How to choose words that fit the reader and the purpose
TEAS 7 outline: Judge whether language fits the audience and rhetorical context
- Match your wording to the reader and the purpose.
- Use a formal, polite tone for instructors, employers and strangers.
- Avoid slang; explain or replace jargon for general readers.
- Cut filler words, but keep every needed fact.
- Prefer active voice when you know who did the action.
Key facts
- Formality is a scale: match it to who will read the writing and why, from formal (an unknown reader, an employer, an instructor) to informal (a friend).
- Slang is usually too casual for academic and workplace writing, and readers outside the group may not understand it.
- Jargon and abbreviations suit expert readers; for a general audience, replace them with plain words or explain them.
Show all 7 key factsShow fewer
- Plain, direct words beat words chosen only to sound impressive.
- Concise writing cuts filler (due to the fact that = because, in the event that = if, end result = result) but never cuts information the reader needs.
- In active voice the subject does the action; in passive voice a form of be plus a past participle puts the receiver first, and the doer comes in a by phrase or is missing.
- Passive voice is acceptable when the doer is unknown or unimportant, or when the receiver of the action matters most.
Quick check1 question · 2 more at the end
Which of the following sentences is written in the active voice?
Correct answer: A.
In the active voice, the subject performs the action. In the passive voice, a form of be plus a past participle (was reorganized, has been reorganized, is being reorganized) puts the receiver of the action first, and the doer appears in a by phrase or not at all. The night staff reorganized the supply closet names the doer as the subject, so it is active.
A Correct: the subject, the night staff, performs the action of the verb reorganized.
B Passive: has been reorganized is a form of be plus a past participle, and the doer is not named at all.
C Passive: was plus the past participle reorganized makes the closet the subject, and the doer moves to a by phrase.
D Passive: is being reorganized is still a form of be plus a past participle, even though it describes something happening now.
Full lesson
Each part starts with its main idea. Open a part when you want the details.
The short answer: Language fits when it matches the reader and the purpose. Use a formal, polite tone for teachers, employers, strangers and the public; save casual wording for friends. Avoid slang, explain or replace jargon for general readers, and choose plain words over inflated ones. Cut filler but keep every needed fact, and prefer active voice when the doer is known.
1 How do you decide how formal to be?Match your level of formality to who will read the writing and why. 1 min
Match your level of formality to who will read the writing and why. The same news sounds different in a text to a friend and in an email to an instructor.
Use this 4-step method on any audience question:
- Name the reader. Instructor, employer, stranger, the public, or a friend?
- Name the purpose. To inform, to request, to instruct, or to persuade?
- Scan for mismatches. Slang, unexplained jargon, inflated words, exaggeration, filler.
- Pick the choice that is clear, polite and plain and still contains every needed fact.
| Reader | Tone | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Instructor, employer, stranger | Formal | Could you tell me the deadline for the fall program? |
| Coworker you know well | Semi-formal | Can you cover my Tuesday shift? I'll take your Friday. |
| Close friend | Informal | Ugh, swap Tuesday with me?? |
2 What makes word choice wrong for an audience?Slang, unexplained jargon and inflated words all fail readers, each in a different way. 1 min
Slang, unexplained jargon and inflated words all fail readers, each in a different way. Exaggeration also weakens formal writing, which should sound objective and reasonable.
| Problem | Incorrect for the public | Correct for the public |
|---|---|---|
| Slang | The new schedule is lowkey a win. | The new schedule gives staff more weekends off. |
| Unexplained jargon | Results will post to the EHR in 24 hrs. | Your results will appear in your online health record within 24 hours. |
| Inflated words | We endeavor to facilitate optimal visitor ingress. | We want to make it easy for visitors to get in. |
| Exaggeration | Parking here is an absolute nightmare. | The parking lot is often full by 9 a.m. |
Quick test: would this reader understand every word and take the writer seriously?
3 How do you make wording concise without losing meaning?Concise writing cuts empty words but keeps every idea the reader needs. 1 min
Concise writing cuts empty words but keeps every idea the reader needs. First list the facts in the sentence, then cut words until only those facts remain.
| Wordy | Concise |
|---|---|
| due to the fact that | because |
| in the event that | if |
| for the purpose of | to |
| make a decision | decide |
| end result, completely finish | result, finish |
Worked example: "Due to the fact that the lab is currently closed at this time, students will need to make a decision about rescheduling." Concise version: "Because the lab is closed, students must decide whether to reschedule."
Classic wrong answer: the shortest choice, which quietly drops one of the facts.
4 When should you use active or passive voice?Active voice names the doer first and is usually clearer and shorter. 1 min
Active voice names the doer first and is usually clearer and shorter. Passive voice uses a form of be plus a past participle, and the doer moves to a by phrase or disappears.
| Voice | Example | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Active | The receptionist collected the forms. | Most of the time, when you know the doer |
| Passive | The forms were collected by the receptionist. | Usually weaker; the active version is clearer and shorter |
| Passive | The side door was left unlocked overnight. | The doer is unknown |
Quick test: find the verb, then ask who did it. If that doer is not the subject, the sentence is passive.
5 How does the method work on a real message?Running all four steps on one draft shows how each problem gets fixed. 1 min
Running all four steps on one draft shows how each problem gets fixed. A student writes this to an instructor.
Hey prof, I'm gonna miss lab Tuesday cuz of a dentist thing. Can u tell me what I'll miss?
- Reader: an instructor.
- Purpose: a request.
- Mismatches: Hey prof, gonna, cuz, u, a dentist thing.
- Revision: "Dear Professor Lee, I will miss Tuesday's lab because of a dental appointment. Could you tell me how to make up the work?"
The revision keeps every fact and sounds respectful.
Common mistakes
The traps students fall into most. Read these before you practice.
Watch out: The most formal-sounding choice is not always best; stiff, inflated wording fails a general audience just as slang does.
Watch out: The shortest choice is wrong if it drops a fact; concise means no wasted words, not fewer ideas.
Watch out: Technical terms are correct for experts but not for patients or the public unless they are explained.
Watch out: A sentence is passive because of be plus a past participle, not because it describes the past; The staff collected the forms is active.
Watch out: Exaggerated or emotional words (a total nightmare, the best ever) don't belong in a formal report or request, even when the facts are right.
How to remember it
Think of three words in order, who, why, wording. Ask who reads it and why, then fix the wording to suit both.
Self-check:
- Rewrite "The meeting was led by Dr. Brooks" in active voice.
- Replace "in the event that" and "end result" with one word each.
- Name the audience problem in "Pt c/o pain x2 days" if it appears in a letter to a patient's family.
Show answers
- "Dr. Brooks led the meeting."
- The doer is Dr. Brooks, so put that name first as the subject.
- Drop "was" and "by"; the active version is clearer and shorter.
- If, and result.
- "In the event that" becomes if.
- "End result" becomes result, because every result comes at the end.
- Unexplained jargon.
- A patient's family is a general reader, and "Pt c/o pain x2 days" is chart shorthand.
- Write it in plain words, such as "The patient has had pain for two days."