Writing Styles (with Examples)

Writing Styles (with Examples) Writing Styles (with Examples) Writing Styles (with Examples) By Ali Hale You’ve probably heard writers (or teachers, or critics) talk about â€Å"style† in writing. What exactly is style, though? It can be tough to pin down, because there are a variety of things we might be looking at when we talk about style. In most cases, though, style is about the individual word choices and the structure of sentences. While an author might have particular character-types that s/he tends to use, or a penchant for complicated plots, those things are usually considered on a different level from style. Two Examples of Style You can see style at work in even a short excerpt from a piece of writing. For instance, compare these two passages, which come from two websites’ â€Å"About† pages: We started innocent in 1999 after selling our smoothies at a music festival. We put up a big sign asking people if they thought we should give up our jobs to make smoothies, and put a bin saying Yes and a bin saying No in front of the stall. Then we got people to vote with their empties. At the end of the weekend, the Yes bin was full, so we resigned from our jobs the next day and got cracking. (From â€Å"us†, Innocent.) Established in 1981, Infosys is a NYSE listed global consulting and IT services company with more than 209,000 employees. From a capital of US$250, we have grown to become a US$11.12 billion (LTM Q1 FY19 revenues) company with a market capitalization of approximately US$ 42.4 billion. (From â€Å"About Us†, Infosys.) Both of these excerpts tell us about the respective companies’ beginnings. But they not only focus on different things (and as we’ll see in a minute, you can’t completely divorce content from style), they’re written in very different language. Formal vs Informal Style Even if we look at the first four words of each piece, we can see the difference in style: â€Å"We started innocent in† â€Å"Established in 1981, Infosys† We can tell that one of these passages will use a much more formal style than the other: â€Å"Started† is a simpler word than â€Å"established†; â€Å"innocent† doesn’t capitalise their name (a hallmark of very informal style); the innocent piece is in the first person (â€Å"we†) whereas the Infosys piece is in the third person (â€Å"Infosys†). Throughout the excerpts, the content is also quite different: innocent give us a story about how their company began, whereas Infosys focus on facts and figures. Tip: If you need to make your writing more informal, use shorter sentences, simpler words, and write as if you’re talking directly to the reader. To make your writing more formal, use more precise, complex words, as if you’re writing a company report. Formal vs informal is one way of looking at style – but there are plenty of other ways in which you might describe the style of a piece of writing. Concise vs Detailed Some writing is to-the-point: it gives information succinctly, and moves on. Other pieces are much more verbose – they tell a story, paint a scene, take their time. Neither style is â€Å"better† – they serve different purposes. A news report about a local incident – say, a lost child who was found unharmed – would be much shorter than a novel that deals with similar subject matter. Or compare a tweet on a particular topic with a blog post on the same topic: the tweet is much shorter than the blog post, but both might well be valuable in different ways. Tip: To be more concise, cut out extra details and unnecessary words. To expand a short piece, look for ways to give (relevant or interesting) detail, or offer a more nuanced perspective by looking at different angles on the topic. Commercial vs Literary In fiction, one major stylistic divide is between â€Å"literary† novels and â€Å"commercial† novels. As with formal vs informal, we could see this as a spectrum – with the most literary novels at one end, and the most commercial at the other end. Literary fiction places much more importance on writing style than commercial fiction, where the point of â€Å"style† is usually to get the story across as smoothly as possible. The content can also be quite different: literary fiction tends to be less plot-driven and more focused on character, for instance. Commercial fiction tends to sell much better, though some literary authors like Margaret Atwood and Ian McEwan sell a lot of books, too. Tip: As Harvey Chapman from Novel Writing Help puts it, â€Å"Literary novels generally sell in smaller quantities than genre or mainstream novels. This means publishers are less likely to take a gamble on them, but you shouldn’t let that put you off writing them. Always write the type of book that you want to write.† Factual vs Opinionated Another way to look at style is to think about the type of statements being made. Are they facts, or opinions? (Generally, a writer focused on facts will be more dispassionate and one focused on opinions will be more impassioned in their language – though there are exceptions.) News articles, for instance, tend to focus on facts – they may well be biased, of course, and the underlying political or social leanings of a publication can show through in the facts they choose to include or omit. Columnists in newspapers, however, are free to be much more opinionated – even, in some cases, potentially offensive. They can share their thoughts and ideas with little or no recourse to actual facts. Tip: As a writer and a reader, it’s important to be able to distinguish between facts and opinions. Facts are objective and can be proved (e.g. â€Å"water is denser than air†); opinions are subjective and two people might have two opposing opinions (e.g. â€Å"swimming is horrible† vs â€Å"swimming is wonderful†). If you’re trying to convince your reader of something – perhaps through a blog post or an article – then it’s fine to give strong opinions, but you should also aim to back up what you’re saying with specific facts. As a writer, you already have a natural writing style – though you may decide you want to develop or modify it. You might want to think about: How formal or informal do you want your writing to be? This might vary in different contexts – for instance, if you’re a freelancer, you might write for some publications that want a very chatty, laid-back style, and others that want a business-like style. Do you tend to be a concise or verbose writer? Perhaps you find that you naturally get your points across quickly and briefly – or maybe you like to dig deep into a topic and give lots of details. This could affect the type of writing you want to do (e.g. short stories vs novels, or blog posts vs books). If you write fiction, are you aiming at the commercial or literary end of the market? Don’t feel that you â€Å"should† do one or the other – focus on what appeals to you as a writer. If you’re unsure, you might want to try writing short stories in a variety of styles. Are there particular hallmarks of your style that you’ve already noted? For instance, perhaps you tend to use quite colourful language, or you love complex sentence structures. You might also want to look closely at the style of authors you enjoy: how exactly do they use words, phrases and sentences to create particular effects? Your writing style might take years to develop and a lifetime to perfect, though – so don’t put off writing until you’ve â€Å"found† your style. Keep working on different pieces and projects: in a year’s time, you might be able to look back and see that your style was developing all along. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:30 Religious Terms You Should Know7 Patterns of Sentence StructurePredicate Complements

