977

PART 3 WORD CHOICE

12. APPROPRIATENESS

Every time you communicate with someone else, you make immediate, often instinctive language choices. When you text a good friend, for example, you might use shorthand such as u for “you,” omw for “on my way,” and tbh for “to be honest.” You can be sure your friend not only understands what you write but also expects you to write in that style. However, you probably wouldn’t use that same shorthand in an email to a teacher, and including such language in a job or college application would seriously damage your chances. The words you choose in your writing affect how others perceive you and in turn reflect what you perceive as appropriate in a given circumstance.

Appropriate communication uses language suited to your audience and the purpose. In any writing you do, you must pay close attention to the words you choose.

Tone indicates a writer’s attitude toward his or her subject and audience.

To communicate effectively, you must choose a tone appropriate for your topic and audience.

To create an appropriate tone, think about what kind of attitude would best accomplish your purpose with a particular audience. What are your audience’s expectations?

Formal language uses standard English and is often used to describe topics the writer takes seriously. Formal language relies on sophisticated vocabulary, relatively long and complex sentences, an elevated tone, and an avoidance of contractions. Informal language allows the writer more flexibility because it tends to be more conversational. In informal writing situations, sentences tend to be shorter and simpler, vocabulary is not as sophisticated (and can involve slang and contractions), and the tone is more personal and friendly. You should use formal language in any writing for academic and professional purposes. Informal language is best used in writing for personal or humorous purposes. Much of social media writing (such as tweets, Facebook posts, and blogs) relies on informal language.

Jargon refers to specialized language used by a group of people who share the same knowledge base. This specialized language operates in a large variety of groups, from skateboarders to cell biologists.

Jargon can be convenient and even necessary. A cell biologist writing an article for an academic journal can use terms such as transfection and in silico to succinctly express her argument and be confident that readers understand. However, using those terms without explaining their meaning in an article for Time magazine would likely leave readers confused and might even make them feel excluded.

Writers can avoid using jargon by being aware of their audience. When you write, ask yourself: Will my audience understand this terminology or not? When in doubt, choose straightforward, simple, and clear words. If your topic requires the use of specialized vocabulary, jargon may be unavoidable. For instance, in a research paper on genetically modified foods, you may need to discuss terms such as genetic engineering and gene targeting. In this case, explain each term as plainly and succinctly as possible to ensure your readers can follow your narrative.

978

A euphemism is a word or phrase that replaces another term in order to render that term more palatable. Euphemisms attempt to beautify or conceal. For instance, rather than acknowledge the harsh reality of death, we might say that someone has passed on instead.

When we call a garbage collector a sanitation engineer, we are using a euphemism. In the best-case scenario, a euphemism can encourage a change in perspective. We can call attention to the hard work of collecting garbage and encourage respect for those who practice the profession by renaming them sanitation engineers. In the worst-case scenario, a euphemism covers up atrocities, such as the terms collateral damage for civilian deaths during war or ethnic cleansing for genocide.

Because the purpose of a euphemism is to soften or conceal the harshness or reality of a term, euphemisms by nature encourage vague language and can cause readers to interpret terms in wildly differing ways. To avoid euphemisms, use precise language.

Slang refers to language shared by a particular group of people. Musicians keep to a beat by staying in the pocket while surfers greet each other by saying “Hey, dude!” And while slang can provide vibrant dialogue, it should be avoided in formal writing for several reasons. First of all, slang excludes readers who do not understand the vocabulary. Second, slang is mercurial—phrases or words usually remain current only for a few years. For example, a guitarist’s excellent skills might be described as groovy, far-out, cool, awesome, or sick. Each adjective dates the language to a particular time and often pins it to a specific group or geographic area. Using precise and standard vocabulary instead of slang ensures that readers will clearly and easily understand the writing.