S
tyle?” you ask. “What does style have to do with reading comprehension?”
Actually, style has a good deal to do with reading comprehension. Just as writers use different
structures to organize their ideas and information, they also use different styles to express their ideas
and information. Thus, the more aware you are of the elements of style, the more successfully you can determine
a writer’s purpose and understand his or her ideas.
Style is also important because it is often what attracts us to, or repels us from, certain writers or types of
writing. Though an awareness of style might not make us change our taste, it can at least help us appreciate different
writers and different styles.
LESSON
Style:
It’s Not What
They Say but
How They Say It
LESSON SUMMARY
How a writer puts words together to express meaning is as important
as what the writer says. This lesson shows you how to analyze the style
of a piece of writing in order to get a better understanding of what the
writer means.
13
101

What Is Style?
Style, in writing, generally consists of three elements:
1. Sentence structure
2. Degree of detail and description
3. Degree of formality
Diction is also an aspect of style, but because dic-
tion is so essential to meaning, it had its own lesson in
this book.
Sentence Structure

a. version A
b. version B
You probably noticed that version A is the one
that uses simple sentences with essentially the same
sentence structure throughout. (You might also have
noticed that these sentences sound rather dull because
they are so simple and unvaried.) In version B, the
sentences are far more complex with more variation
in their structure.
Degree of Detail and Description
When you look at degree of detail and description, ask
two things:
1. How specific is the author? Does he write “dog”
(general) or “Labrador retriever” (specific
detail)? Does she write “some” (general) or
“three and a half pounds” (specific detail)?
2. How much description does the author provide?
Does he write “Mr. B is my manager” (non-
descriptive) or “Mr. B, my manager, is a tall man
with piercing eyes and a mustache” (descriptive)?
Or, does he go even further: “Mr. B, my manager,
is six foot ten with eyes that pierce like knives
and a mustache like Hitler’s” (very descriptive)?
Try your hand at deciding whether words are spe-
cific and descriptive or general and nondescriptive.
Style: a distinctive way of writing or speaking
or doing something; the manner in which
something is done
–
STYLE: IT’S NOT WHAT THEY SAY BUT HOW THEY SAY IT

deciding that sentences a and d are more informal and
sentences b and c are more formal.

How the Three Elements of
Style Work Together
Look at how these three elements of style work together
in the following two letters. Both convey essentially
the same information, but they are written in radically
different styles. Read the letters carefully and then list
your observations. What do you notice that’s different
between these two letters?
Letter A
Lucy:
Listen, a while ago, I ordered some invitations
from your website. I haven’t gotten them yet. What
happened? Where are they? Find out! I need them!
—Isabel
Letter B
Dear Ms. Mirabella:
Three weeks ago, on April 14, I rush ordered
two boxes of personalized party invitations from
your website (Order #123456). To date, I have not
received my order. Please look into this matter
immediately as I am in dire need of this product.
Sincerely,
Ms. Lindsey
What did you notice about these two letters? How
are they different? Consider sentence structure, degree
of description and detail, and degree of formality. List
your observations in the space below (an example has

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

A
.
M
., Mark Spencer held a
press conference. Eleanor Cartwright was present as
well. Mr. Spencer talked about upcoming events at
the Smithfield Museum of Art, where he is Director.
Then he announced that Eleanor Cartwright had
just been appointed Director of Development. This
new position was created due to the planned build-
ing of a new wing, which will house the significant
art collection that was donated to The Smithfield
Museum last year. Mr. Spencer outlined Ms.
Cartwright’s qualifications and introduced her to
the press. She discussed plans for the new wing, and
she also took several questions from reporters before
the press conference ended.
Paragraph B
Yesterday at 10:00
A
.
M
., Mark Spencer, the pop-
ular Director of the Smithfield Museum of Art, held
a press conference. The room was buzzing with
reporters as Mr. Spencer took the podium. Standing
to his right was a striking woman with a crimson
suit. Mr. Spencer first discussed the soon-to-be-
launched artist-in-residence program as well as the
upcoming annual fundraising dinner, which has

long as version A.
Now, use your observations to answer the
following questions:
11. Which version tells you more about Mark
Spencer?
a. paragraph A
b. paragraph B
12. Which version tells you more about Eleanor
Cartwright?
a. paragraph A
b. paragraph B
–
STYLE: IT’S NOT WHAT THEY SAY BUT HOW THEY SAY IT
–
105
13. Which version is more objective?
a. paragraph A
b. paragraph B
14. Which version makes you feel excited about
Eleanor Cartwright’s appointment?
a. paragraph A
b. paragraph B
You noticed, of course, that paragraph B is much
more descriptive than paragraph A—it tells you more
about both Mark Spencer and Eleanor Cartwright.
Paragraph A just provides the facts—specific details,
but no description. Paragraph A is very objective. We
do not learn anything about Mark Spencer other than
his job title. For example, we don’t know how people
feel about him. In paragraph A, we also learn very lit-

–
106
■
As you come across sentences or paragraphs written in different styles, see how they would sound if
the style were altered. Change the level of formality, the degree of description and detail, or the sen-
tence structure to create a new style.
■
Do you have a favorite author? Take a second look at a particularly memorable work by this author, pay-
ing close attention to the style elements at work. If you are a Jane Austen fan, pick out features that
make her novels enjoyable for you. Do you like her degree of formality, the way she uses detail to
describe fancy parties, or the way she varies her sentence structure? After you’ve taken a close look
at this work, try your own hand at it. Can you write a letter to a friend in the same style that Jane Austen
would have? How about Ernest Hemingway or Stephen King?
Skill Building until Next Time