Say what you mean / Lightning and the lightning bug.

Say what you mean / Lightning and the lightning bug Katsuaki Togo Special to The Daily Yomiuri Yomiuri What is good English? It is the sort of English that does what the user wants it to. When you talk or write, you have a purpose--you want to make others understand what you are thinking or feeling, or let them know what you have seen or done, or explain what you want them to do. If the English you use carries out your purpose, if it gets your ideas across to others in a way that pleases both you and them, it is good. Otherwise, it is bad--no matter how fine it sounds or how correct it is. Making English do exactly what you want it to is not quite as easy as you might think. In the following example you will see how a boy and his mother fall into a trap. Dave's mother was worried about the health of her elderly neighbor. "Dave," she said, "run across the street and ask how old Mrs. Brown is." Soon Dave was back. "Mrs. Brown was very cross," he said. "She told me it was none of your business how old she is." …