 Style and Tone
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Reaching your intended audience
Your writing style projects an image of yourself and your organisation.
Using Plain English is an important part of supporting the needs of dyslexic students. Your other students will also benefit greatly, for example, students whose first language is not English.
Save time and misunderstandings. Use a style and tone appropriate for your intended audience and you can get your message across the first time.
You are not aiming to dumb down information. Your subject may be complex, but aim for a simple style so that readers put most of their effort into considering the information and very little into unscrambling the language.
Picture the reader and put yourself in their shoes.
- Who am I writing for?
- What does my reader need to know now?
- What does the reader already know ?
- What do I need them to do ?
- Is my language suitable for my reader?
Being 'brief' is not always the same as being 'clear'.
Sometimes you need more words to explain something clearly.
If you can't get rid of jargon, explain it. Make a glossary of unfamiliar
or complex terms and place it at the beginning of your text.
Organising information
A well-structured piece of writing can be of the greatest help to your reader.
We know our way round our own information, but your reader does not.
When re-organising a piece of information for your reader, it helps to rethink and restructure your piece of writing from scratch.
Stick to bare essentials: aim to 'slash and burn' about one third of your text.
You should leave about a third of your writing time for making a plan.
Use the' inverted pyramid' strategy: start with most important information, then the next most important and end with the least important.
Organise your information into logical chunks.
Headings and subheadings are essential signposts for your reader.
A clear flow chart, mind map, pictogram or illustration can help clarify ideas or aid your reader to navigate round information.
Some suggestions for improving writing style
Try using: |
Avoid, if possible: |
shorter sentences
Make one point with maybe one or two connecting ideas |
sentences over 20 words
Vary sentence length |
| lists with bullet points |
long paragraphs, lists, sentences |
verbs:
'…after completing…' |
nouns:
"…subsequent to completion…" |
personal pronouns:
(I, me, you, we, us..)
'You should attend tutorials.'
'Please return your form to us.' |
impersonal ways of referring to yourself or your readers:
'Students should attend tutorials.'
'Forms should be returned to the college.' |
active verbs:
'We advise you to arrive early.'
'We have lost your application form.' |
passive verbs:
'You are advised to arrive early.'
Your application form has been lost.' |
everyday language:
'start - try - by law - although…' |
jargon, unusual, pompous or over- formal words:
'commence - endeavour – statutory - notwithstanding…' |
use full form of word:
'and - for example - and so on…'
'Disability Discrimination Act'
'he or she' |
Symbols or abbreviations, especially if unexplained:
'& - e.g. – etc…'
'DDA'
'he/she' |
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