The Formal Mode

Every person speaks differently depending on the situation and environment. When amongst friends a person's tone and diction will widely differ than when that same person addresses an authority figure. That doesn't mean there has been a change in personality or authenticity, but rather that we all possess different modes of communication that reflect the setting that we find ourselves in. Some forms of communication are more appropriate than others, relative to the circumstances of the dialogue. The same holds true for writing. Formalized writing can still retain an authentic and engaging voice, without using colloquial language or cliches. While a person might use popular acronyms, such as ROFL, online, that doesn't mean they use those same acronyms via conversation in real life. It would not make sense within that context. The same applies to formal writing. If a person was applying for a job, they would have a vastly different attitude and tone, than a person who was lazing about in their own home. Through this last analogy, we can identify formal writing as a means of presenting yourself in a way that will impress or convince your target audience. Similar to the job interview, formal writing doesn't mean you have to sacrifice identity or individuality to achieve your goal, but you're more likely to “get the job,” so to speak, if you take a shower and put on some nice clothes before you arrive. However, in formal writing the “shower” might represent correct grammar and spelling, and the “nice clothes” could symbolize adequate structure and syntax.