Personal and Impersonal Language Style

Personal style

• Involves a more simple, direct and initimate writing style.• Express the writer's emotions directly.• Tend to have short lifespans.• Used in casual writing. (Text messages, e-mail messges,

certain assignments, diaries, social network posting)

Impersonal style

• Excludes the writer's thoughts and experiences.• Deals with outward issues, treats, events or phenomena as

external instead of affected by the reflection of the observer.

• Used in formal and academic writing. (Official documents, computer documentation, scholarly articles, formal essays)

Purpose of using personal and impersonal language

Personal Language

•For self-expression.

•Persuade the readers' towards the author's point of view.

Impersonal language

•For academic writing purpose.

•To increase the authority of an argument.

•To create a reasonable and justified conclusion in formal writing.

Distinctive features of personal and

impersonal language

Active and passive voice

•Personal language u ses active voice.•Example: How did y ou answer the questi on?

•Impersonal languag e uses passive voice.•Example: How was t he question answere d by you?

Personal Pronouns• First person pronouns are used in personal style.• Example: I hurt my finger badly.• Third person pronouns are used in impersonal style.• Example: The finger was hurt badly.

Subject of sentence

• Personal style utilizes people as subject of sentence.• Example: In this presentation I divided the chapter into

three sections.• Impersonal style utilizes things as subject of sentence.• Example: The presentation divides the chapter into

three sections.

Uses of contractions

• Personal writing is acceptable in the form of contraction.

• Example: Don't, Can't, Shouldn't.• Words must be wholly expanded in impersonal writing.• Example: Do not, Cannot, Should not.

Length of sentences

• Personal writing includes short sentences, slang and humour.

• Example: I let the handbrake off and the car ran away.• Impersonal writing includes lengthy sentences with

complex subordination and long verb phrases.• Example: The handbrake was released by the driver,

causing the car to run away.

Run-on Expression (etc., so on)• Run-on expressions are used in personal style.• Example: Public transportations include vehicles for

public use on roads, airways, waterways etc..• Run-on expressions must be avoided in impersonal style.• Example: Public transportations include vehicles for

public use, such as buses, trains and aeroplanes.

Rhetoric

• Personal style employs rhetorical questions.• Example: The question is, nevertheless, how does

transformational strategy facilitate in organizational management?

• Rhetorical questions are considered inappropiate in impersonal style.

• Example: It is questionable whether transformational strategy facilitates in organizational management.

Adverbs

• In personal writing, adverbs occur as clauses in the start or ending of a sentence.

• Example: I explained my point of view briefly.• In impersonal writing, adverbs are placed within the

verb group.• Example: I briefly explained my point of view.

Summary• Personal style is used in casual writings/for self-expression

as it express the writer's emotions.

• Impersonal style is used in formal/academic writings as it deals with issues while excluding the writer's opinion.

• There are distinctive features between these two such as active and passive voice, personal pronouns, subject of sentence and uses of contractions.

Conclusion

Q & A Session