17a Choose an appropriate level of formality.
In deciding on a level of formality, consider both your subject and your audience. Does the subject demand a formal treatment, or is a relaxed tone more suitable? Will readers be put off if you assume too close a relationship with them, or might you alienate them by seeming too distant?
For most college and professional writing, some degree of formality is appropriate. In a job application letter, for example, it is a mistake to sound breezy and informal.
TOO INFORMAL
I’d like to get that sales job you’ve got on the website.
MORE FORMAL
I would like to apply for the position of sales manager advertised on LinkedIn.
Informal writing is appropriate for social media posts, personal email and text messages, and business correspondence between close associates. Like spoken conversation, informal writing allows contractions (don’t, I’ll) and colloquial words (kids, kinda). Vocabulary and sentence structure are rarely complex.
In choosing a level of formality, above all be consistent. When a writer’s voice shifts from one level of formality to another, readers receive mixed messages.
