3.6 End of Chapter Activities
3a. Thinking About the Content
What are your key takeaways from this chapter? What is something you have learned or something you would like to add from your experience?
3b. Discussion Questions
Discussion Questions
- Select at least three examples of writing from different kinds of sources, such as a government Website, a textbook, a popular magazine, and a novel. According to the style characteristics discussed in this section, how would you characterize the style of each? Select a paragraph to rewrite in a different style—for example, if the style is formal, make it informal; if the selection is written in the active voice, make it passive. Discuss your results with your classmates.
- What are some qualities of a good business writing style? What makes certain styles more appropriate for business than others? Discuss your thoughts with a classmate.
- Find an example of a piece of writing that doesn’t include inclusive language. How would you edit it to make the language more inclusive?
3c. Applying chapter concepts to a situation
Revising for style and tone
The student union is organizing an international student showcase on campus. Tyler, a member of the student union, is helping to organize speakers for the event. He reaches out to the faculty advisor to ask for suggestions on speakers. The faculty advisor recommends a few speakers including Gene Wensworth, an immigration consultant.
Tyler decides to invite Gene Wensworth and prepares the first draft of his message. Before he sends it, he decides to forward it to the faculty advisor for her opinion. The faculty advisor responds with a section highlighted and asks Tyler to edit for style and tone. The highlighted section is shown below.
Dear Mr. or Mrs. Wensworth,
We would appreciate your presence at our forthcoming conference on Making the Transition: From Student to Business Professional on June 15th. Your bountiful knowledge regarding immigration would undoubtedly benefit students as they prepare to journey along the path to becoming top of the line working professionals.
How can Tyler revise this section? What is some general advice you can give to Tyler about style and tone in writing?
3d. Writing Activity
Watch this video from TED.com Lost in Translation: The Joy of a Jargon-free World. Summarize the video. Evaluate your summary based on the five principles for writing in plain language mentioned in this chapter.