{"id":38111,"date":"2021-12-13T06:29:01","date_gmt":"2021-12-13T11:29:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/?post_type=section&#038;p=38111"},"modified":"2023-11-29T19:15:49","modified_gmt":"2023-11-29T19:15:49","slug":"abstract-language","status":"publish","type":"section","link":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/elements-of-style\/diction\/abstract-language\/","title":{"rendered":"Abstract Language"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"tts_content_wrapper_2\" >\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_69_1 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/elements-of-style\/diction\/abstract-language\/#What_is_Abstract_Language\" title=\"What is Abstract Language?\">What is Abstract Language?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/elements-of-style\/diction\/abstract-language\/#Related_Concepts\" title=\"Related Concepts\">Related Concepts<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/elements-of-style\/diction\/abstract-language\/#Why_Does_Abstract_Language_Matter\" title=\"Why Does Abstract Language Matter?\">Why Does Abstract Language Matter?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/elements-of-style\/diction\/abstract-language\/#Abstract_Language_Clarity_Readability\" title=\"Abstract Language, Clarity &amp; Readability\">Abstract Language, Clarity &amp; Readability<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/elements-of-style\/diction\/abstract-language\/#How_Can_I_Avoid_Unnecessasry_Abstractions\" title=\"How Can I Avoid Unnecessasry Abstractions?\">How Can I Avoid Unnecessasry Abstractions?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/elements-of-style\/diction\/abstract-language\/#Strategies_for_Working_with_Abstract_Prose\" title=\"Strategies for Working with Abstract Prose\">Strategies for Working with Abstract Prose<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/elements-of-style\/diction\/abstract-language\/#Recommended_Resources\" title=\"Recommended Resources\">Recommended Resources<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-is-abstract-language\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_Abstract_Language\"><\/span>What is Abstract Language?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Abstract language<\/em> is <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"color: initial; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif;\">language that references <\/span>intangible, metaphysical things\u2014ideas, concepts, theories<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>an attribute of <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/text-composition\/\">prose, a style of writing, <\/a>that is common in school and workplace writing (see <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/diction\/\">Diction<\/a>).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Related_Concepts\"><\/span>Related Concepts<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/diction\/concrete-language-sensory-language\/\">Concrete, Sensory Writing<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-reasoning\/rhetorical-modes\/description\/\">Description<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/code-switching\/\">Code Switching<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/diction\/figurative-language\/\">Figurative Language<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/organization\/organizational-schema\/given-to-new-information\/\">Given to New Contract<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/register\/\">Register<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/collaboration\/coauthorship\/\">Vague Language<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/styles-of-writing\/writer-based-prose-style\/\">Writer-Based Prose Style<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_Does_Abstract_Language_Matter\"><\/span>Why Does <em>Abstract<\/em> <em>Language<\/em> Matter?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Abstract language<\/em> empowers <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/writer-speaker-author-rhetor-sender\/\">writers, speakers, knowledge makers . . .<\/a> to<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>share, debate, and test new ideas, theories, concepts<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>test new <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/writing-studies\/epistemology\/knowledge-claim\/\">knowledge claims<\/a> <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>develop <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/writing-studies\/epistemology\/rhetorical-knowledge\/\">knowledge<\/a>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>engage in <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/research\/applied-research-basic-research\/\">basic research<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/research\/applied-research-basic-research\/\">applied research<\/a> <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>develop new applications.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Abstract language<\/em> is widely employed in peer-reviewed journals and publications. It is the language of <em>formal discourse<\/em> (see <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/diction\/\">Diction<\/a>). It includes <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/audience\/discourse-community\/\">the jargon of sophisticated discourse communities<\/a> in the sciences, social sciences, humanities<meta charset=\"utf-8\">\u2014and arts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Abstract_Language_Clarity_Readability\"><\/span>Abstract Language, Clarity &amp; Readability <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Use of <em>abstract language<\/em> can be problematic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Abstract <\/em>prose can impede <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/clarity\/\">clarity<\/a>, especially when it is used inappropriately or gratuitously. Texts become increasingly less readable as they become more abstract.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By definition, <em>abstract language<\/em> is specific, less detailed than <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/diction\/concrete-language-sensory-language\/\">concrete language<\/a>. And, it doesn&#8217;t appeal to your senses. That&#8217;s a problem for readers. It means that different <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/audience\/\">readers, listeners, users . . .<\/a> can have entirely different ideas about what a writer means when they use abstract terms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Can_I_Avoid_Unnecessasry_Abstractions\"><\/span>How Can I Avoid Unnecessasry Abstractions?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Since 1918, following the publication of Strunk and White&#8217;s influential <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gutenberg.org\/ebooks\/37134\">The Elements of Style<\/a>, writers have been told to avoid abstract language:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;Prefer the specific to the general, the definite to the vague, the concrete to the abstract.