Register

Writing is not just about producing a coherent text. Writing affords a lot of effort, thoughts and planning. Come up with a smart plan before you start writing a text; list your ideas, what is more important, what is less. Also the style of writing should be questioned: Is it formal or informal? Whom do I write do? What is my purpose?

But one after the other…

>> Formal and informal:

Formal and informal is a hot topic of register. We might say that the difference between these two seems obvious, but actually there are many varying degrees of formality. The English used in newspapers or magazines is situated somewhere between formal and informal, but letters or emails with job applications for example are rather formal. It always makes a good impression if the writer knows how to find the right words and how to use them in an appropriate way.

>>Impersonal constructions:

In my opinion, I would say, from my point of view, …

Me, myself and I- this is one of the most common register mistakes. Many writers use these expressions because they think that that the reader might accept their ideas easier if they are stated from a personal point of view. It’s okay to use impersonal constructions in a blog for example, because it’s YOUR blog and YOU tell your followers about YOUR life or YOUR activities.  

But this chatty style would be inappropriate in an article of a newspaper or in a formal letter, because it might even appear offensive to the reader.

When writing a formal text the author should always keep in mind that he doesn’t know the reader so it appears strange if he uses the word YOU all the time. It may offend the reader because he might feel involved in an unpleasant way. The author should be aware of this tiny little word because it can cause a lot of misunderstandings.

See now how important register is for your writing? I have to admit that I myself sometimes don’t think that carefully about the text I’m going to write, but I’ll keep that in mind for the future. A text is not just about writing, it’s also about finding the right words to express your intentions in a clear but also polite and thoughtful way.