LANGUAGE

USE
LANGUAGE USE
- refers to the
acceptable style of
language for a
particular form of
text
Examples
Dear Ms. O’Malley,

I have been acquainted with Stephen Davison for three years, in his
capacity as a web designer for my small business. He completely
overhauled my website, and has been responsible for its ongoing
maintenance and search engine optimization as well.

Stephen’s design and optimization, I believe, are largely responsible for

the dramatic increase in traffic to my site, and for the resulting
increase in profits for the business. He is easy to work with, thinks
creatively, and effectively communicates his ideas. He has been a true
game-changer in identifying and enhancing the areas of my website
that weren’t performing as well as they could have, and thus he has
my highest endorsement.

If you have any additional questions or need clarification, please feel

free to contact me.

Best regards,

Tawny Birkenstock
tawnybirk@email.com
777-777-7777
 "Looking back on a childhood filled with events and memories,
I find it rather difficult to pick on that leaves me with the fabled
"warm and fuzzy feelings." As the daughter of an Air Force Major, I
had the pleasure of traveling across America in many moving trips. I
have visited the monstrous trees of the Sequoia National Forest,
stood on the edge of the Grande Canyon and have jumped on the
beds at Caesar’s Palace in Lake “Tahoe.“
The day I picked my dog up from the pound was one of the
happiest days of both of our lives. I had gone to the pound just a
week earlier with the idea that I would just "look" at a puppy. Of
course, you can no more just look at those squiggling little faces so
filled with hope and joy than you can stop the sun from setting in
the morning. I knew within minutes of walking in the door that I
would get a puppy… but it wasn't until I saw him that I knew I had
found my “puppy.”
Looking for houses was supposed to be a fun and exciting
process. Unfortunately, none of the ones that we saw seemed to
match the specifications that we had established. They were too
small, too impersonal, too close to the neighbors. After days of
finding nothing even close, we began to wonder: was there really a
perfect house out there for us?"
CHARACTERISTICS
OF EFFECTIVE
LANGUAGE
CONCRETE AND SPECIFIC

- includes descriptions
which create tangible
images with details the
reader can visualize
 Example:
• He is a bad
roommate.
• He leaves his
dirty dishes on
the kitchen
counter.
 CONCISE
- ability to express the
desired message in a few
words.
 Example:
•  It is widely discussed
by employees that many
of them will be forced
to change jobs and take
on new responsibilities
when the merger takes
place between the two
companies.
 FAMILIAR
- which the readers easily
recognize and understand
because they use it on a
regular basis.
 Example:
• "The presently assigned paper
necessitates an eloquently
articulated analysis of the
Existentialist perspective as
it pertains to contemporary
living. You should adumbrate
the points which represent the
sine qua non of your analysis."
 PRECISE AND
CLEAR
- words should be
exact and clear
 Example:
• "Is that Acura an expensive
car?“

• "Compared to that Honda,

the Acura is expensive.
Compared to that Lexus, it
is inexpensive."
CONSTRUCTIVE
- phrases a
potentially
negative message
in a positive way
 Example:
• "I have never had a student
who was so confused with
this material. Perhaps you
should take an easier
course from an easier
professor. It makes no
difference to me."
 FORMALITY
- characterized by
accuracy, rigidity
and heaviness
Very Formal: Exceedingly large
segments of the population are expressing
their discontent with medical
practitioners who appear to more engrossed
in amassing financial assets than in
providing efficacious care to people with
health disorders.

Formal: A large number of consumers are

complaining about medical doctors who are
apparently more interested in making money
than in provide effective health care.

Informal: A lot of people are unhappy

with their doctors who only seem to care
about how much money they make, and not
about giving their patients good care