E-Prime

E-Prime, or English Prime, is a proposition put forth in 1933 by Alfred Korzybski in the journal Science and Sanity, wherein he proposed that we should abolish the "is of identity" from the English language.

Language shapes our thoughts far more than any other possible aspect of our existence. The languages we use form our view of the world. For example, sexism can only occur in a culture whose language makes clear distinctions between the male and the female. In English, the one word/concept that gets English users into the most trouble is the word "IS/BE". Here is Robert Anton Wilson explaining this idea.

The "is of identity" takes the form X is a Y. e.g., "Joe is a Communist,"
"Mary is a dumb file-clerk," "The universe is a giant machine," etc.) In
1949, D. David Bourland Jr. proposed the abolition of all forms of the words
"is" or "to be" and the Bourland proposal (English without "isness") he
called E-Prime, or English-Prime.
A few scientists have taken to writing in E-Prime (notable Dr. Albert Ellis and Dr. E.W. Kellogg III). Bourland, in a recent (not-yet-published) paper tells of a few cases in which scientific reports, unsatisfactory to sombunall members of a research group, suddenly made sense and became acceptable when re-written in E-Prime. By and large, however, E-Prime has not yet caught on either in learned circles or in popular speech. --- Robert Anton Wilson

Here is Robert Anton Wilson's expansion upon his ideas of E-Prime

Most arguments are caused by people stating exactly what so-and-so "IS" and what so-and-so "IS NOT," instead of people saying "so-and-so seems to be a democrat," or "so-and-so seems to me to be political." Even this slight change in language alters meaning and alters how we think about the statements. Perfectly irrational statements like "Frank is so stupid," became far more meaningful when said "Frank seems so stupid to me."
The former is a statement of supposed "FACT," while the latter is a deeply meaningful statement which touches not only on Frank, and his actions but also on how those actions are perceived by the person saying that statement.

Just something to think about when you talk today. Try to take out the "IS" from your speech. Describe things rationally and purposefully, not in didactic, yes/no English. Give E-Prime a try. You will not regret it.