The analogy you used about a book falling apart was good and apt. Yes, a “big” word in the midst of a pile of basic grade-school-level writing stands out like a black beetle in a plate of white rice…and in a similarly unpleasant way.

I also agreed with you about the state of modern language. I see English being dumbed-down and neutered all the time and it makes me sad, as well as apprehensive for the future of written literature. The fact that you, at a so-youthful 16, see this also gives me some hope for that future.

Not really. You were obviously a kid who was trying too hard to to come off as an intellectual and articulate individual.

Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t understand that you can’t fake being smart. Awkwardly placed “big words” amidst equally lackluster grammatical structures are just painful to read. Good writing is that in which the reader can forget about/enjoy the writing itself and focus on the content. Like how when you read a book, you don’t pay attention to the paper or the binding unless it causes a problem, e.g. pages fall out.

You’d be surprised what passes for a “big word” nowadays. I always am. And people go to memorize vocab words by repeating the definition in their vocab book, but they don’t learn the nuances that allow them to actually implement their new vocabulary. Which irks me tremendously. The only way to REALLY learn vocabulary is to READ. A lot. And a basic understanding of Latin roots can be quite helpful, at least for English

Just my rambling opinions.

I’m 16, are you surprised? Probably not.