COMMERCIAL ENGLISH
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] S112,—I have long been under the comparatively happy illu- sion that commercial English was a passing phase which would gradually disappear as higher standards of education were reached. It was only a few days ago when I was glancing through a little book called Commercial Practice that I realized that at some schools where commercial training is given, commercial English with all its familiar horrors is held up as being good English. If teaching of this kind is widely spread commercial English will not pass ; it will become more firmly established until it will be impossible to root it out.
The little book which I have just mentioned is used at a commercial training school which stands very high in repute, and I am sure deservedly so. The book from which I am about to quote is—apart from some of the language—an admirable exposition of commercial practice. If only it did not assert that commercial English is good English there would be nothing whatever to complain of. Let me give an example of what I mean. The author is talking about the use of synonyms in order to avoid the awkward repetition of a word. He gives as an instance of incorrect writing : "Your order came to hand this morning, and we hope to execute the order next week." The improved sentence which he suggests is : "Your order came to hand this morning, and we hope to effect delivery of the goods next week. (Note.—In many cases it is better to substitute a phrase to avoid repetition, as in the above example.)" Surely the obvious improvement of the original sentence is simply to write : "Your order came to hand this morning. We hope to execute it next week." But unfortunately the author has his own views (which are passed on to many hundreds of students every year) about the value of synonyms. He says :— " The use of synonyms will emphasise the importance of a large vocabulary. The student must be proficient not merely in the substitution of a synonymous word, but also in the selection of a phrase to express a similar meaning. Only abundant practice will secure proficiency in this respect, and the working of the exercises given throughout the book will be particularly valuable, as not only will a knowledge of business practice and correspondence be acquired, but the student's knowledge of English generally will also be improved."
You will see that I did not exaggerate when I said that this kind of English is regarded as good English. As though the right word somehow ceased to be the right word when it has been used once ! Is there any hope of checking this poisonous nonsense that a clerk's English has been improved when he has learnt to effect delivery of goods instead of simply deliver- ing them ? Would it not be possible for some firms of high standing to state, what is no doubt true, that they do not value this false English ; that it does not help their business in any way ; and that, in fact, it is merely an unhappy conven- tion and has nothing to do with business at all ?—I am, Sir, &e.,
J.
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