An objective tone is standard in most formal business and academic writing. But how can you make your writing sound objective? Our top tips include:
For more detail on how to achieve an objective tone in writing, read on.
Objective writing aims for a neutral, impersonal tone. As such, you should try to minimise the use of the first person and first-person pronouns such as ‘I’, ‘me’ and ‘mine’, which put too much focus on you as the writer of the document.
One option is to use the passive voice more. For instance:
I will outline the main arguments. -> The main arguments will be outlined.
However, this can sound awkward or leave your writing unclear (e.g. the sentence above does not specify who or what will outline the arguments). As such, it is often better to stick to the active voice and use the third person instead. For example:
This paper will outline the main arguments.
Here, the meaning is clear, but we avoid using any first-person pronouns.
Objective writing should be clear and factual. As such, you will need to:
If you can back up your claims with well-researched facts, your writing will come across as much more objective than if you simply make unsupported claims.
If you present only one side of an argument in your writing, it could appear biased and lose credibility. To achieve an objective tone, then, you must show balance. And this means sharing different viewpoints and perspectives.
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This is especially important if you are presenting an argument in academic writing where acknowledging potential counterarguments or competing points of view is a key part of testing the strength of your position. But it also applies to business writing, where considering multiple perspectives provides important context and shows that you have researched the issue thoroughly.
You don’t always have to give every opinion equal weight or present every possible argument, though, or you run the risk of overwhelming the reader with too much information. Instead, focus on the key perspectives in the subject area.
Typically, objective writing should avoid emotive language or words that suggest a subjective opinion. For example:
Smith (2020) offers a brilliantly clever solution to this terrible problem.
Here, the words ‘brilliantly clever’ and ‘terrible’ don’t add anything substantive to the sentence. Rather, they signal something about the author’s opinion. And by adding this kind of emotive language, we prompt the reader to respond in a particular way (e.g. to see the solution as ‘brilliantly clever’).
This is not to say you should never offer an opinion in objective writing (e.g. you may need to weigh the benefits of certain actions and recommend the best option to meet a specific objective, which will inevitably involve an element of opinion). But you should present your opinions in a neutral tone and back them up with facts, not relying on emotive or otherwise subjective language to influence your reader.
As well as the subjective and emotive language discussed so far, objective writing should avoid informal and colloquial language. This includes:
This formal style is common in business and academic writing as it reduces the strength of the individual’s voice and thus contributes to an objective tone.
Errors in writing suggest a lack of care or attention to detail (even when this isn’t true). To make sure your documents have a truly objective, authoritative tone, then, it pays to get them proofread by the writing experts.
Our editors are available 24/7, all year round, so we are always here to help. You can even try our services for free! Get in touch today to find out more.
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