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Yet, if you take this advice to heart, well, it leaves you mute when it comes to discussing abstract ideas and theories. Ultimately, the notion that you should avoid abstract language is just plain wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead, it&#8217;s more realistic to recognize that all language occurs at various levels of abstraction. For instance, S. I. Hayakawa, a linguist who subsequently became a U.S. senator, theorized that human reasoning and communication occurs at four levels of abstraction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In <em>Thought and Language<\/em>, Hayakawa illustrates his concept by exploring how different users with their different perspectives might talk about a cow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For a child, the cow might be a pet named Bessie. For the workers on the farm, Bessie may simply be referenced as a cow or one of the cows. Then, for the farmer the cows could be viewed as assets, particularly around tax time. Finally, most broadly, the cow may signify wealth, especially now with sky-high beef prices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table><tbody><tr><td><\/td><td><meta charset=\"utf-8\">Hayakawa&#8217;s Examples<\/td><td><\/td><td><strong>Examples<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Level 1: Abstraction<\/td><td>wealth<\/td><td><\/td><td>information<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Level 2: Broad group of names with little specification<\/td><td>assets<\/td><td><\/td><td>Encyclopedia, Writing Textbooks<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><meta charset=\"utf-8\">Level 3: More definite groups<\/td><td>cows<\/td><td><\/td><td><em>Writing Commons<\/em>, Purdue Owl, Writing Spaces<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><meta charset=\"utf-8\">Level 4: Specific, identifiable things<\/td><td>Bessie the cow<\/td><td><\/td><td>This specific article on Abstract Writing<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Illustration of Abstraction; Example: Writing Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Strategies_for_Working_with_Abstract_Prose\"><\/span>Strategies for Working with Abstract Prose<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Successful writing requires writers to move up and down the ladder of abstraction, depending on the writer&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/purpose\/\">purpose<\/a> and whether the information is <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/organization\/organizational-schema\/given-to-new-information\/\">new or old information<\/a> for the <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/audience\/\">reader, listener, user . . .<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Prior to submitting a <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/text-composition\/\">text<\/a> for review by a teacher, a coworker, or a client, be sure to analyze<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/\">the rhetorical situation<\/a>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>What <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/diction\/jargon\/\">jargon<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/organization\/rhetorical-moves\/\">rhetorical moves<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/research\/research-methods\/\">research methods<\/a> are <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/invention-prewriting\/prewriting\/commonplaces\/\">commonplace<\/a> for your <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/audience\/\">audience<\/a> or the <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/audience\/discourse-community\/\">discourse community<\/a> you are addressing? <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How abstract are the <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/text-composition\/\">texts<\/a> that comprise the <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/information-literacy\/information-literacy-perspectives-practices\/scholarship-as-a-conversation\/\">scholarly conversations<\/a> on a <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/topic\/\">topic<\/a>?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/information-literacy\/information\/\">information<\/a> can you assume is <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/organization\/organizational-schema\/given-to-new-information\/\">given<\/a>, and, what <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/information-literacy\/information\/\">information<\/a> is <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/organization\/organizational-schema\/given-to-new-information\/\">new<\/a>? <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>whether any abstract language can be replaced by <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/diction\/concrete-language-sensory-language\/\">concrete, sensory language<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/diction\/figurative-language\/\">figurative knowledge<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>As always, you are also wise to share early drafts with your audience or ask your readers if any terms are too abstract.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-recommended-resources\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Recommended_Resources\"><\/span>Recommended Resources<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Hayakawa, S. I. (Samuel Ichiy\u00e9), 1906-1992. <em>Language in Thought and Action<\/em>. New York: Harcourt, Brace &amp; World, 1964.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ohmann, Richard (December&nbsp; 1979). &#8220;Use Definite, Specific, Concrete Language.&#8221; <em>College English <\/em>41(4), 390-97.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.plainlanguage.gov\/resources\/articles\/beyond-a-movement\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Plain Language: Beyond a Movement<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":38753,"parent":2148,"menu_order":0,"template":"","tags":[],"chapters":[1981,1922],"class_list":["post-38111","section","type-section","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","chapters-diction","chapters-style"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/section\/38111","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/section"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/section"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/section\/38111\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":61186,"href":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/section\/38111\/revisions\/61186"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/section\/2148"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38753"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38111"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38111"},{"taxonomy":"chapters","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapters?post=38111"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}