It’s All in the Writing: Third Grade vs. College vs. Eighth Grade

blank page on a table with pen to write

As a ghost writer serving Philadelphia who spends a lot of time studying how people read and respond to different writing styles, I often remind clients that clarity almost always wins. The goal is not to sound impressive. The goal is to be understood. The right level of writing meets the reader where they are and guides them without confusion.

It’s all in the writing.

According to the blog Boomerang, communication written at a third-grade level receives 36% more responses. Which paragraph speaks to you?

  1. Me and dad hunt for bears and deers. When my dad gets a deer he cuts them. He always hunts. I go with him too and I see him get them.
  2. My father and I spend copious amounts of quality time in pursuit of Ursus arctos and Servus elaphus. When my father successfully eradicates one of Servus elaphus, he carves up the carcass. He regularly seeks to deprive one of these animals of its existence. I accompany him and witness his pursuits.
  3. Dad and I hunt often together. Our targets typically are bear and deer. After a kill, my dad uses his knife to get at the meat we will enjoy for dinner that night.

The first paragraph is written at a third-grade level. The second is college-aged. The third is closer to eighth grade.

It’s all in the writing.

Strong communication depends on choosing words and sentence structures that actually reach people. That is where a proofreader serving Philadelphia can make a real difference by helping you refine your message so it is clear, direct, and easy to absorb. When the writing works, the reader stays with you, and your message does what it is meant to do.

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