1

Formal & Informal

Communication

and

Technical Writing

• What do the terms formal and informal

communication mean?

• What is the difference?

• What are examples of each?

Formal vs. Informal Communication

Formal

• Paragraphs– Relatively Long

• Sentences– Relatively long and

complex

– No fragments

Informal

• Paragraphs– Relatively short, if at

all

• Sentences– Short

– Simple Structures

– Fragments

Formal vs. Informal Communication

Formal

• Diction (word choice)

– Greater vocabulary

– Many “learned” words

– No/few contractions

Informal

• Diction (word choice)

– Simple vocabulary

– Mostly popular words

– Slang

– Abbreviations

2

Formal vs. Informal Communication

Formal

• Tone (How you say it)

– Impersonal

– Dignified/serious

– Few references to the

reader

– Doesn’t use forms of

“you”

– Uses third person

Informal

• Tone (How you say it)

– Personal

– Often uses “you”

– Uses “I”

– Often talks directly to

the reader

Formal vs. Informal Communication

Formal

• Distance

– Emotional or physical

• Usually considerable

Informal

• Distance

– Emotional or physical

• Usually closer

Genres of Writing

• Descriptive

– writing which provides vivid details about

something or someone so that the reader can

“see” what is being described

• Expository

– writing which is intended to explain, inform, or give information about something

Genres of Writing

• Narrative– writing which describes an event or events in

story form

• Persuasive– writing which is used in an attempt to get

someone to do or believe something

• Poetry

• Technical

3

Technical Writing

• Technical writing is communication which

explains technical or complex information

in understandable terms for an intended audience.

• Basically, it is passing knowledge from someone who knows to someone who

needs to know.

Technical Writing

• The goal of technical writing is for the

intended audience to perform an action or

make a decision based on the information presented to them.

Technical Writing

• Technical writing can take many forms,

including:

– instruction manuals

– business proposals

– directions

– scientific reports

– contracts

– user guides

Technical Writing

• How should you write?

– Use simple language—don’t make things too

complicated

– Use as few words as possible

– Stay focused on the point of the writing

– Use the active voice to be more direct

– Write with a strong, positive tone

4

Know Your Audience

• What should you know and why?– reader’s level of knowledge

– age of the readers

– word choice—not too simple or too complex

– whether or not pictures or graphics are necessary

– organization—are the important details easy to find?

– how much time do the readers have to read it?

So now…

• One type of technical writing is

instructions.

• On a sheet of paper, write instructions

for…

• How to tie your shoes!