Saturday 3 March 2012

Grammar: Fighting for the Cause

Most phenomena are caused by something, and cause other things. Something starts them, something else stops them. They get more so or less so, go faster or slower. So why not say so? Writers are very fond of using

fuel
ignite
kick start
spark
spawn
stoke
trigger

when they mean cause or start (they're particularly fond of saying that floods are triggered, or that icy roads spark traffic accidents). If you always write “spark” when you mean “cause” it soon loses any idea of a stray spark setting a haystack alight and you might as well use:

advance, aggravate

bring about,
build up

cause,
construct, contribute to

drive

elicit, enable, encourage, evoke, exacerbate

facilitate

generate, give rise to

impel, incite, increase, instigate

lead to, lessen

magnify, make possible, motivate

power, promote, prompt, provoke

release, result from, result in

start

stop

worsen

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