College Composition / Unit 29 CMP 0714 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Speaking Familiarly
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The idea
Speaking familiarly, or folksily, is a strategy in which the writer uses casual, everyday language to seem close to the audience.
In practice
A politician who drops formal vocabulary for plain talk can build rapport with listeners who distrust polished speech.
Where people slip
The same strategy can seem condescending to an audience that expects formality.
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