Reading Comprehension Success in 20 Minutes a Day, 3rd Edition

a.
letter A
b.
letter B
9.
In which letter is the sentence structure more
complex?
a.
letter A
b.
letter B
10.
Which letter is more descriptive and detailed?
a.
letter A
b.
letter B
You probably noticed immediately the difference
in degree of formality between these two letters. Letter
A is written in a very casual style, as if the writer knows
the reader very well and therefore does not need to use
a professional approach. Our first clue to this casual
relationship is the way the letter is addressed. Letter A
addresses the reader as “Lucy,” while letter B begins
with a formal “Dear Ms. Mirabella.” The same differ-
ence can be seen in the closing of the letters: “Isabel” vs.
“Sincerely, Ms. Lindsey.”
The (in)formality of each relationship is also
reflected in the sentence structure and degree of
description and detail. You probably noticed, for exam-
ple, that letter A uses short, choppy sentences, and
exclamation points, which make the letter sound less
formal, more urgent, and more demanding. The writer
also uses casual words like “listen” so that the writing
sounds conversational. On the other hand, letter B uses
longer, more complex sentences to make the letter
sound more formal and sophisticated.
At the same time, you probably noticed that let-
ter A does not provide the kind of specific information
that letter B does. Letter A tells us the writer placed an
order for “some invitations” “a while ago,” but letter B
tells us the order was placed “three weeks ago, on April
14” and that the order was for “two boxes of personalized
party invitations.” The fact that letter A does not pro-
vide specific details is further evidence that the reader
knows the writer very well, for the writer doesn’t have to
provide specific details. Furthermore, in letter A, the
writer uses a command—“Find out!”—whereas in
letter B, the writer 
asks,
rather than demands, that the
matter be looked into. This politeness reflects a profes-
sional distance between writer and reader.
In business, as in most writing, the audience usu-
ally determines the writer’s style. The writer of letter A
is probably capable of writing in the style of letter B, but
because she has a casual relationship with her reader,
she doesn’t need to use a formal style.