9.5 Objective vs subjective language

This information on objective and subjective language is also included in Book 1: Handbook for Business Communication. Every time you put forward your conclusions and recommendations in an analysis, you are probably expressing a point of view. Forming this point of view, based on your evidence, is an important business skill. You will be less convincing if you write judgementally, according to your opinions or beliefs and without providing evidence. In the example phrases below, the opinion words are italicised:

• a difficult year for airlines
• excellent working conditions
• good career prospects.

Typically, objective language is evidence based, whereas subjective language expresses very personal views with little evidence. In each of the following phrases, the writer’s view is revealed in the adjective or adverb chosen: serious crisis, minor difficulty; fell slowly; dropped rapidly. But the reader could ask, how serious or minor was the event? Did the figures really change rapidly or slowly? In academic writing, you need to avoid extremes of language and imprecise wording.

Advertising is a medium that uses subjective language in order to persuade. The example in the next section highlights the difference between what language is acceptable for promotional purposes and what is acceptable in a business report.