Chapter: 2
Adaptation and the
Selection of Words
The Basic Need for Adaptation
By adaptation we mean fitting the message to
the specific reader.
Obviously, readers do not all have the same
ability to understand a message.
They do not all have the same vocabulary, the
same knowledge of the subject, or the same
mentality.
The Basic Need for Adaptation
Thus, to communicate clearly you first should
know the person with whom you wish to
communicate. You should form your message
to fit that person’s mind. This approach not
only helps you communicate but also is the
basis of good business etiquette.
Making your message easy to understand is
simply good business manners.
The Basic Need for Adaptation
In adapting your message, you begin by
visualizing your reader. That is, you form a
mental picture of what he or she is like.
You imagine what the reader knows about
the subject, what his or her educational
level is, and how he or she thinks.
The Basic Need for Adaptation
In many business situations, adapting to your
reader means writing on a level lower than
the one you would normally use. For
example, you will sometimes need to
communicate with people whose educational
level is below your own. Or you may need to
communicate with people of your educational
level who simply do not know much about
the subject of your choice.
Example of Adaptation
For people not well informed in finance:
Last year your company’s total sales were
$117,400,000, which was slightly higher than the
$109,800,000 total for the year before. After
deducting for all expenses, we had $4,593,000 left
over for profits, compared with $2,830,000 for
2003. Because of these increased profits, we were
able to increase your annual dividend payments
per share from the 50 cents paid over the last 10
years.
Example of Adaptation
For people well informed about finance (like financial
manager):
The corporation’s investments and advances in three
unconsolidated subsidiaries and in 50% owned
companies were $42,200,000 on December 31, 2000, and
the excess to the investments in certain companies over
net asset value at dates of acquisition was $1,760,000.
The corporation’s equity in the net assets as of
December 31, 2003, was $41,800,000 and in the results
of operations for the years ended December 31, 2000
and 2001, was $1,350,000 and $887,500, respectively.
Dividend income was $750,000 and $388,000 for the
years 2003 and 2000, respectively.
In case of multiple audiences, if your intended readers
vary widely in education, knowledge of the subject,
writing to the level of the best educated and best
informed persons would miss those at lower levels.
Adapting your message to the lowest level runs the risk
of insulting the intelligence of those at higher levels.
The answer is obvious. You have to adapt to the lowest
level you need to reach. Not doing so would result in not
communicating with that level. To minimize the risk of
offending readers at higher levels, you can use words
like “as you know” and similar expressions.
Suggestions For Selecting
Words
A major part of adaptation is selecting the
right words.
Simplicity in choosing words must be
maintained for three reasons:
Many people tend to write at a difficult level, which
makes communication difficult.
The writer usually knows the subject better than
the reader, and
The results of research support simplicity.
Suggestions For Selecting
Words
The following techniques are helpful in choosing the right
words.
Use Familiar Words: Use the language that most of us
use in everyday conversation. We should avoid the stiff,
more difficult words that do not communicate so
precisely or quickly. For example, instead of using the
more unfamiliar word endeavor, use try. Instead of
using terminate, use end. Prefer use to utilize, do to
perform, begin to initiate, find out to ascertain, stop
to discontinue, and show to demonstrate.
Unfamiliar Words Familiar Words
This machine has a This machine tends to get
tendency to develop noisy when it runs hot.
excessive and unpleasant
audio symptoms when
operating at elevated
temperatures.
The most operative The most efficient
assembly-line configuration assembly-line design is a
is a unidirectional flow. one-way flow.
Suggestions For Selecting
Words
Use slang and popular clichés with caution:
Example, “Is that your final answer?” (Who
Wants To Be a Millionaire), “voted off the
island” (Survivor). Such expressions may
convey a desired effect in a communication.
But they are likely to be meaningful only for the
moment. Thus, you should use such
expressions sparingly and always only in
informal communication with people who know
and appreciate them.
Suggestions For Selecting
Words
Use Short Words: Short wards generally
communicate better than long words. Of
course, part of the explanation is that short
words tend to be familiar words. But there is
another explanation: A heavy use of long
words --- even long words that are understood
--- leaves an impression of difficulty that
hinders communication.
Long Words Short Words
The decision was The decision was based
predicated on the on the belief that there
assumption that an would be more money.
abundance of monetary
funds was forthcoming.
During the preceding Last year the company
year the company lost money.
operated at a financial
deficit.
Suggestions For Selecting
Words
Use Technical Words and Acronyms with Caution: All
fields have technical words. These words are useful
when you communicate with people in your field. But they
do not communicate with outsiders. Use them with
caution. Some examples are: To a worker in the Social
Security Administration, the words covered employment
commonly mean employment covered by social security.
To some outsiders, however, they could mean working
under a roof. When a physician uses the words cerebral
vascular accident with other physicians, they
understand. Most people would get little meaning from
these words, but they could understand a little stroke.
Suggestions For Selecting
Words
Use initials cautiously: Spell out and define as
needed. While some initials like IBM, are widely
recognized, others, such as XML (extensible
markup language), are not. Not only might your
readers not know certain initials, they might
confuse them with others. For example, if you
saw SARS, you might think of the virus, severe
acute respiratory syndrome, and someone else
might think of segmentation and reassembly
sublayer.
