How can writers maintain a formal style and objective tone in their writing? Select the two correct answers.
1. by making opinions clear
2. by employing casual language
3. by using third-person pronouns
4. by using a complex syntax
5. by including contractions
The correct answers are:
3. by using third-person pronouns
4. by using a complex syntax
The correct answers are 3. by using third-person pronouns and 4. by using complex syntax.
Maintaining a formal style and objective tone in writing requires avoiding personal opinions and emotions. Using third-person pronouns, such as "he," "she," or "they," helps writers maintain objectivity by focusing on the subject matter rather than themselves. Additionally, using complex syntax, or sentence structures that are more intricate and sophisticated, contributes to a formal tone. Complex syntax often includes a variety of sentence types, such as compound sentences, complex sentences, and occasionally, compound-complex sentences.
On the other hand, option 1 (by making opinions clear) is incorrect because maintaining an objective tone involves avoiding personal opinions altogether. Option 2 (by employing casual language) is also incorrect as casual language is more informal and can detract from the desired formal style. Lastly, option 5 (by including contractions) is incorrect because contractions are more commonly used in informal writing and can undermine the formality of the tone.
To maintain a formal style and objective tone in writing, there are several strategies that writers can employ. Out of the options provided, the two correct answers are:
3. by using third-person pronouns: Writers can maintain a formal tone by using third-person pronouns, such as "he," "she," "it," or "they," instead of first-person pronouns like "I" or second-person pronouns like "you." Third-person pronouns help create distance and objectivity in the writing.
4. by using a complex syntax: Utilizing a complex syntax, which involves longer and more intricate sentence structures, can contribute to a formal style. This includes using various sentence types, such as compound or complex sentences, rather than simple sentences, which can make the writing appear more sophisticated and objective.
The other options are incorrect:
1. by making opinions clear: Maintaining objectivity requires writers to present information and arguments without injecting personal opinions. Making opinions clear would undermine the objective tone.
2. by employing casual language: Casual language, characterized by colloquialisms and slang, would be inappropriate for maintaining a formal style and objective tone.
5. by including contractions: Contractions, such as "don't" or "can't," are typically considered less formal. To maintain formality, it is preferable to write out the full words instead of using contractions.