How to write with clarity using an appropriate style and tone. For more English tutorials, please visit: https://www.thelecturette.com

1. Clarity, Style and Tone

2. Clarity

3. Introduction
Clarity
Clear writing is essential if your emails and
reports are to be understood. In order to write
clearly, you should first consider what it is you
wish to communicate to the reader and then
write it clearly and simply.

4. Introduction
Style
Style is the way you construct sentences to
make writing more readable and therefore more
understandable. It is important to use a variety
of sentence constructions and to choose the
appropriate degree of formality.

5. Introduction
Tone
Tone is the strength with which you express
yourself in writing. Certain phrases are stronger
than others. Choosing a strong, neutral or
tentative phrase can significantly affect the
message you give to your reader.

6. Clarity
There are a number of factors that affect how
easy or difficult it is to read a text.
•the layout must be correct and attractive
•sentences should be short and simple in
construction
•technical subject matter (jargon) should be kept
to a minimum

7. Clarity
Layout
There are many different layouts used for letters,
reports and emails. It is important that you use
the appropriate one.

8. Clarity
Short sentences
If sentences are short and simple, text is easier
to read and therefore easier to understand. Long
sentences can be confusing because they
contain several statements or ideas. It is better,
if possible, to use several shorter sentences.

9. Clarity
Short sentences
On the following slides are two ways of writing
the same information. Version 1 shows the
information as a single long sentence whereas it
is shown as three short sentences in Version 2.
Notice that Version 2 is easier to read and is
clearer to understand.

10. Clarity
Version 1
Whilst I accept your reasons for the
delay in submitting your report on the
advertising campaign, and not
withstanding the fact that the next
meeting about advertising will not
now be held until October, I must
insist that you should complete it as
quickly as possible, preferably before
the end of the week, but no later than
the beginning of September.

11. Clarity
Version 2
I accept your reasons for the delay in
submitting your report on the
advertising campaign. Although the
next advertising meeting will not be
held until October, I must insist that
you should complete the report as
quickly as possible. Please let me
have it by the end of the week, or at
least no later than the beginning of
September.

12. Clarity
Jargon
Technical subject matter
If you are writing to someone who is not an
expert in your field of business, you should avoid
language that is too specialized or technical for
a non-expert reader.

13. Clarity
On the following slides are two versions of the
same extract from a report written by a banker in
an investment bank. The meaning of Version 1
should be clear to other bankers, but might not
mean anything to a person who does not
understand banking terms. Version 2 avoids
jargon and so is much clearer to read.

14. Clarity
Version 1
The bank’s position in US Treasuries
is marked-to-market at the close of
trade every day, and an unrealized
profit or loss is reported.

15. Clarity
Version 2
At the close of trade each day, the
bank values its holdings of US
Treasury bonds at current prices. A
gain or loss is reported for the day,
depending on whether the bond
prices have moved favorably or
unfavorably since the previous day.

16. Clarity
Abbreviations
Avoid using abbreviations unless you are sure
that the reader knows what they mean,
otherwise the reader will be confused. Look at
the example on the following slide.

17. Clarity
I have to submit a report on the CMQ to LAHQ
by the end of this week. The DMSPR wants it
urgently.
This may be clear if the reader is a colleague
from the same organization but it may not be
clear to someone outside the organization.

18. Style

19. Style
The style of an email or report is affected by:
•the variety of sentence constructions
•the degree of formality used

20. Variety
Style can be improved by using a variety of
sentence constructions. This makes the writing
more interesting to read. The main topic of the
sentence should appear at the beginning of the
sentence to show that it is important.
The examples on the next slides show three
ways of writing the same piece of information.

21. Variety
Because of the strike on the railways, deliveries
were unfortunately delayed by one week.
Here, the most important information is that the
strike on the railways caused by a problem.

22. Variety
Deliveries were delayed by one week
unfortunately because of the strike on the
railways.
Here, the most important information is the
problem that the deliveries were delayed.

23. Variety
Unfortunately, because of the strike on the
railways, deliveries were delayed by one week.
Here, the most important information is the fact
that something unfortunate occurred.

24. Variety
On the following slides are two ways of writing
the same text. Version 2 shows different forms
of sentence construction and is more interesting
to read.

25. Variety
Version 1
I received your order for ten desk fans
on October 11. I regret to inform you
that a labour strike has delayed
production. We recently hired new
staff. We expect to be back in
production before the end of the
month. I apologize for the delay.

