Style of Writing

Writing style can be formal or informal depending on the audience for which the writing is intended. The modern tendency is to adapt the formal style to a more consultative style depending on the culture of the organisation. This style creates the impression that the writer is talking or consulting with the reader. Occasional contractions like we’ve, you’re, as well as personal pronouns such as ‘we’ or ‘you’ may be used, etc. Complete sentences and short paragraphs are still used.

Good writing style has the following qualities:

• It is clear, specific and to the point - not vague.
  • Vague = please send me a couple of beef dog food tins.
  • Specific = please send me 100x150g tins of beef dog food.
• Avoid verbosity (too many words). Keep sentences short but complete.
• An impersonal approach – avoid words like 'I' and 'we'.
• Short paragraphs – four to five sentences per paragraph.
• Simple but formal vocabulary – don’t talk down to people.
• Choose words that are more familiar e.g. ‘increase’ instead of ‘to proliferate’. Avoid technical jargon (specialised technical words) except with people who shares your knowledge.
• Avoid ambiguity – double meaning e.g. “Have you or any members of your family ever committed suicide?”
• Use active instead of passive voice e.g. Active = “You have to clean the dustbin everyday.” Passive = “The dustbin has to be cleaned everyday.”
• Use the correct word – some words sound and look similar but have different meanings e.g. accept and except, stationary and stationery.
• Check spelling, use of capital letters, commas, full stops, colons, semi-colons, subject verb concord, e.g. they ‘have’ not ‘has’.
• Sentence construction and tenses – stay in the tense you started off with.