Contractions in Semi-Formal Letters?
Friday, February 12th, 2010
Alexander S asked:
I’ll be submitting an appeal to a registrar at my university in the near future, and I’m wondering if he’d get offended if I used contractions and a semi-formal tone in my letter, rather than a stiff and formal tone. I feel that this semi-formal style fits me better than a completely formal one, but after input from one of my friends I’m worried that this will reflect badly on me.
I’ll be submitting an appeal to a registrar at my university in the near future, and I’m wondering if he’d get offended if I used contractions and a semi-formal tone in my letter, rather than a stiff and formal tone. I feel that this semi-formal style fits me better than a completely formal one, but after input from one of my friends I’m worried that this will reflect badly on me.
In a nutshell, do you think that stuff such as using contractions in a formal letter would offend a typical white-collar type in a “formal” communique?
I’m eager to hear your opinions. Thanks.
P.S. You’re getting a sample of my writing style and use of contractions right here. This voice is almost identical to the one I use in my letter. Polished, analytically solid, yet somewhat casual.
