What Does It Mean to "Write Like You Talk"?
3 days ago
- #Language Complexity
- #Writing Style
- #Communication
- Advocates like Paul Graham argue writing should mimic conversation to avoid complexity, formality, and false impressions of depth.
- Orwell critiques complex language for obscuring truth but notes pretentious style can arise even in hurried speech or dictation.
- Studies on complexity yield mixed results: some find speech uses more subordinate clauses in narratives, while others show writing has higher subordination and lexical density.
- Writing often employs compressed noun phrases with implicit relationships and embedded structures, adding complexity beyond clause subordination.
- Speech relies more on metadiscourse, like verbal signposts, to guide listeners without visual cues, aiding real-time comprehension.
- The advice 'write like you talk' is underspecified—it warns against pretentiousness and jargon but risks verbosity without careful editing, especially in online discourse.
- Jargon can be valuable for experts and aid immersion learning for non-experts, suggesting a nuanced view of specialized language.