Writing: Audience, Purpose and Register (Sophistication and Flexibility) (C1) - Lesson 1: Adapting Style, Tone, and Content Flexibly

C1 Lesson 1: Adapting Style, Tone, and Content Flexibly

Welcome to C1-level writing. You have mastered the difference between formal and informal registers. At this advanced level, we move beyond this binary choice to develop stylistic flexibility¹.

A sophisticated writer understands that formality exists on a spectrum², and they can precisely adapt their tone, vocabulary, and structure to fit any specific context³.

The Spectrum of Formality

Think of your writing style not as an on/off switch, but as a sliding scale.

Very Informal → Informal → Semi-formal → Formal → Very Formal

• Very Informal: A text message to your best friend.
• Semi-formal: An email to your project team at work.
• Formal: An application letter for a new job.
• Very Formal: A university research paper or a legal document.

Case Study: Announcing a Success

Scenario: You are a project manager. Your team has just successfully completed a major project ahead of schedule. You need to communicate this news to three different audiences.

Audience 1: Senior Management (Formal)

Subject: Completion of Project Alpha

Dear Management Team,

This report is to formally confirm the successful completion of Project Alpha as of June 14, 2025. All key deliverables have been met ahead of the projected schedule, resulting in a significant cost saving. A detailed post-project analysis will be distributed next week.

Best regards,

Vuthy

Audience 2: Your Project Team (Semi-formal)

Subject: We did it! Project Alpha Complete!

Hi Team,

Fantastic news - we've officially completed Project Alpha ahead of schedule! I want to sincerely thank every one of you for your incredible hard work and dedication. This was a huge team effort, and you all did an amazing job.

Let's plan a team lunch next week to celebrate. Well done, everyone!

All the best,

Vuthy

Audience 3: Your Best Friend (Informal)

Message: Hey! We finally finished the Alpha project! So relieved it's done. It was exhausting but we did it. Drinks tonight to celebrate??

C1 Stylistic Flexibility Checklist

• ✔️ Have I deeply considered my audience's expectations and my relationship to them?
• ✔️ Is my primary purpose (e.g., to inform, persuade, celebrate) clear?
• ✔️ Have I selected the precise tone and level of formality required, rather than just being "formal" or "informal"?
• ✔️ Are all my choices—vocabulary, sentence structure, greeting, closing—consistent with that chosen register?

Practice Quiz: Choose the Most Appropriate Tone

Scenario: You are emailing a professor you have never met at a foreign university to ask for information about their PhD program.

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Which opening is the most appropriate?

1. Hey Dr. Smith,
2. Dear Dr. Smith,
3. Dear Sir/Madam,

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Answer: B. "Dear Dr. Smith," is the standard, respectful, and formal salutation when you know the person's name. "Hey" is too informal. "Dear Sir/Madam" is used only when you do not know the person's name.

Homework: Adapt Your Message

Your homework is to practice adapting one message for three different audiences.

Scenario: You have to work late on Friday evening and must cancel your plans.

Your Task: In your notebook, write three separate short messages to cancel:

1. A formal email to your teacher, cancelling your attendance at a special evening lecture you had registered for.
2. A semi-formal message to a group of colleagues, cancelling a team dinner you had organized.
3. An informal text message to your best friend, cancelling your plan to meet for a movie.

Focus on how your tone, vocabulary, and explanation change for each audience.

Vocabulary Glossary

1. Flexibility (stylistic): (Noun) - Khmer: ភាពបត់បែន - The ability to change your writing style easily to suit any situation. ↩
2. Spectrum: (Noun) - Khmer: វិសាលគម - A range of different positions or opinions between two extreme points. ↩
3. Context: (Noun) - Khmer: បរិបទ - The situation in which something happens, which helps you to understand it. ↩
4. Nuance: (Noun) - Khmer: ភាពខុសគ្នា - A very small, subtle difference in meaning, feeling, or tone. ↩
5. To adapt: (Verb) - Khmer: សម្រប - To change your behavior or style in order to be more successful in a new situation.