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?

Focus on the Positive

Focus on what the reader can do instead of on what they can’t do. Avoid using words with negative meanings or connotations and, where possible, make sure the reader understand how your message benefits them.

If you must give negative news, you can soften it by putting it into a dependent clause at the beginning of your sentence. Your reader will automatically focus more on the information in the independent clause, so be sure to include neutral or positive information after the comma.

Avoid overusing “I”. Using “I” too much can put the focus on the message on you instead of on your reader. In some cases, to remove the “I”, you will need to use a passive voice. Where possible, explain to the reader how your message benefits them.

Watch the following video on how to use the “you attitude” in your writing. ^[4]

Use Inclusive Language

According to Queen’s University (n.d.)^[5], 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