Writing Styles: Formal Style and Conversational Style

This is a conundrum you may have faced numerous times in your life. Let it be writing a letter or an essay. If you’re a full-fledged writer, this issue must have left you scratching your head a couple of times, at the least. No particular writing style is necessarily "better" than the other. Rather extra care should be taken before choosing the writing style which is to be used, as each style serves a different purpose.

Conversational writing style

In the conversational style of writing, you would try to be approachable to your reader, creating a sense of familiarity with them. Though you may write the way you normally talk, the text must be clear and concise

This is where you will address your reader directly. Ask questions and engage them into the conversation. However complex a certain topic may seem; you would present it in a simple and direct language. The content in the conversational style may contain lengthier sentences interspersed with contraction, fancy vocabulary and abbreviations; similar to way you say things naturally.

Many even prefer to add a little sentiment in their content by infusing numerous anecdotes. That adds a little of human element into the content.

Formal writing style

This is a writing style you would apply if you need to appear neutral to the topic at hand. Your impersonal take on a subject would be responsible for more professional approach. Formal style is generally written using third-person. Usually the topics written in formal writing style are complex, so it is best to use short and simple sentences with no fancy vocabulary

No place of acronyms here, unless the acronym is what most people are familiar with than the actual term. When writing formal, try to avoid the use of emotive punctuation, such as the exclamation mark, unless of course you are citing another material as a source. Needless to say no space for personal sentiments here. Stray away from personal opinions.

Which style to go for?

The two styles have their own merits and that depends on the platform they are used for.Conversational style helps you connect with your audience better. By applying this style, you want your reader to recognise your work from the others. People tend to go for a conversational approach while adding a personal touch to the content, like that in case of articles, blogs or a speech. These are usually write-ups that give general information rather than something complicated. So be it blog writers in Mumbai or content writers in Mumbai, they would usually apply the conversational style of writing.

Formal writing style on the other hand gives out an impression of an authoritative voice, as you need the reader to respect your expertise on the subject. This is for a reader who is more interested in the substance and could not care less about you personally. The formal style of writing is what you will apply while writing an academic content or some technical information, like a user guide. All technical writing companies in India would need to follow the formal style of writing to keep the content crisp and simple.

Thus, it’s not always about defining your style. Generally it’s about, what a reader wants from you. Who is your audience? That should be the prime question, you should ask yourself. Rest is quite easy.