August Wilsons Pittsburgh Cycle

August Wilson's Pittsburgh Cycle After writing his third play, August Wilson realized he was developing something quite monumental. He had created three different plays set in three different decades, detailing the hopes and struggles of African-Americans. In the early 1980s, he decided that he wanted to create a cycle of ten plays, one play for each decade. Collectively, they would become known as the Pittsburgh Cycle - all but one take place in the citys Hills District. August Wilsons 10 play series is arguably one of the finest literary achievements in contemporary drama. Although they were not created in chronological order, here is a brief synopsis of each play, organized by the decade each one represents. Note: Each of the links connects to an informative New York Times review. Gem Of the Ocean Set in 1904, a young African-American named Citizen Barlow, like many others traveling north in the years after the Civil War arrives in Pittsburgh in search of purpose, prosperity, and redemption. A woman named Aunt Ester, who is rumored to be 285 years old and possess healing powers, decides to help the young man on his life’s journey. Joe Turner’s Come and Gone The title warrants a bit of historical context - Joe Turner was the name of a plantation owner who, in spite of the emancipation proclamation, forced African-Americans to work in his fields. In contrast, Seth and Bertha Holly’s boarding house offers room and nourishment to wayward souls who have been mistreated, abused, and sometimes even kidnapped by members of white society. The play takes place in the year 1911. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom As four African-American blues musicians wait for Ma Rainey, the famous lead singer of their band, they exchange off-the-cuff jokes and cutting-edge barbs. When the blues diva does arrive, the tensions continue to mount, pushing the group towards its breaking point. The tone is a combination of bitterness, laughter, and the blues, an ideal representation of the black experience during the late 1920s. The Piano Lesson A piano that has been handed down for generations becomes the source of conflict for members of the Charles family. Set in 1936, the storyline reflects the significance of objects in relationship to the past. This play garnered August Wilson his second Pulitzer Prize. Seven Guitars Touching upon the theme of music once again, this drama begins with the death of guitarist Floyd Barton in 1948. Then, the narrative shifts to the past, and the audience witnesses the protagonist in his younger days, ultimately leading up to his demise. Fences Perhaps Wilson’s most renowned work, Fences explores the life and relationships of Troy Maxson, an activist-minded trash collector, and former baseball hero. The protagonist represents the struggle for justice and fair treatment during the 1950s. This moving drama earned Wilson his first Pulitzer Prize. Two Trains Running This multiple award-winning drama is set in Pittsburgh 1969, in the height of the battle for civil rights. In spite of the political and social change that sweeps through the nation, many of the characters of this play are too cynical, too down-trodden to experience hope for the future or rage for the ongoing tragedies. Jitney Set in a cab driver’s station during the boisterous late 1970s, this character-driven play features sharp-witted, hustling co-workers who gossip, argue, and dream in between jobs. King Hedley II Often thought of as the bitterest and most tragic of Wilson’s cycle, the play focuses on the downfall of the prideful ex-con protagonist, King Hedley II (the son of one of the characters from Seven Guitars). The mid-1980s setting finds Wilson’s beloved Hills District in a dismal, poverty-stricken neighborhood. Radio Golf With this 1990s setting, the final play in the cycle tells the story of affluent Harmond Wilks, a successful politician and real estate developer - who considers tearing down a historic old house that once belonged to none other than Aunt Ester. It all comes full circle!

