Formal diction uses complex sentence structures, perfect grammar, and a wide range of vocabulary. It’s required for final writing projects and some oral communication. Informal diction is colloquial and used in everyday conversation. Formal diction is reserved for business, educational, or legal situations. It’s often seen as academic and requires training. People have different perceptions of formal and informal diction depending on the context and the individual.
Formal diction is a style of writing or speaking that uses complicated sentence structures, perfect grammatical form, and a wide range of vocabulary. In general, “diction” is a word that describes the general style or tone of the language used by someone. People can use formal diction in different contexts. A formal tone is often required for final writing projects, including many essays, theses, and legal documents. It could also be used in some types of oral communication, such as business speeches or presentations, but is rarely used in more casual conversations between people. Personal interactions most frequently take the form of informal or conversational diction using simpler language and more common words, and may tolerate some common grammatical errors or slang terms.
Basic features
Diction in the “formal” category is often characterized by the narrator’s use of longer, more complex words than people are used to hearing, but ultimately style is not so much about appearances as it is about accuracy. It would be more correct to say that this type of diction implies the use of the correct words or the best words at all times, regardless of whether they are long or short. This way of speaking or writing might involve the use of rare or obscure words, but only if they fit better with the ideas you are trying to convey. Simply finding the longest or most impressive word misses the point, as clarity and accuracy are the most important results.
Similarly, slang terminology, idiomatic expressions, clichés, contractions, and abbreviated words typically fall outside formal diction. In some cases, this way of speaking might include using only the grammatical third person, avoiding the use of the first or second person &mash; that is to say, speakers and writers would not use “I” or “you” to put ideas into context. Using the present tense and avoiding the use of exclamation points and other stylized punctuation are also considered elements of this type of diction.
Differences from informal or colloquial diction
Informal diction is colloquial and typically used in everyday conversation and writing, such as when a person is writing or conversing with family or friends. It’s often used in emails and informal correspondence, and it’s also important whenever a writer tries to recreate a scene between two people in a believable way. Much of the dialogue and first-person narration uses less formal elements, even though the overall narrative is more structured and stylized.
When it’s used
Formal discourse is usually reserved for more formal situations, such as business, educational, or legal situations where it is advantageous for a person to present their information or opinion in a professional and polished tone. It is often regarded as highly academic, and those who effortlessly use it often have a lot of education and training. People often give lectures or speeches in this style, and most professional publications are also written this way.
Teachers and professors also commonly require it for student homework. To some extent this serves to prepare students for life in the working world, but in many cases it is also an exercise in control and intentionality in writing. It’s one thing to think through big ideas in a conversational or informal way, but there’s an important art to conveying arguments and assumptions in a persuasive, succinct, and polished way. Diction usually works in conjunction with things like organizational structure and effective structure to achieve this.
Common sociological perceptions
People are often not used to hearing formal speech in informal contexts or vice versa. To some people, formal words and introductions in an otherwise casual setting might seem arrogant, while others might see it as a sign of intelligence or sophistication. Conversely, the use of informal diction in formal contexts might be seen as a sign of indifference, low class or low education for some people, but a sign of being available, easygoing or relaxed for others. Much depends on the context and the individual.
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