Effective Writing - Discussion

The main aim of any form of communication is to relay a message to the intended audience. In order for this to happen effectively, it is imperative that the communication meets certain characteristics. The information has to be correct, concise, clear, considerate and courteous. Severally, people fail to convey a message because the communication does not meet either one or several of these characteristics. These characteristics differ when it comes to communicating formally and informally (Ross-Larson, 2009). For instance, the use of informal words such as slang is considered inappropriate for passing formal messages.

Formal writing requires the use of a certain format and language, so that it is not misinterpreted as a joke by the intended audience. Informal language is likely to make conversation less compelling in most instances. According to Heath & Heath (2007), informal language is only effective in a casual setting. For instance, informal communication is effective when communicating with friends rather than a boss. The intended audiences for formal conversation are official people like the boss.

Heath & Heath (2007) observe that language and tone form a part of communication. People use different tones when communicating in formal and informal situations. The tone of communication is largely affected by the characteristics of the intended audience. The writer has to consider the aspects that are appealing to the audience. Aspects such as the ethics, emotions and language are of immense importance to a writer when determining the tone. A good example in this case is myhealthtips.in. This site provides solutions to health problems such as insomnia (Sharib, 2013). The author uses informal language with a soft tone to convey a message. This style of writing is quite influential and useful as it employs the correct tone.

 

References

Heath, C., & Heath, D. (2007). Made to stick: Why some ideas survive and others die. New York: Random House.

Ross-Larson, B. (2009). Effective writing. Chicago: Norton and Company.

Sharib, M. (October 16, 2013). “How to get rid of insomnia.” MyHealtTtips.in. Retrieved 19th November, 2014. Web.