Being concise does not mean being rude. Your writing should be conversational and friendly yet professional

Use a Conversational Tone

Tone refers to the level of formality or friendliness that a message has. Most business correspondence should be polite, professional, and conversational – not stiff and formal and certainly not rude or sloppy. The right tone is created by using the right words.

Choose the Right Words ^[1]

Word choice is called “diction”.  The  words used when writing to a co-worker should be different from the words used when writing to your manager or a customer.  The table below provides words choices that reflect informal, semi-formal and formal language.  Understanding the audience will ensure your choice of words is always right for the situation.

Use Contractions and Personal Pronouns ^[2]

Contractions are words that are joined with an apostrophe to “contract” or make the two words into one short word. Examples include can’t, doesn’t, don’t, hasn’t, it’s, she’s, won’t, etc.

Pronouns are words that take the place of nouns: he, she, it, etc.  First-person pronouns used to refer to yourself include I, me, mine, my, we, and our. Second-person pronouns to refer to the person you are speaking to are you, your, and yours.

While the use of contractions and first- and second-person pronouns is often not acceptable in formal academic writing, business writing should be more personal and conversational. A good guideline is to “write as you talk”.

Use contractions wherever they sound natural and use first- and second-person pronouns (I, we, you) to speak directly to readers.

Compare these examples

Activity^[3]: Revising for Tone and Conciseness

How can Tyler revise this part of his message so that he uses more concise language and a more appropriate tone? What general advice would you give to Tyler?

Be Positive ^[4]

Positive wording makes messages reader-friendly and inviting.

Unless you are issuing a warning meant to stop or deter certain actions, you should emphasize what the reader can do instead of what the reader can’t.

Also avoid harsh, negative-sounding words such as no, not, regret, mistake, oversight, overlook, negligence, neglect, unable, unfortunately, allege, careless, reject, deny, and fail(ure). Use phrasing that is factual and neutral.

Use dependent clauses and the passive voice to reduce negativity and depersonalize unfavourable facts.

Stress Reader Benefits and Relevance ^[5]

Readers should easily see how information concerns them or how they stand to benefit. When readers feel that their opinions matter and have been taken into consideration, they are more likely to follow instructions and comply with requests.

Watch the following video on how to use the “you attitude” in your writing. ^[6]

Learning Check

Click on each image to make them bigger if needed.

From “Unit 5: Analyzing your Audience” in J. Smith Communication at Work, n.d., Kwantlen Polytechnic University (https://kpu.pressbooks.pub/communicationsatwork/) CC-BY.

Use Inclusive Language

According to Queen’s University (n.d.)^[7], inclusive language respects and promotes all people as valued members of society. It uses vocabulary that avoids exclusion and stereotyping and is free from descriptors that portray individuals or groups of people as dependent, powerless, or less valued than others. It avoids all sexist, racist, or other discriminatory terminology.

Person-Centered Language

Put the person before any description about their abilities or disabilities, and avoid using terms like handicapped, crazy, or crippled.

Race and Ethnicity

Avoid identifying people by race, colour, or national origin, unless it is appropriate for context, and do not assume that a person’s appearance defines their nationality or cultural background.

Capitalize the proper names of nationalities, peoples, and races: Indigenous, Métis, Cree, Inuit, Arab, French-Canadian, Jew, Latin, Asian.

Black is acceptable in all references to people of African descent. In the United States, African-American is used; in Canada, Black-Canadian is most commonly used. African-Canadian is sometimes used. Note that black and white do not name races and are lowercase.

Indigenous People

There are three distinct groups of Indigenous Peoples in Canada: First Nations (status and non-status Indians), Inuit, and Métis. Confederation College sits on the lands of the Anishinaabe people of Fort William First Nation, who are signatory to the Robinson-Superior treaty of 1850.

Where possible, avoid using the terms Aboriginals, Native People, or First Nations People, as they do not encompass the separate origins and identities of the various groups. The term Indigenous is now widely accepted to refer to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people.

Gender