Richard Lanham, a well-known scholar and professor of writing, gave a name to the style of writing that is found in many formal documents, such as those used in the fields of government, military, legal, financial, and other similar sectors. He calls it “The official style”, a way of writing based on “the predominance of nouns and the atrophy of verbs”.

What writing style do you use often? If you’ve ever read lab reports, military documents, or financial forecasts, you’ll probably notice one thing – they are ridiculously difficult to understand. Marked by adherence to strict grammar (probably with the help of formal writing software) and colorless prose, they are not only inexcusably boring, but uncomfortable to read. In fact, all of that is part of the charm, as they have been intentionally created that way.

Especially prevalent in bureaucratic structures, the official style is necessary up to a point. What situations justify them?

  • When you intentionally want to hide a message. Read the speeches of politicians and you will find their evasive statements buried under the official style of writing.
  • When you want to appear impersonal and unbiased.
  • When you want to sound professional. For whatever reason, people identify this lip service as professional, primarily as a conditional response, as many of our laws and procedures are written this way.
  • When you want to look smart. Once again, everything is perception. Because lawyers, bankers, and senior officials have traditionally written this way, people assume you have a worthy title when you write this way.

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