26. Variety
Version 2
I receive you order for ten desk fans
on October 11. Because of the labour
strike in our factory, production on
new desk fans has been delayed.
Recently , we hired new staff and
expect to be back in production
before the end of the month. We
sincerely apologize for the delay.

27. Formality
Written English is more formal than spoken
language, especially in business emails and
reports. The following points are important:
•contractions (we’ll, you’ve, it’s, etc.) are not
normally used in business correspondence
•business emails and reports are more
impersonal than emails to friends. ‘We’ is often
use instead of ‘I’ when the writer represents the
company

28. Formality
• the passive is often used as the reader is
more interested in the action itself rather than
who carried out the action

29. Formal and Informal English
On the following slides are some formal and
informal phrases in written English. Notice how
most formal phrases use the passive.

30. Formal and Informal English
INFORMAL FORMAL
I recommend that you It is recommended/ We
should close down the recommend that you
factory. should close down the
factory.
I have recently been told It has recently come to my
that ... attention that ...
We dispatched the goods The goods were
yesterday. dispatched yesterday.

31. Formal and Informal English
INFORMAL FORMAL
Unless we act quickly, we The opportunity will be lost
shall lose this opportunity. unless we act quickly.
We purchase the The components are
components from purchased from
Scandinavia. Scandinavia.

32. Formal and Informal English
Both sets of phrases are correct, but should be
used in different circumstances. For example,
you might use an informal phrase when writing
to a colleague you know well, whereas a formal
phrase would be more appropriate when writing
to another company.

33. Formal and Informal English
Note:
It is important to remember that, although written
business English is more formal than spoken
language, it is not as formal as it used to be.
Some words and phrases that were previously
used in letters, for example, are now considered
to be over-formal. On the following slide are
some examples.

34. Formal and Informal English
OVER-FORMAL BETTER
Our latest brochure is We are pleased to enclose
enclosed herewith. our latest brochure.
Following your enquiry, we
Pursuant to your enquiry, ...
we ...

35. Spoken and Written English
On the following slide are some common words
and phrases. Some are normally spoken, or are
used for an informal writing style. An alternative
word or phrase that might be used in a formal
email or report is shown in the next column.

36. Spoken and Written English
SPOKEN WRITTEN
get worse deteriorate
get better improve
OK, alright satisfactory
chance opportunity
get in touch contact
tell inform
want require

37. Spoken and Written English
SPOKEN WRITTEN
ask for request
more information further information
let me know if the date is please confirm the date
alright
fill in (a form) complete (a form)
worried concerned
guess estimate

38. Spoken and Written English
SPOKEN WRITTEN
we are sorry we regret
(to) help (to) assist
help assistance

39. Spoken and Written English
Words and phrases in both columns may be
used in spoken or written English, with the
exception of ‘OK’, which is not used in business
writing. In general, the words and phrases in the
‘written’ column are used when writing to
someone outside your own company. It is also
important not to use idiomatic language in formal
letters and reports.

40. Tone

41. Tone
The tone with which you express yourself in
writing can be:
•strong
•neutral
•tentative
For example, you may want to express your
view very strongly when making a
recommendation in an email or report.

42. Strong
We strongly recommend that you carry out a
thorough review of your information systems.
We are firmly convinced that the safety
measures are inadequate.

43. Strong
If you are writing about legal requirements, you
could use one of these phrases:
It is obligatory that ...
You are legally required to ...
You are obliged by law to ...

44. Neutral
You can use a neutral tone to suggest to the
reader that your view or recommendation is
worth considering, but is not a strong one. For
example:
We recommend that you carry out a thorough
review of your information systems.
We believe that the safety measures are
inadequate.

45. Tentative
A tentative tone allows the reader to choose
whether to act upon the view or to ignore it.
You might like to consider carrying out a
thorough review of your information systems.
It would seem that the safety measures are
inadequate.

46. Useful Phrases
STRONG RECOMMENDATIONS
It is obligatory that ...
You are legally required to ...
It is of the utmost importance that ..
We strongly recommend that ...

47. Useful Phrases
STRONG OPINIONS
We are firmly convinced that ...
We are firmly of the opinion that ...

48. Useful Phrases
NEUTRAL RECOMMENDATIONS
We recommend that ...
We advise you to ...
It would be in your interest to ...
You should consider ...

49. Useful Phrases
NEUTRAL OPINIONS
We believe that ...
It is our opinion that ...

50. Useful Phrases
TENTATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS
You could consider ...
You might like to consider ...

51. Useful Phrases
TENTATIVE OPINIONS
It would seem that ...
It would appear that ...