A personal conversation with a friend differs from a speech given to a large group of strangers. VoiceĪnything you write should still have your voice: something that makes your writing sound uniquely like you. In the same way, writing should change to suit the occasion. In all of these cases, there is some freedom of self-expression while adapting to the audience. An academic paper is like a formal speech at a conference: being interesting is desirable, but there is no room for personal digressions or familiar usage of slang words. A column for a newspaper may be more like a high-school graduation speech: it can be more formal, but it can still be funny or familiar. A journal might be like a conversation with a close friend where there is the freedom to use slang or other casual forms of speech. One way to achieve proper tone is to imagine a situation in which to say the words being written. (Good writers frequently vary the length of their sentences.) It can consist mostly of long, intricate sentences, of short, simple ones, or of something in between. The tone may be objective or subjective, logical or emotional, intimate or distant, serious or humorous. ToneĪside from individual word choice, the overall tone, or attitude, of a piece of writing should be appropriate to the audience and purpose. Avoid clichés, vagueness (language that has more than one equally probable meaning), wordiness, and unnecessarily complex language.
Some types of diction are almost never advisable in writing. Words that have almost the same denotation (dictionary meaning) can have very different connotations (implied meanings).īesides the level of formality, also consider positive or negative connotations of the words chosen. When writing, use vocabulary suited for the type of assignment. Switching styles can distract the reader and diminish the believability of the paper’s argument. The main goal in considering style is to present your information in a manner appropriate for both the audience and the purpose of the writing. As the package for the meaning of the text, style influences the reader’s impression of the information itself. In writing, however, the two are very closely linked. Style is the way in which something is written, as opposed to the meaning of what is written.
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