The official site of the Torch, the student-run newspaper at Glenbrook North High School.

Torch

The official site of the Torch, the student-run newspaper at Glenbrook North High School.

Torch

The official site of the Torch, the student-run newspaper at Glenbrook North High School.

Torch

Say no to ‘y’know?’

RyanHeadshot

I often find it hard to contain myself when someone with whom I am talking decides to add a “y’know?” to the end of his or her so-far lovely sentence.

Why? Because I don’t “know.”

In fact, that’s the reason you’re talking to me — because I don’t know what you’re talking about. If I already knew the subject of the conversation, we wouldn’t be conversing.

Stop ending sentences with “y’know?”.

It’s unnecessary. Adorning a sentence with this lingual accessory is an infuriating interrogation of the listener. To constantly disrupt the flow of conversation on the assumption that I lack the capacity to properly interpret what you have said only suggests that I am devoid of intelligence. Or that I don’t speak English. In any case, If I actually don’t “know” what you’re saying, be assured that I will actually let you know.

I realize I’m exaggerating, but my message remains. Be concise. No one needs to hear a “y’know?,” an “I know, right” or any other inessential sentence-killer to understand what you’re saying. No story becomes more climactic when the person with whom you’re speaking reassures you that he or she “knows.” By asking if he or she “knows,” you only risk losing his or her attention.

The solution is simple: think before you speak. If you’re pausing to inquire about your audience’s knowing status, you’re wasting time and losing credibility. If you’re that unsure of your listener’s comprehension abilities, or even your own storytelling abilities, prepare your message in a simple and clear manner. Speak meaningfully, but most importantly, concisely. To be inarticulate is to be forgotten.

Y’know?