AUDIENCE AND LANGUAGE: FIVE STYLES OF COMMUNICATION The same message below is written in each of the styles: Speech Writing 1) Oratorical 1) Hyperformal 2) Deliberative 2) Formal 3) Consultative 3) Semiformal 4) Casual 4) Informal 5) Intimate 5) Very Informal 1) In my opinion he is not the person whom we desire. 1) I believe that he is not the person whom we want. 3) I don't think he's the person we're looking for. 4) 'Fraid he's not our pick. 5) Turkey, eh? Hyperformal: Careful and elaborate structuring of the sentence, paragraph, and the whole text. Frequent use of figures of speech. Attention is drawn to the language itself through careful choice of sound and rhythm. Formal: The syntax is complex and varied. No looseness of structure. Connectors such as "therefore," "nevertheless," and "moreover," are frequent. Points of linguistic etiquette such as "who/whom" distinctions are carefully observed. Extensive vocabulary use. Semiformal: Looseness of sentence structure. Relatively simple clause structure. Frequent use of "and" or "but" to connect clauses. Use of contractions. Frequent omission of the subordinator "that" and the relative ("who," "which," "that"). Informal: Slang and profanities appear. Omission of unstressed words especially at the beginning of a sentence. Continued use of contractions and use of abbreviations. Very informal: Codelike. Not often written. Minimum sentence structure. Special vocabulary. Exercise: Look at the attached Parable of the Prodigal Son written in the five styles. Each level or style of communication aims at a different audience and has different language characteristics. From the samples below, identify the type of audience at which each level is aimed. Identify specific language characteristics which separate the styles. 2 King James Version (Early Modern English, 1611) A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them said to his father, Father give me the portion of goods that falleth unto me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substances with riotous living... (1) Hyperformal A particular man fathered two sons. The younger addressed his father with the plea, "Father, allocate to me the portion of goods to which I am entitled." The father, therefore, divided his property unto his sons. Within a brief passage of time, the younger sibling had gathered his inheritance and journeyed into a foreign land; thereafter, he wasted his wealth with lecherous living. (2) Formal There was a man who had two sons. The younger of the two sons said, "Father, may I now receive these goods that are entitled to me?" Since the man loved both sons equally, he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son departed far into another country, where he wasted his share with riotous living. (3) Semiformal A man had two sons, and the youngest said, "Father, give me my share." Then he divided up his goods between the two sons. A few days afterwards the younger son got all his goods together and left the country, wasting his share on high living. His only concern was wine, women, and song. (4) Informal There was a man with two sons. The youngest son said to his dad, "Look, Dad, give me what I've got coming to me." So his Dad said, "Okay." A couple days later the son packed up and took off for another state. After he split, he had a hell of a good time. But finally he blew all his money, livin' it up. (5) Very Informal Little Brother got his cut, split...and blew the whole wad. Exercise: Choose several of the proverbs and aphorisms below and recast them in the five styles. 1. He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing hidden. 2. What is done by night appears by day. 3 3. Let bygones be bygones. 4. Variety is the spice of life. 5. After silence that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music. 6. It is best to do what you feel. 7. Good sense makes a person slow to anger, and it is to one's glory to overlook an offense. 8. It is by acts and not ideas that people live. 9. I agree with what you think. 10. The person who is too old to learn was probably always too old to learn. 11. A stitch in time saves nine. 12. War is hell. 13. Silence is golden. 14. Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. 15. Bad! Word Choice Exercise: Sentences to Revise Writers need to be careful to use words correctly to avoid embarrasing or confusing sentences. Revise the sentences below to correct the problems with word choice. 1. Injuries often prove fatal to the horse and some never recover. 2. So what is a young mother supposed to do? This is a decision she should think about while she is getting married. 3. His thoughts can be summed up in a few words but they are not so easily explained. 4. She lived in a house with her elder mother. 5. The average person would have no, little or any opinion. 6. The principle character discovers that the water supply in his town is deluded. 7. Most of the divorces filed for have girls connected with them in one way or another. 8. If a colored person is slayed in South Africa, he or she is given a fair trial. 9. I would hate to loose the power of prayer. 10. Gerasim was a deaf mute who could speak only inaudible syllables. 11. I have a good code of ethics because I went to a military school in Virginia. 12. A child should get his background at an early age so his mother should go to college. 13. Even though the three articles were the same, I found no differences. 14. I think a scientist should have morals but shouldn't let them interfere with his work. 15. Several collegiate professors have been either dismissed from the faculty or heavily reprimanded for actions doubting the loyalty of one's country. 16. Movies have been made of the lives of such great men as Lincoln, Washington, Hitler, and Babe Ruth. 17. Farmers are more religious than city people because they go to church and pray for rain. 18. A love of nature was shown by the hunt in which Siegfried killed more animals and also brought back a huge bear just for laughs. 19. The merchants are beginning to build our small community up. We have a new funeral home.... 20. The future is nearer than the past, so I will start by saying I am twenty years old. 21. Caesar was very tactile in his relations with Cleopatra and his soldiers. 22. I like to keep an open mine about labor unions. 23. He wrote about the slavery of the collard people of the South. 24. Living for over two hundred years would get old. 25. After all, foulable man was responsible for the Bible. 26. I can't think of anything which being totally ignorant of which would benefit the person ignorant of it. 27. The candidate proposed a full parody program for farmers. 28. I heard a speaker talk about marriage once, and he said it was similar to eating the desert before a meal. 29. When two people have said wedding vowels they are joined together. 30. The girl, an unwed mother, hasn't a chance because of her lowly environment and her abdominal husband. 31. This paper contains no dramatical errors. 32. Misused high-flung words can be very embarrassing to the writer. 33. Sam Rosenberg, the fighting Irishman as he calls himself, was his name. 34. The love of a man for a woman is always taken for granite. 35. Athletes have been considered by many as being passed by their professors so they could continue to play their peculiar sport. 36. Scientists have now developed an atomic clock that has proven many chronological facts thought to be right wrong. 37. So how could a democracy work perfectly when none of them will not follow any or almost none of the rules of an ideal democracy? 38. To this one dramatic major I will give the anonymous name of Jane Doe. 39. (In about 2000AD) the courts will be full of cases like your husband or your wife winking at someone or riding them home from work. 40. My wife kicked my ankle, and spontaneously I let out a shrieking ovation whereupon she dropped the eggs into my lap. 41. Can you imagine a more beautiful picture than to see a person setting under a spreading Chestnut tree with the green meadows rolling out before him while he sets completely enveloped in the flowing versus of some beautiful poet? 42. A chance occurrence made by eye-confusing lights, a yearning deep within his childish heart, one night combined and set as rock, ambition in my heart, and, too, a mode to reach that illustratory goal. 43. Life is a merciless maelstrom of logic whirling to a futile purpose. 44. The time drew nigh when I could proudly cut the apron strings, heroically carry out both suitcases, and haughtily walk away to disappear into the great beyond. Washburn University Writing Center --------------------------------------------------------------- This handout adapted from one originated by the Bowling Green University Composition Mentor Program and one from Lizette Van Gelder at Purdue University.