Features of formal transactional writing Flashcards
Abbreviations
Words and names or organizations are written in full in more formal styles but can be abbreviated in less formal styles, e.g. Air New Zealand / Air NZ
Abstract nouns
Names of ideas and feelings, e.g. ‘democracy’, ‘love’, are common in political, social and scientific writing, usually in the formal styles.
Allusion
Reference to famous stories in history, literature and legend (usually in more formal texts). Reference famous people in sport, entertainment (usually in less formal texts).
Analogy
Comparison made in order to explain something (rather than in order to express it vividly), e.g. ‘an atom is like the solar system, with the nucleus at the center and electrons circling it the same way the planets circle the sun’.
Apposition
Putting two nouns (or noun phrases) that name the person side by side, e.g. ‘Guest star pop singer Belly Furtado plays. . .’
Assertion
An opinion stated firmly as if it was a fact, e.g. ‘You can win this war, Adolf.’
Balance
The parts of the sentence have similar length and construction, giving it an elegant flow, e.g. ‘Ask and you will receive; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you’.
Cliché
Familiar conversational sayings, e.g. ‘Hit the nail on the head’. (Commoner in less formal styles).
Complex sentences
Sentences made up of smaller sentences joined by any conjunction except ‘and’, ‘but’ or ‘then’. Longer examples are commoner in more formal styles.
Conservative grammar
Strictly correct grammar, e.g. “I am well” (instead of “I am good”) is found in more formal styles. Less formal styles have lower standards.
Contractions
Short terms, e.g. ‘can’t’, ‘he’ll’ are avoided in more formal styles, but are common in less formal styles.
Emotive language
Words showing the writer’s feelings and working up the feelings of the reader. Less formal styles only, e.g. ‘The city is full of gorgeous modern architecture and oozes charm’.
Figurative language
Similes and metaphors are thoughtfully chosen in more formal styles but can be clichéd or chosen to shock or amuse in less formal ones, e.g. ‘Match-fixing swims through cricket like a crocodile in a murky pool, its eyes popping above the surface now and then, victims already digested down below’.
Formal diction
Slang and rude words are avoided in more formal styles, but reviews can have ‘biopic’ and ‘skulduggery’, and a column can have ‘bean counter’.
Honorifics and titles
People are called ‘Mr.’, ‘Miss’, ‘Sir’, ‘Lady’ etc. and nicknames are avoided in more formal styles, e.g. ‘President George Bush’ (editorial) / ‘Tane’ (column) for ‘Tane Wilton’.
Impersonal style
The words reflect educated writers and reader (e.g. ‘I’, ‘We’, ‘You’, etc.) are rare or absent in formal styles, but quite common in less formal contexts.
Irony
Saying something different from what you really mean. More formal styles sometimes use understatement but avoid satire and sarcasm which can be found in less formal styles.
Learned diction
The words reflect educated writers and readers in more formal styles and less education in less formal styles.
Literal language
Saying plainly exactly what you mean. This usually shows a serious purpose and tone, whatever the style, e.g. ‘one-eyed’ means having only one working eyeball.
Neutral tone
Unemotive writing (not showing the writer’s feelings and not working up the feelings of the reader). Most typical of the most formal styles.
Parenthesis
Using brackets or commas to insert an explanation into a sentence right where it is needed. More common in formal styles.
Passive construction
Writing the object of a verb (the person or thing the verb has happened to) before the verb in the sentence, e.g. ‘The pedestrian (object) was struck (verb) by a car’. More common in formal styles.
Qualifications
Words like ‘probably’, which show the writer is being cautious about the idea being put forward. More typical of more formal styles.
Rhetorical question
A question asked to make a point, not to seek an answer from the reader. Can be found in any of the styles.
