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Characteristics of Formal Writing

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Characteristics of Formal Writing

A community trust is preparing a proposal for a local council. Help its communications team make the writing clear, precise and appropriately formal. Read the brief and complete each task. Formal writing is not simply long or complicated: its choices should suit the audience and purpose.

The proposal brief

A community trust plans to convert an unused town-centre building into a study and support hub for rangatahi. Many rangatahi in the area lack access to quiet study space and support with preparing CVs and job applications. The hub would provide quiet study space, reliable internet access and weekly help with CVs and job applications. The trust is asking the local council to contribute funding for equipment. It will measure the project’s success by recording weekly attendance and collecting anonymous feedback. The proposal must explain the need for the hub, describe its services and show how results will be assessed.

1.The trust is writing to the council to request funding. Which opening best suits that audience and purpose?

Hey council, we reckon you should help us out with some cash.
This proposal requests council funding for equipment at a new study and support hub for rangatahi.
Our hub is going to be amazing, and everyone will love it!
Just wanted to let you know what we're doing.

2.Which feature would be least appropriate in the proposal’s main argument?

Specific details about the services the hub will provide
A measured tone supported by relevant reasons
Slang and unsupported claims such as “this place will be totally epic”
Clear links between the need, the proposed service and its intended outcomes

3.Select two changes that would make this sentence more suitable for a formal proposal: “We’ll set up a place where young people can get online and sort out their CVs.”

Replace “We’ll” with “The trust will”.
Replace “sort out their CVs” with “prepare their CVs”.
Add slang to make the sentence sound friendly.
Remove the service details so the sentence is shorter.

4.Explain why “The project will record weekly attendance” is more appropriate in a formal proposal than “We’ll keep tabs on who turns up every week.” Refer to two language choices in your explanation.

Edit the draft

The communications team has drafted this paragraph for its proposal: “We think heaps of young people need somewhere to study. The hub’ll have internet and help with CVs, which is really awesome. We’ll see how it goes by asking people stuff.”

5.Identify two informal features in the draft paragraph and name a more formal alternative for each.

6.Rewrite the draft paragraph in a formal style. Keep its main ideas, but use precise wording and a measured tone.

7.The proposal must explain how the trust will assess the hub’s success. Write one formal sentence using both measures stated in the brief.

8.True or false? Formal writing always avoids first-person pronouns such as “we”. Explain your answer in one or two sentences.

9.Improve the cohesion of these ideas by combining them into one or two connected formal sentences: “The hub will offer quiet study space. It will provide reliable internet. Rangatahi can get weekly help with CVs and job applications.”

10.Write two formal sentences for the proposal: one explaining why the hub is needed, and one describing a service it will provide. Use details from the brief and avoid unsupported claims.