If you want to get your point across, written communication is the key. This is an effective way of getting people to understand what you are trying to say, although written communication can be misinterpreted in many cases. Types of Written communication includes letters, memos, textbooks, and other written materials that convey a message through words and symbols.
Types of Written Communication:
There are four basic types of written communication: official written communication, such as business letters; informal written communication, such as sexting or texts between friends; public written communication, such as newspaper articles or school textbooks; and personal written communication, which generally involves writing for yourself instead of someone else.
Official Written Communications
Official written communications need to be clear and concise so that others will understand them without any confusion. They should be written at a formal level of language. Using jargon and acronyms can also be helpful to the reader if they are written for an audience that uses them frequently.
Informal Written Communication
Informal written communication is written more casually, such as through letters or texts between friends. These types of written communications use less formal language and might not even be written in full sentences. It is important to remember when writing informal written communications to stick with one topic per written piece because these tend to ramble on and jump from subject to subject.
Also Check: Verbal Communication
Public Written Communications
Public written communications tend to include newspapers, magazines, internet articles, and textbooks. While using less formal language than official written communication, it should still be clear and concise so that the intended audience can understand them without any confusion.
Personal Written Communications
Personal written communications are written for yourself rather than someone else. Journals and diaries fall into this category, but so do written letters or emails written to yourself. Personal written communication can be written at any level of formal language depending on your moods, such as writing a letter to your best friend in full sentences and then writing an email to your boss that includes acronyms and abbreviations.
Letters and Memos
Letters and memos include official written communication that is meant for a specific person or group of people. They should follow the rules of business formal language. Letters and memos should be written with one idea per paragraph and each paragraph's topic sentence should lead into the next one. Jargon can also be helpful if you are speaking to an audience who uses those terms frequently.
Sexting and texts
Sexting and texts written between friends use less formal language than letters or memos written to a specific person. These written communications tend to ramble on and include many different topics as well as jokes and inside information. It is important to stick with one topic per written communication because these can easily become confusing if you jump from subject to subject.
Written internet articles and blogs
Internet articles and school textbooks tend to be written at the middle level of language formality. While they should still be written clearly enough that the intended audience understands them without confusion, internet articles and school textbooks may include more definitions, jargon, and complicated words than books written for children since the general population using the internet ranges from age 10 to 60 on their interests, whereas children range from age 0 to 18 in school.
Books are written for children
Books are written for children typically use the middle level of written language formality. While these books do not need to be written at an elementary-school reading level, it is still important that they are written clearly enough that their intended audience can understand them without confusion. Children's books should include few if any difficult words and try to stick with one idea per written page or chapter instead of including several topics on one page or chapter.
Written letters and emails
Written letters and emails written to yourself fall into the category of personal written communication which means you may choose to write using whatever language informalities make you most comfortable. When writing letters and emails for this type of written communication, however, it is best if you stick with one topic per written communication and try to use clear, concise language that your intended audience will be able to understand.
Conclusion
Written communication is an invaluable skill. Whether writing a letter to a friend or publishing an article online, written communication allows you to send a message from yourself to someone else. The type of written communication varies depending on how formal it needs to be, who the written communication is for, what the written communication says, and where it takes place. It is important when writing written communications to take into account these different factors as well as the formality level of written language in order to correctly communicate with your readers or listeners without confusing them.