Formal writing style is very different from our everyday speech patterns. What differences have you noticed between your daily conversational style and academic writing?

Formal writing style is very different from our everyday speech patterns. What differences have you noticed between your daily conversational style and academic writing?

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Formal and informal language serve different purposes. The tone, the choice of words and the
way the words are put together vary between the two styles. Formal language is less personal
than informal language. It is used when writing for professional or academic purposes like
university assignments. Formal language does not use colloquialisms, contractions or first person
pronouns such as ‘I’ or ‘We’.
Informal language is more casual and spontaneous. It is used when communicating with friends or
family either in writing or in conversation. It is used when writing personal emails, text messages
and in some business correspondence. The tone of informal language is more personal than
formal language.
Examples of formal and informal language are shown below:
Contractions
Informal: The improvements canʼt be introduced due to funding restrictions.
Formal: Improvements cannot be introduced due to funding restrictions.
Informal: I donʼt believe that the results are accurate.
Formal: The results are not believed to be accurate.
Informal: The research project wonʼt continue next year.
Formal: The research project will not continue next year.
Phrasal verbs
Informal: The balloon was blown up for the experiment.
Formal: The balloon was inflated for the experiment.
Informal: The patient got over his illness.
Formal: The patient recovered from his illness.
Informal: The results of the study were mixed up.
Formal: The results of the study were confused.
Slang/Colloquialism
Informal: The mob was very rowdy during the protest against cuts to university funding.
Formal: The crowd was very rowdy during the protest against the cuts to university funding.
Informal: Lecturers still count on students to use correct grammar and punctuation in essays.
Formal: Lecturers expect students to use correct grammar and punctuation in essays.
Informal: It was raining cats and dogs.
Formal: It was raining very heavily.
First person pronouns
Informal: I considered various research methods for the study.
Formal: Various research methods were considered for the study.
Informal: We believe the practice is unsustainable.
Formal: It is believed the practice is unsustainable.
Informal: During the interview I asked students about their experiences.
Formal: During the interview students were asked about their experiences.
Acronyms
TAFE Technical and Further Education
ANZAC Australian and New Zealand Army Corps
QANTAS Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services
Initialisms
UTS University of Technology Sydney
ISO International Standards Organisation
OECD Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
The first time an acronym or initialism is used in an essay, it is acceptable to write the name in full
with the acronym or initialism in brackets after it. Every subsequent time it is used the acronym or
initialism can be used on its own. Commonly known acronyms such as ANZAC and QANTAS do not
need to be written in full.
If an acronym or initialism needs to be made into a plural, add a small ‘s’ to it without an
apostrophe.

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Solution

Formal writing style is very different from our everyday speech patterns. What differences have you noticed between your daily conversational style and academic writing. Think about texting, Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, slang. They are all part of everyday speech and conversations. How we talk to friends and family differs too depending on their ages, their culture, how is that different from academic writing?

            This topic is very interesting to me. The first difference that came to mind is that I have a lot more practice with conversational speech patterns. We must do this every day and it comes more naturally to us. Academic writing forces us to research and develop our thoughts more than our casual interactions. Our essays are formal and generally directed to our instructors, a group of peers, or a scientific group whereas our everyday speaking can be directed to anyone we encounter. As such, we tweak our grammar and vernacular to match our audience, taking into consideration their age, culture, or interests. This includes text speech and posts on social media. On Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc., we do not tend to pay attention to correct spelling or use of jargon. Abbreviation is used to allow for quick texting or chatting, especially when communicating with multiple people. Abbreviations are used in academic writing, but carefully. Shorthand is also common in text speech and utilizes figures such as emojis, stickers, or GIFs. These are sometimes used in lieu of descriptive phrases to express emotion or in comedy.

            Academic writing is an entirely different story. This writing is done by presenting information which displays a clear understanding of the topic. Research and development are required before submitting a work, unlike everyday conversations. We must pay attention to our content, backing it up with facts from credible sources. In addition, we must cite them accurately according to APA requirements to prevent plagiarism and give our audience the opportunity to investigate further if desired. In academic writing, our goal is to be objective and we report our findings without excessive emotion or use of emotive punctuations (ellipses, exclamation points, etc.). Academic writing is mostly impersonal, using the third person rather than first-person. Grammar and correct punctuation are also a must, whereas in everyday speech it is not. Formal writing tends to frown upon the use of contractions or starting a sentence with a conjunction. Our everyday speech is rife with these. Additionally, our paragraphs must be organized. Each paragraph should develop a single idea so as not to confuse our readers. Paragraphs of information are not commonly found in our daily written communications.

