There are a number of factors that lead to the difference between  
formal and informal writing, as well as between spoken and written  
language. Not the least of these is ambiguity.

When we talk face to face, and to some extent even over the telephone,  
only a fraction of the communication is done in spoken language.  We  
also use intonation, body language (stance), posture, and other  
factors to convey a great deal of information.  We emphasize the words  
we want the listener to attend to.  This non-vocal language conveys a  
lot of detail about our message.  Consider a very basic example.  (For  
those of you who's email doesn't support formatting, this may get messy:

I want it.
I want it.
I want it.

Each line uses the same words, but by emphasizing different words, the  
meaning changes.

In written communication, we don't have this "back-channel"  
information, and must depend on the words that we choose to convey our  
meaning.  Because of the complexity of the language (The OED says that  
English now has over 1 million words), and the number of possible  
interpretations of each word, there has to be formal rules to indicate  
that this string of words always means the same thing.

When talking about health, misinterpreting the meaning of a sentence  
is not merely embarrassing, it is dangerous.

A second issue is permanence.  Spoken language is, unless we are on- 
camera or being otherwise recorded, ephemeral.  We can say something,  
immediately correct misunderstandings, and move on.  The precise  
meaning is often fully described by the context of the message.   
Written language is, with the exception of email, quite different.  We  
generate a message in once context, and it is read in another.  It can  
be read in a wide range of different contexts, so we can't depend on  
place or historical cues to indicate the meaning.  The words have to  
stand on their own.  So, again, more formal rules are required.

Some of the written rules are, admittedly, arbitrary.  When an  
organization uses a style guide, they are not arguing that only one  
way of saying something is correct.  Rather they are saying that, in  
order to provide editorial consistency, we will always use this one  
style, from among the available options.

A key factor in this is that dictionaries, for example, do not define  
the language.  They record the way that the language is being used.   
Over time, new words come into being, not because someone included  
them in a dictionary, but because people started using them.  Meanings  
drift over time.  (Surly originally meant "knightly.")

When trying to communicate clearly and unambiguously, written  
materials must be carefully crafted with a knowledge of the language  
as it is used by the likely readers.  This isn't easy, hence this  
whole discussion.

Denis Anson, MS, OTR
Director of Research and Development
Assistive Technology Research Institute

On May 18, 2008, at 11:54 AM, Kristina Anderson wrote:


> The rules of English are slowly changing with our speech patterns. I  

> am of

> the belief that if breaking a rule makes the content easier to  

> understand,

> then I consider breaking the rule. It doesn't mean I'll do it, but I  

> do

> consider it and in that consideration, look for an alternative way  

> to phrase

> what I'm trying to say.

>

> In addition, I think as writers we need to consider the multitude of  

> factors

> involved in a particular situation, i.e., the audience, the culture,  

> the

> education level, the patient's need for specific information, the  

> readers'

> literacy levels, the medium of distribution, etc.

>

> Kristina

>

> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

> Kristina Anderson

> EasyRead Copywriting, LLC

> Office: 505-345-3258

> Cell: 505-715-1070

>

>

>

>> From: Julie McKinney <julie_mcKinney at worlded.org>

>> Reply-To: The Health and Literacy Discussion List <healthliteracy at nifl.gov 

>> >

>> Date: Thu, 15 May 2008 11:57:55 -0400

>> To: <healthliteracy at nifl.gov>

>> Subject: [HealthLiteracy 1990] Wednesday Question: Writing how we  

>> talk: better

>> or worse?

>>

>> I agree with Kristina that writing "the way we talk" is usually  

>> clearer,

>> even if it is technically grammatically incorrect. It's an  

>> interesting

>> concept that well educated people talk in a certain way, which is

>> grammatically correct, but may be more confusing to people with  

>> literacy

>> or English challenges. And this way is usually how we are  

>> "supposed" to

>> write.

>>

>> The gender question that we've been discussing is one example of  

>> that,

>> but there are many others. For example, the rule that no sentence can

>> end with a preposition. Which is clearer:

>>

>> Your dominant hand is the one you write with.

>> or

>> Your dominant hand is the one with which you write.

>>

>> (I know we could say ..."the one you use to write", but sometimes,  

>> the

>> sentence structures abobe seem to be the only choices.)

>>

>> What do the plain language folks think about this? And others? Can we

>> write more colloquially, and is it clearer or not?

>>

>> All the best,

>> Julie

>>

>>

>>

>> Julie McKinney

>> Health Literacy List Moderator

>> World Education

>> jmckinney at worlded.org

>>>>> Kristina Anderson <kristina at easyreadcopywriting.com> 05/15/08  

>>>>> 11:30

>> AM >>>

>> It's my experience that using "their" does not confuse patients at  

>> all

>> because it is how we talk. I have tested low lit materials using  

>> "their"

>> when "he/she" would have been grammatically correct. No one expressed

>> confusion. I have also read, although I can't remember where, that  

>> this

>> usage is no longer considered incorrect grammar. The only people who

>> question it are the well educated.

>>

>> Our language is changing, and this is an example of that.

>>

>> Kristina

>>

>>

>>> From: "Davies, Nicola" <NDavies at dthr.ab.ca>

>>> Reply-To: The Health and Literacy Discussion List

>> <healthliteracy at nifl.gov>

>>> Date: Thu, 8 May 2008 14:40:07 -0600

>>> To: The Health and Literacy Discussion List  

>>> <healthliteracy at nifl.gov>

>>> Conversation: [HealthLiteracy 1977] Fw: Guidance on remaining gender

>> neurtral

>>> Subject: [HealthLiteracy 1979] Re: Fw: Guidance on remaining gender

>> neurtral

>>>

>>> wherever possible I use second person: you

>>>

>>> So often I see examples like, "patients are encouraged to wash his  

>>> or

>> her

>>> hands" instead of "please wash your hands"

>>>

>>> A lot of writers use "their" but that implies plural.

>>>

>>> Nicola

>>> -----Original Message-----

>>> From: healthliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov

>>> [mailto:healthliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov]On Behalf Of

>>> Terri.Ades at cancer.org

>>> Sent: Thursday, May 08, 2008 9:51 AM

>>> To: healthliteracy at nifl.gov

>>> Subject: [HealthLiteracy 1977] Fw: Guidance on remaining gender

>> neurtral

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>> Our style guidelines require that we remain gender neutral. However,

>> my

>>> sense is that when writing for an audience with very limited  

>>> literacy

>>> skills, using "he or she" is not easily understood.  Suggestions  

>>> would

>> be

>>> greatly appreciated?

>>>

>>> Terri Ades, MS, FNP-BC, AOCN

>>> Director, Cancer Information

>>> Health Promotions

>>> American Cancer Society

>>> 250 Williams Street

>>> Atlanta, GA 30303-1002

>>> 404-329-7785

>>> tades at cancer.org

>>>

>>> ----------------------------------------------------

>>> National Institute for Literacy

>>> Health and Literacy mailing list

>>> HealthLiteracy at nifl.gov

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>>> Email delivered to ndavies at dthr.ab.ca

>>>

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>>> Health and Literacy mailing list

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>>> Email delivered to kristina at easyreadcopywriting.com

>>

>>

>> ----------------------------------------------------

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>> Health and Literacy mailing list

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>>

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>

>

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