The Argumentative Indian
Language: words of speech, qualification and noun phrases
Write careful, precise sentences.
Sen uses many words for speaking and arguing: prolixity (using too many words), loquaciousness (talkativeness), dialogue, disputation, debate.
He qualifies his statements ('often enough', 'by and large', 'perhaps') to be accurate and fair, not to claim too much.
A noun phrase can begin with an article or demonstrative, then numerals or quantifiers, then adjectives, before the head noun: 'three very influential Western ideas'.
After the head noun can come prepositional phrases and relative clauses: 'traditions of public discussion'.
Apposition places another noun phrase beside it, set off by commas: 'the epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata'. Parenthetical phrases can be set off by dashes.
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