Word Choice It s time to register What

Word Choice It’s time to register!

What in the world is register? • It’s a language style • The use of the appropriate register depends on the audience, the topic and the purpose of the writing. • YOU CAN’T ALWAYS WRITE AS YOU SPEAK!!!

FROZEN REGISTER • Language the remains fixed/unchanged • Examples: The Pledge of Allegiance, Lord’s Prayer, the Preamble to the Constitution

CONSULTATIVE REGISTER • Talking to a boss, supervisor, lawyer, doctor, etc. (asking for assistance) To Whom It May Concern: Please be advised that this firm has been retained by Dominique Alverez in connection with injuries sustained in a car accident which occurred on June 2, 2010. Please forward to our office any photos you have taken of my client’s vehicle and/or any recorded statements from my client. Please cease any contact you are having with my client. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions regarding this matter. Very truly yours, Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

CASUAL REGISTER • Talking with friends • Slang • “OMG, did you hear what happened to Mary? LOL. She tol meh she aint gonna be allowed to come over Friday cuz she grounded & I told her she better not be breakin da rules!”

FORMAL/ACADEMIC REGISTER • Interviews, public speaking, research papers, etc. In March 2004, U. S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona called attention to a health problem in the United States that, until recently, has been overlooked: childhood obesity. Carmona said that the “astounding” 15% child obesity rate constitutes an “epidemic. ” since the early 1980 s, that rate has “doubled in children and tripled in adolescents. ” now more than 9 million children are classified as obese. While the traditional response to a medical epidemic is to hunt for a vaccine or a cure-all pill, childhood obesity is more elusive. The lack of success of recent initiatives suggests that medication might not be the answer for the escalating problem. This literature review considers whether the use of medication is a promising approach for solving the childhood obesity problem by responding to the following questions:

Formal Register Do’s & Don’ts The Rules of Formal Writing • No contractions: Write "it is, " never "it's. " Write "do not, " never "don't. " Under no circumstances shall you write "he'll" when you mean "he will!" • No slang or jargon: It does not "rain cats and dogs. " An i. Pod is not "cool" or "spiffy. " • Never use "I" or "you: " Be impersonal. • Avoid asking questions: People might think you're trying to be conversational. • Non-sexist language: You will be tarred and feathered if you say "he" rather than "he or she. " Heaven forbid you say "mankind" instead of "humanity. " • No abbreviations: You will spell out "Internal Revenue Service. " • Never use exclamation points. Unless you're quoting someone, maybe.

Let’s Practice! Mark any words that need a change in register: You all know Bill Gates. When you hear that name you think “Billionaire” or “Lucky, ” but you haven’t really looked deep enough. Bill is more than a rich, lucky businessman. He has worked very hard to get where he is today! When he was in college, he thought long and hard about a problem. And then he thought of how to fix it. Bill Gates is an inventor. He did what all inventors do: they think of a problem, and invent cool stuff to make it better or easier. Bill thought of computers, how they didn’t do anything that an ordinary person could use them for. So Bill invented software for a computer. All of a sudden, people could make spreadsheets to handle calculations! They could type things just like a typewriter except with perfect erasing tools!

Right now I want you to pretend you’re in a store. As you walk around, you see that some products are much less expensive than others. Now, check out the labels on these cheaper items. You will probably notice that many of these labels say, “Made in China, ” or “Made in Honduras. ” Have you ever stopped to wonder why products made in these countries are so much more affordable than stuff manufactured right here on American soil? Well, before you buy another inexpensive article of clothing, pair of shoes, sporting good, carpet, or any other product, you might want to think this through. Child labor has long been banned in America, but of sight should not mean out of mind! Over 200 million children world-wide work full time in conditions not fit for an animal. That means that they don’t play sports, they don’t attend school, and they don’t have fun. These children are prisoners! Take, for example, Pakistan and India. In these countries, a “bonded labor” system forces kid laborers, some as young as four years old, to work for a single employer for a super long time! They are sometimes literally tied to their loom to ensure they are not slacking off! In return for their servitude, they receive a place to sleep and just enough food to sustain them.

The Value of Learning Formal Writing It's useful to know the rules of formal writing, because the rules give you a solid foundation to work with. To paraphrase the Dali Lama, learn the rules first, then you'll know how to break them properly. It's a little like learning to write in cursive. At first you try to duplicate all those clean, perfect loops. Once you've done it several times and understand the basics, your own style begins to evolve.