Voluntary environmental management initiatives Essay

Voluntary environmental management initiatives - Essay Example This defines the basic approach the company takes in implementing the system. If the focus is on compliance, then the benefits that the company will expect are reduction in their liabilities. (A Strategic Approach to ISO 14001) This is an EMS and the company is likely to consider it a cost. On the other hand, if the company's objective is to improve their products, design and processes, with the attendant benefits of pollution reduction, but more importantly customer satisfaction, then it could be a VEMI and the company would consider this an investment. The company, in this case, will not be worried about the certification per se, but about the satisfaction of the stakeholders. This does not, of course, mean that the certification is not necessary or is useless, but the company in question is pursuing real results in terms of pollution reduction and improvement in the processes and products, leading to customer and stakeholder satisfaction. (A Strategic Approach to ISO 14001) To answer the question - 'Why are VEMI's important' - The first thing that we need to understand is that it is more realistic than an ISO 14000-oriented EMS. To elaborate, there can be no uniformity in the framework to be used to implement EMS systems - this will differ from company to company, industry to industry. For instance, a retailer may focus on how environment friendly the suppliers are; while a chemical company may focus on how to develop products that cause less harm to the environment and how to recycle the waste products. Even the expectations in the ISO context - that the company has a commitment to ensure compliance, that it seeks to improve its systems on a continuous basis and that it aims to control pollution - cannot be evaluated in the same way for different facilities. (A Strategic Approach to ISO 14001) To take the example of the first expectation - commitment to compliance - different nations have varying levels, strictness and coverage in their environmental regulations. Since ISO 14000 stipulates compliance with regard to the location of the company seeking certification, it may be that a company located in a country where there are less number of laws, will be able to show compliance sooner and with much greater ease. (A Strategic Approach to ISO 14001) The chance of companies getting the certification by adhering to certain minimum regulation requirements is also high. Hence, for real environment management in letter and spirit, it may be necessary to motivate companies to take up VEMI, where they are genuinely interested in environmental improvement. VEMI will therefore be the instrument through which real environment management systems with responsible environment friendly actions take place. Voluntary initiatives or programmes are of three types, according to Lyon and Maxwell. They can be unilateral commitments in which case business organisations voluntarily set up environmental initiatives or programmes. The organisation and not the government take the initiatives in this kind of programme. They can also be public voluntary programmes, where more than one firms agree to adapt the standards established by a public body, like an environmental agency. They can also be negotiated agreements where the government industry

Outline the way that China has been affected by the recent financial Essay

Outline the way that China has been affected by the recent financial crisis of 2008 and subsequent recession. Explore their econ - Essay Example In 2008, the problem was in the sub-prime market in major investment banks in Wall Street. The turning point in 2008 in the crisis was the fall of Lehman Brothers. The world was soon involved in this crisis as many government rushed to implement nationalization policies in their countries to prevent further damage. A number of bad debts also arose during this period because there was a great deal of selling of financial assets with the mortgages that were given out and they were sold all over the world but this became a complex procedure as more and more countries were lending and banks and other financial institutions did not have an idea as to how far in the globe their loans were going. A credit crunch arose in the world which led to a break in the lending system in the world as there was no money to give. This had a detrimental effect on the entire world’s economies including China (Krugman 2009). A fall in output occurred due to the burst of this real estate bubble. This lead to nationalization all over the world as aforementioned and governments made failed attempt after failed attempt to assuage the situation. The government injected more and more money in the economy because demand had fallen and banking systems were trying to hold on. Chinese government increased their spending as well as made tax cuts wherever they could in order to improve the situation of the economy (Soros 2008). The focus of economies including China shifted in two ways. The debt was the responsibility of the public not the private sector since the government had nationalized the economy. And finance was no longer the epicenter, it was the government. Bankers were unwilling to lend and buy bonds because they were fearful of the future due to the crisis. Therefore the financial markets continued to worsen in 2009. China seems to be doing well after just a short duration of time while the other countries are still suffering the blows of the crisis. China in fact had growth of double digits even though it is vulnerable to the changes in the economies of the world. The government in China had to inject money equal to 14% of the GDP in order to boost the economy when the markets in US and Europe fell and they didn’t demand any exports. Social aspects of this injection was relatively little, only about 20% of this stimulus, and the rest went to investment in fixed asset such as concrete, steel and this also lead to the world’s speediest rail system being built in China. Even though this sector was working with excess capacity, the government considered this action to be the correct one (Goodstadt 2011). In 2009 as well, China underwent its own real estate bubble. In this bubble, the prices of apartments shot up by 50 to 60% of their original price, especially in Shanghai and Beijing. New complexes that were being built were abandoned because demand was falling, and so there were half built places all over the country, and there was no sign of growth as no one was constructing which is the first step in order to have a house to sell (McLean & Nocera 2010). The prices of houses were also way beyond the incomes of people and households in the economy. This lead to expansion of credit in China, but one which was cheap, and wages were bogged down artificially so that household transferred their income to businesses and rather than consuming,

