"Advanced learners benefit from thinking of the writer as an artist whose grammatical choices represent different brush strokes made to different effects." — Ayanna Thompson & Laura Turchi
"The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter — ’tis the difference between the lightning-bug and the lightning." — Mark Twain
Precision in language is a hobby of mine: I aspire to always say and write exactly what I mean, in terms of both word choice and syntax (precision of speaking tone is less within my communicatory grasp, but I try to be exact with that, too). By always modeling precision in speech and writing (and grading with precision in mind), I hope to inspire a similar precision in students' writing and speech, and to call upon students to notice precisely what is on the page when reading (regardless of whether the author was or was not being intentionally so precise), with the desired end being improved reading literacy skills.
I am not an expert rhetorician, nor an expert changer of minds; I don't know how to convince people to agree with me. I just use the right word and word order to communicate what I intend to communicate (provided my readers or listeners have the language knowledge and attention spans to be communicated with precisely).
"If you've nothing to say, say it any way you like. Stylistic innovations, contorted story lines or none, exotic or genderless pronouns, internal inconsistencies, the recipe for preparing your lover as a cannibal banquet: feel free. If what you have to say is important and/or difficult to follow, use the simplest language possible. If the reader doesn't get it, then let it not be your fault." — Larry Niven's 5th Law for Writers