Literary versus Business English

		COMMON DIFFERENCES BETWEEN LITERARY AND PROFESSIONAL ENGLISH
		Literary Writing		Professional Writing
		Designed to be read many times		Reveals full meaning on a single reading
		Complex expression		Clear expression
		Unfamiliar words		Familiar words
		Colorful tone		Plain language
		Variety expected		Consistency expected
		Imagery and symbolism		Numbers and charts
		Long, complex sentences		Short, clear sentences
		Often impossible to read quickly		Can be read quickly
		Ambiguity acceptable		Clarity essential
		Notes: 1) Most people have been trained by English teachers of a literary learning; hence the stubborn reluctance on the part of some "well-educated" professional writers to abandon elements of creative writing in their on-the-job writing. 2) Even when literary sentences are simple in structure and quick to read, as in Ernest Hemingway's novels, the themes tend to call for lengthy reflection before a reader can fully understand them. 3) Of course, while the differences labeled above between "literary" and "professional" writing are generally true, they are not absolute; some examples of writing from one side of the chart will contain some of the qualities found on the other side. Adapted from Powerful Business Writing: Say What You Mean, Get What You Want (c) 1992 by Tom McKeown.