introduction of new technology, and new methods of communication, (e-mail, instant messaging, etc.), the world has also seen the necessary change in language, to make it more practical to use when texting. If I haven’t convinced you that slang has some good qualities about it, I’m not sure what will.

Thank you for time and consideration Miss Kerr

As they got closer the dark February sky was dulled out by the glow of lights stringed around the fairground. He and his newly found friend wandered in and decided to have a go at the dodgems. Carter still had his £5 note as the girl insisted on paying since he had returned her purse to her. He wished he didn’t spend the rest of his money on flowers for Ella, and he made a silent wish to have more to spend on the fairground rides with this girl. He was having a lot of fun tonight despite what happened a few hours prior, but it seemed it had to come to an end as Carter put his last pound in the dodgems. It seemed the machine didn’t accept his £1 coin as it rolled back out… with another, and another, and another. Soon Carter had another £20 to spend on rides.

You can have more. Just wish it.

Something took over Carter. A new energy. He realised his luck was changing, and it didn’t have to stop now… but the night was almost over. Carter wished he had more time; that he could carry on living this moment forever. He and Cassie were having a lot of fun, something he never expected when he looked at the events of his life. It was a miserable one… definitely a miserable one. He started to think of that night, the car that hit his mum years ago. Everybody in school kept feeling sorry for him, but he didn’t want their sympathy. He blamed himself a great deal, and their sympathy made him feel guilty and miserable, not that it was a great difference from what he already felt. Why did he have to run onto the road. He remembered what always happened to him when he had too much fun.

Carter was 8 and he and his mum were going back home from a fun time playing bowling at his friend’s birthday party. He was walking down the street holding his mother with one hand and his party bag in the other, and Carter remembered that there was a bouncy ball in the bag so he decided to take it out and play with it. They were nearly home when Carter fumbled the bouncy ball and it went onto the road. Without checking Carter wandered onto the street and squatted down to pick up his bouncy ball. He realised its shadow getting shorter and he looked up to find a car heading his way. He could hear his mother’s muffled screams in the background, and the rest… the rest went by too quick to remember. He didn’t want to remember. All he could remember was the aftermath. His mother on a stretcher, with blood pooling around her. He had a blanket over him and he was squeezing his bouncy ball. Sirens were blaring and people were staring out of their windows. He was too young to know what had happened.

Back to the present Carter tried not to think about that night, but it was a constant reminder to never have fun again, to never be happy again. Was it a coincidence that he was reminded of that night on this one? He was finally happy, and he had to be reminded. But this new energy had taken over him. Whatever he wanted to happen would happen if he wished for it. Carter found himself wishing for more time again, but this time not with Cassie… he wanted more time with his mum. In that moment Carter started to remember memories he thought were forgotten. Memories so vague he always thought they were part of a dream, but here they were. All there as clear as a blue sky, and suddenly that night was not the only memory that filled his mind. Carter thought that he was happy but all his new memories did was make him feel worse, because he could see what he had ended. Carter decided to let the past go and move on. He was going to be happy now, and this new feeling inside him, these new ideas would make that a possibility.

Carter realised he was spaced out and when he zoned back in he had left the fairground with Cassie’s number in his phone, and he was at Circus. The shopping district of London was bustling with crowds upon crowds of people. Christmas decorations still hung from building to building, and desperately needed to be taken down. Carter figured that one way to make himself happy was to buy what he liked, but Carter only had £20 to spend… oh… and that £5 note, but Carter wanted to hold onto it . It was a symbol of the day his luck started to change.