           I found a humorous difference as well – time constraints. Academic writing generally has some sort of deadline. Our chats, texts, emails, or posts typically do not (thankfully). Social courtesy may dictate a level of promptness in replying but the time limit is not out rightly specified.

           Words are powerful and we have the responsibility of using them to the best of our ability, whether written or spoken, informally or academically.

           When writing an academic paper I find myself being more aware and careful to use correct punctuation and grammar, and what words I use and the order I use them in. I then rewrite sentences and paragraphs several times before I feel satisfied. My academic style has a more serious undertone and tends to be more detailed, descriptive, and wordy.

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             In my conversational style I am generally still grammatically correct and try to use correct punctuation, even when I send text messages, but tend to be a little lazier in my conversations using: “like”, “um”, “and”, and other “filler words” in written text and verbal conversations. My daily conversations are more light-hearted and breezy, and I don’t use a lot of descriptor words as often, usually just assuming the other person generally knows what I’m talking about. In my everyday written texts, I use a lot of exclamation points, emoji’s, and … between sentences or words. I also tend to get off subject often in my daily conversations, so the pattern of flow can be all over the place; whereas, in my academic writing I try to keep it flowing in one direction so the subject is easy to follow. It has been more difficult than I had originally thought it would be to be writing for this class, mainly due to the fact that it’s been over 11 years since the last time I wrote an academic paper, and I now have to train myself to be more focused and aware of what and how I am writing.

              Great points, Lindsay. I agree because I am also far more aware of my writing in the academic setting. I read and reread what I wrote, adjusting it until I’m satisfied. I do not tend to put as much thought into presentation when writing/speaking conversationally. Editing is an important part of academic writing, making sure our sentences are as clear and concise as possible, and conveying our intended meaning. Our breaks in paragraphs must be intentional to keep the flow easy to understand for our readers. Actually, everything we write in an academic setting should be intentional. I am also guilty of using “…” very often in my texts, sometimes even adding a few more periods for emphasis. I do not think I have every seen this in academic writing, except maybe as part of a direct quote. Ellipses are used in quotes when you want to omit a word or phrase from a quote. They allow you to save space and keep only the material that is relevant.

           Emotive language or punctuation (such as exclamation points) are not used frequently in academic writing, although there is a time and place for them as well. The important part, which you mentioned, is to be more mindful of your content, flow, and grammar in formal writing. I can relate to the difficulty in transitioning from one to the other. Has modern communication such as social media, email, and texting, affected formal, professional communication today? If so, how?

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               In a word – absolutely. I believe we have lost our ability to speak or write formally, or at least we struggle with it significantly more than in the past. We are accustomed to typing without mindfulness, posting without a spell or grammar check, and giving opinions without providing a source. This comes through in professional communication as well. Some may even have lost their social skills in person-to-person conversation because they are so used to writing or posting to an unseen audience. Then, when we sit down to write a professional email, resume, or essay, we struggle with wording, grammar, and flow. I realized how far I had fallen personally when I accidentally sent a smiley face emoji in an email to my nurse manager and did not even notice it until I received her reply. Thankfully, she had sent me a heart emoji so she did not seem to mind too much. We are so good at communication nowadays, but are we really? I know I tend to use emojis or stickers to display my emotion rather than describing it with words. When I share an experience I often post or send pictures because they are worth a thousand words, right? Human beings are story tellers and using pictures to describe a story is not a new concept. However, picture or emoji use is rarely acceptable in professional communication.

             I believe social media has also wounded our ability to listen. We lose patience in a long post, speech, or lecture. We are all so excited to get our story out there through whatever media we are a part of. We should not lose track of the two-way street that communication really is.

            We are always impressed to meet a well-spoken and articulate person. So, let us strive to be that way in every communication – professional or social.

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