Directness in Speech and Writing

In speech and writing, directness is the quality of being Take out the garbage!

straightforward and concise: stating a main point early and clearly Can you take out the garbage?
without embellishments or digressions. Directness contrasts Would you mind taking out the garbage?
with circumlocution, verbosity, and indirectness. Let's take out the garbage.
There are different degrees of directness, which are determined in The garbage sure is piling up.Garbage day is
part by social and cultural conventions. In order tomorrow. "Each of these sentences may be used to
to communicate effectively with a particular audience, a speaker or accomplish the goal of getting the person to take out the
writer needs to maintain a balance between directness garbage. However, the sentences show varying degrees
and politeness.  of directness, ranging from the direct command at the top
Examples and Observations of the list to the indirect statement regarding the reason
the activity needs to be undertaken at the bottom of the

 "The whole world will tell you, if you care to ask, that your list. The sentences also differ in terms of

words should be simple & direct. Everybody likes the relative politeness and situational appropriateness. ...

other fellow's prose plain. It has even been said that we "In matters of directness vs.

should write as we speak. That is absurd. ... Most indirectness, gender differences may play a more

speaking is not plain or direct, but vague, clumsy, important role than factors such as ethnicity, social class,

confused, and wordy. ... What is meant by the advice to or region, although all these factors tend to intersect, often

write as we speak is to write as we might speak if we in quite complex ways, in the determination of the

spoke extremely well. This means that good writing should 'appropriate' degree of directness or indirectness for any

not sound stuffy, pompous, highfalutin, totally unlike given speech act."

ourselves, but rather, well—'simple & direct.' (Walt Wolfram and Natalie Schilling-Estes, American

"Now, the simple words in the language tend to be the English: Dialects and Variation. Wiley-Blackwell, 2006)

short ones that we assume all speakers know; and if

familiar, they are likely to be direct. I say 'tend to be' and  Directness and Gender
'likely' because there are exceptions. ... "While some of us will think that without the skills of 'good'
"Prefer the short word to the long; the concrete to the writing a student cannot truly be empowered, we must be
abstract; and the familiar to the unfamiliar. But: equally aware that the qualities of 'good' writing as they
"Modify these guidelines in the light of the occasion, the are advocated in textbooks and rhetoric books
full situation, which includes the likely audience for your — directness, assertiveness and persuasiveness,
words." precision and vigor—collide with what social conventions
(Jacques Barzun, Simple & Direct: A Rhetoric for Writers, dictate proper femininity to be. Even should a woman
4th ed. Harper Perennial, 2001) succeed at being a 'good' writer she will have to contend

 Revising for Directness with either being considered too masculine because she

"Academic audiences value directness and intensity. does not speak 'like a Lady,' or, paradoxically, too

They do not want to struggle through overly wordy feminine and hysterical because she is, after all, a woman.

phrases and jumbled sentences. ... Examine your draft. The belief that the qualities that make good writing are

Focus specifically on the following issues: somehow 'neutral' conceals the fact their meaning and

1. Delete the obvious: Consider statements or passages evaluation changes depending on whether the writer is a

that argue for or detail what you and your peers already man or woman."

assume. ... (Elisabeth Daumer and Sandra Runzo, "Transforming the

2. Intensify the least obvious: Think about your essay as a Composition Classroom." Teaching Writing: Pedagogy,

declaration of new ideas. What is the most uncommon or Gender, and Equity, ed. by Cynthia L. Caywood and

fresh idea? Even if it's a description of the problem or a Gillian R. Overing. State University of New York Press,

slightly different take on solving it, develop it further. Draw 1987)

more attention to it." (John Mauk and John Metz, The  Directness and Cultural Differences
Composition of Everyday Life: A Guide to Writing, 5th ed. "The U.S. style of directness and forcefulness would be
Cengage, 2015) perceived as rude or unfair in, say, Japan, China,

 Degrees of Directness Malaysia, or Korea. A hard-sell letter to an Asian reader

"Statements may be strong and direct or they may be would be a sign of arrogance, and arrogance suggests

softer and less direct. For example, consider the range of inequality for the reader."

sentences that might be used to direct a person to take (Philip C. Kolin, Successful Writing at Work. Cengage,

out the garbage: 2009)