Suggestions For Selecting
Words
Probably the most troublesome technical
language is that of the legal profession. Among
the legal words that may add little real meaning
are thereto, therein, whereas, herewith, and
herein. For example, “the land adjacent
thereto” can be written “the adjacent land”
without loss in meaning. “Despite” can replace
“notwithstanding”.
Suggestions For Selecting
Words
Select Words with the Right Strength and
Vigor (force): Words have personalities. Select
the stronger ones. To select words wisely, you
should consider shades of difference in
meanings. For example, you should recognize
that tycoon is stronger than eminently
successful businessperson, that bear market
is stronger than generally declining market,
that boom is stronger than a period of
business prosperity; and that mother is
stronger than female parent.
Suggestions For Selecting
Words
You will not always want the strongest and most
vigorous words. Sometimes, for good reason,
you will choose weaker ones. The word bill is
strong. Because it has a harsh meaning in some
minds, you may prefer statement in some
instances. The same goes for debt and
obligation, die and passed on, labor boss and
union official, and fired and dismissed.
Suggestions For Selecting
Words
Use Concrete Language: Good business
communication is marked by words that
form sharp and clear meanings in the
mind. These are the concrete words.
Concrete is the opposite of abstract.
Abstract words are vague. In contrast,
concrete words stand for things the reader
can see, feel, taste, or smell.
Suggestions For Selecting
Words
Among the concrete words are those that
stand for things that exist in the real world.
Included are such noun as chair, desk,
Micky Mouse, Empire State Building,
etc. Abstract nouns, on the other hand,
cover broad meanings --- concepts, ideas,
and the like. Examples: administration,
incompetence, negotiation, loyalty, etc.
Abstract Concrete
A significant A 53 percent loss
Good attendance record 100 percent attendance
record
The leading company First among 3,212
competitors
The majority 62 percent
In the near future By noon Thursday
Suggestions For Selecting
Words
Use the Active Voice: Prefer the active voice to
the passive voice. Active voice produces
stronger, livelier writing. It emphasizes the
action, and it usually saves words. In active
voice, the subject does the action. In passive,
the subject receives the action. For example: “
The auditor inspected the books” is in active
voice. In passive voice, the sentence would
read: ”The books were inspected by the
auditor.”
Passive Active
The results were We reported the results
reported in our July 9 in our July 9 letter.
letter.
This policy has been Our union supported this
supported by our union. policy.
A gain of 30 percent was Hardware sales gained
reported for hardware 30 percent.
sales.
Suggestions For Selecting
Words
Passive is better when the doer of the action
is not important. It also helps avoid accusing
the reader. Passive is better when the
performer is not known. Example:
The color desired was not specified in your
order.
Anonymous complaints have been received.
Suggestions For Selecting
Words
Avoid Overuse of Camouflaged Verbs:
Avoid camouflaged verbs. You
camouflage a verb by changing it to a
noun form and then adding action word.
For example, if cancel becomes
cancellation, you must add “to effect a” to
have action.
Camouflaged Verb Clear Verb Form
An arrangement was We arranged to meet
made to meet for for breakfast.
breakfast.
Application of the They applied the
mixture was mixture.
accomplished.
The new policy involved The new policy
the standardization of standardized the
the procedures. procedures.
Suggestions For Selecting
Words
Select Words for Precise Meanings: Writing
requires knowledge of language. You should
study language and learn the shades of
difference in the meanings of similar words.
You should learn the specific meanings of
other words. Example:
Money, funds, cash, finances
Boy, youth, young man, lad
Suggestions For Selecting
Words
Use correct idiom. Idiom is the way ideas
are expressed in a language. Example:
you “agree to” a proposal, but you “agree
with” a person; you are “careful about”
an affair, but you are “careful with” your
money.
Suggestions For Selecting
Words
Suggestions for Nondiscriminatory
Writing:
Avoid words that discriminate against sex,
race, nationality, age, or disability. We
often use discriminatory words without bad
intent. Following are some major form of
discriminatory words.
Suggestions For Selecting
Words
1. Use Gender-Neutral Words: Avoid
using the masculine pronouns (he, him,
his) for both sexes. You can do this by
rewording the sentence, by making the
reference plural, or by substituting
neutral expressions. Examples:
Controversial Gender-Neutral
If a customer pays A customer who pays
promptly, he is placed promptly is placed on
on our preferred list. our preferred list.
If customers pay
promptly, they are
placed on our preferred
list.
If a customer pays
promptly, he or she is
placed on our preferred
list.
Suggestions For Selecting
Words
Avoid words suggesting male dominance. Examples:
Controversial Gender-Neutral
Man-made Human origin
Manpower Personnel, workers
Businessman Business executive,
businessperson
Fire man Fire fighter
Suggestions For Selecting
Words
2. Avoid words that stereotype(typecast)
by race or nationality: Example: “ a
hardworking African-American” suggests
that only African-Americans are hard
working.
Suggestions For Selecting
Words
3. Avoid words that stereotype by age:
Words that label people as old or young
can arouse negative reactions. Example,
instead of using old, use senior citizens.
Suggestions For Selecting
Words
4. Avoid words that typecast those with
disabilities: Disabled people are
sensitive to words that describe their
disabilities. Example: instead of using
deaf, use hearing disorder.
