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11.2 Writing Style
Learning Objective
- Demonstrate your ability to prepare and present information using a writing style that
will increase understanding, retention, and motivation to act.
You are invited to a business dinner at an expensive restaurant that has been the top-
rated dining establishment in your town for decades. You are aware of the restaurant’s
dress code, which forbids casual attire such as jeans, T-shirts, and sneakers. What will
you wear? If you want to fit in with the other guests and make a favorable impression on
your hosts, you will choose a good quality suit or dress (and appropriately dressy shoes
and accessories). You will avoid calling undue attention to yourself with clothing that is
overly formal—an evening gown or a tuxedo, for example—or that would distract from
the business purpose of the occasion by being overly revealing or provocative. You may
feel that your freedom to express yourself by dressing as you please is being restricted,
or you may appreciate the opportunity to look your best. Either way, adhering to these
style conventions will serve you well in a business context.
The same is true in business writing. Unlike some other kinds of writing such as poetry
or fiction, business writing is not an opportunity for self-expression. Instead it calls for a
fairly conservative and unadorned style. Writing style, also known as voice or tone, is
the manner in which a writer addresses the reader. It involves qualities of writing such
as vocabulary and figures of speech, phrasing, rhythm, sentence structure, and
paragraph length. Developing an appropriate business writing style will reflect well on
you and increase your success in any career.
Formal versus Informal
There was a time when many business documents were written in third person to give
them the impression of objectivity. This formal style was often passive and wordy. Today
it has given way to active, clear, concise writing, sometimes known as “Plain English.” [1]
As business and industry increasingly trade across borders and languages, writing
techniques that obscure meaning or impede understanding can cause serious problems.
Efficient writing styles have become the norm. Still, you will experience in your own
writing efforts this “old school versus new school” writing debate over abbreviations,
contractions, and the use of informal language in what was once considered a formal
business context. Consider the following comparison of informal versus formal and
bureaucratic styles.
Bureaucratic: Attached is the latest delivery data represented in topographical forms
pursuant to the directive ABC123 of the air transportation guide supplied by the Federal
Aviation Administration in September of 2008.
- Formal – Please note the attached delivery data for July 2009.
- Informal – Here’s the delivery data for last month.