Chemistry Essay -- essays research papers

Robert Boyle is considered both the founder of modern chemistry and the greatest English scientist to live during the first thirty years of the existence of the Royal Society. He was not only a chemist and a physicist as we know him to be, but also an avid theologian, a philanthropist, an essayist, and a beginner in medicine. Born in Lismore, Ireland to Richard Boyle, first earl of Cork, and Katherine Fenton, his second wife, Boyle was the youngest son in a family of fourteen. However he was not shortchanged of anything. After private tutoring at home for eight years, Robert Boyle was sent to Eton College where he studied for four years. At the age of twelve, Boyle traveled to the Continent, as it was referred to at the time. There he found a private tutor by the name of Marcombes in Geneva. While traveling between Italy, France, and England, Boyle was being tutored in the polite arts, philosophy, theology, mathematics, and science.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As the years went by, Boyle became more and more interested in medicine. His curiosity in this field led him to chemistry. At first Boyle was mainly interested in the facet of chemistry that dealt with the preparation of drugs, but soon he became genuinely interested in the subject and started to study it in great detail. His studies led him to Oxford where he joined such scientists as John Wilkins and John Wallis. Together in 1660, they founded the Royal Society of London for the Ad...

Mistreatment of Native Americans Essay

Land; is this a good enough reason for the mistreatment of Native Americans? Invading their lands, killing their people, breaking treaties, sending them to reservations; all this for land? The U.S. government has done many cruel and unfair things in the past, but this must rank among one of the most. It is through their sufferings and misfortunes that Native Americans are entitled to compensation from the U.S. government. Native Americans had been an old culture in America 2000 years ago. The first British settlers, the Jackson Administration, and the Westward expansion had no right to remove the Native Americans from their land. Nor did they have the right to attack Native Americans and start wars against them for land. What if aliens from another planet were to come to take over Earth because they needed our land and resources? How would we react and feel?In the process of taking their lands, Native Americans were highly discriminated against and mistreated. They were forced out of their lands, sometimes without a notice in advance, and had to take long journeys to reservations unprepared. An example of this harsh treatment was when President Jackson in the 1820’s demanded the removal of the Cherokee from their homeland in Georgia and sent them to reservations in Oklahoma and Arkansas. Their journey from their homeland to the reservations was known as the â€Å"Trail of Tears† in which 4,000 died of starvation, disease, or exposure. As if being relocated once from their homelands to reservations isn’t bad enough, Native Americans were often forced out of reservations and pushed even farther West due to broken treaties by the U.S government and expansion. The government was unfair in most of its treaties and often did not follow through with them. The Dawes Act, for example, gave each family 160 acres of land to cultivate and after a probation period of 25 years, Native Americans would be granted ownership of land and United States Citizenship. The problem with this act was that the Native Americans were nomads and therefore could not stay at a given area for a long period of time because their source of food, buffalo, was on the constant move. The U.S. government knew this and knew that the Native Americans could not stay there for 25 years, once again setting them up. In the past 200 years, Native Americans have been stripped of their land, rights, and dignity. They have witnessed the deaths of their own brothers and sisters and have become a minority in the U.S. today. They were once a proud nation of people, but today they have the highest suicide rate and lowest life expectancy. This is all in part thanks to the U.S. government and Native Americans are entitled to compensation.

The Financial Crisis Of 2007-2008 Fading - 2282 Words

Introduction: Hitherto, an abundance of economic literature exists concerning the determination of asset returns. With the footprint of the financial crisis of 2007-2008 fading, renewed interest of this topic has flourished, as both economists and politicians seek to enhance the understanding of the dynamic relations that exist between asset returns and a series of other economic indicators. Prior to the crisis, the availability of credit expanded significantly due to favourable market conditions. As a result, commercial banks increased substantially the volume of sub-prime mortgages being offered to borrowers. In practise despite misconceptions, â€Å"Whenever a bank makes a loan, it simultaneously creates a matching deposit in the borrower’s bank account, thereby creating new money† (McLeay, Radia and Thomas, 2014, pp.1). In the period of 2000-2007, it is estimated that banks created over  £1 trillion through their issuance of loans to borrowers prior to the crisis (Positive Money, 2014). Consequently, the impact of such a credit expansion caused real assets, such as house prices, to increase as a result of the increased demand. Similarly, through the same mechanism, an expansion of credit also caused increases in the values of securities tied to U.S real estate (i.e. mortgage-backed securities), as investors believed that house prices would continue to rise. Furthermore, one might postulate that changes in economic variables, such as the money supply or rate of inflation,Show MoreRelatedJb Hi-Fi Report3981 Words   |  16 Pagesthe shop floor. JBH uses its size and mix of high growth categories to increase its buying and advertising synergies. They are focused on growth, opening 39 stores in the past 2 years and a securing another 18 sites set to open in the 2009/2010 financial year. 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