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Welcome to the Purdue OWLThis page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice. Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use. Summary: This handout will cover some of the major issues with appropriate language use: levels of language formality, deceitful language and euphemisms, slang and idiomatic expressions; using group-specific jargon; and biased/stereotypical language. When writing, it is very important to use language that fits your audience and matches purpose. Inappropriate language uses can damage your credibility, undermine your argument, or alienate your audience. This handout will cover some of the major issues with appropriate language use: levels of language formality, deceitful language and euphemisms, slang and idiomatic expressions; using group-specific jargon; and biased/stereotypical language. The following is a short overview of the different aspects of using appropriate language. Review the other sections of this handout for a more complete discussion.
Formal and Informal StyleWhether you use formal or informal style in writing will depend on the assignment itself, its subject, purpose, and audience. Formal language is characterized by the use of standard English, more complex sentence structures, infrequent use of personal pronouns, and lack of colloquial or slang terms. Informal language allows the use of nonstandard English forms, colloquial vocabulary and typically shorter sentence structures. The choice of formal or informal style will affect the following areas:
Rule to RememberFormal style affects the form of English, the choice of vocabulary, and the use of contractions and pronouns. Standard or Nonstandard EnglishStandard English is the language used in professional and business communication. It is the form of English that follows the formal rules of the language. Nonstandard English uses regional or social language variations. Nonstandard English should only be used when there is a purpose for it in writing. For example, it can be used in a narrative to describe a person with a specific regional dialect. Otherwise, the standard form of English should be used. Choice of VocabularyVocabulary needs to be adjusted depending on the level of formality of any written work. Consider the following words: investigate, examine, check out. Each of them has a different level of formality. While check out can be used in informal writing and speech, using it in a formal research paper would not be appropriate.
Rule to RememberUse more formal vocabulary and avoid the use of contractions in formal writing. Sometimes the whole sentence needs to be rephrased:
Contractions are more casual, and if you are striving for more formal style, they should not be used. Contractions in negative sentences should be especially avoided since they are easy to miss.
The Use of PronounsFormal language tends to be impersonal and precise. The use of pronouns, therefore, is restricted. In formal writing, when addressing the audience, you may use the passive voice or an adverbial clause in place of the personal pronoun:
Rule to RememberRestrict the use of personal pronouns in formal writing. The writer's presence, signaled by the use of the personal pronoun I, or we (if there are several authors), can also make writing more informal and less credible.
The second sentence is more formal and can be perceived by the audience to be more credible. Take Quiz Previous Next What does it mean to say you should use language appropriately in your speeches?Using appropriate language means that a speaker's language is suitable or fitting for themselves, as the speaker; our audience; the speaking context; and the speech itself. Vivid language helps listeners create mental images.
Why is it important for speakers to use clear language?Clarity is the first concern of a public speaker when it comes to choosing how to phrase the ideas of his or her speech. If you are not clear, specific, precise, detailed, and sensory with your language, you won't have to worry about being emotional or persuasive, because you won't be understood.
What are the major considerations for using language vividly?Remember this! For vivid words to work they must be emotionally interesting, vivid enough to produce sensations or visual images, relatable to the audience, and related to the central thesis. Vivid messages are easier to remember and can be more persuasive.
When writing your purpose statement what should you think about quizlet?The specific purpose statement should focus on one aspect of a topic and be expressed in a single infinitive phrase. It is important to keep your audience in mind as you formulate the specific purpose for your speech. A specific purpose statement should usually be phrased as a question.
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You should use a subject, examples, and a level of usage that are appropriate for your audience.
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