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Business Prose and The Nature of The Plain Style

1owa State University

The current standard of prose style promoted by prominent business communications texts is too narrow to accommodate the diversity of situations in business . These texts present a minimal range of stylistic choice and so limit the flexibility and individuality of the writer. An alternative form of the plain style was pioneered by Greek rhetoricians, who insisted on extending the range of options open to writers of even the simplest prose. This expanded version of the plain style is based on the cardinal principles of clarity and conciseness, but it also allows for a repertoire of dictional, syntactic, and figurative choices that make one's prose livelier and more persuasive. This expanded notion of the plain style has already generated considerable interest and promises to radically alter both the writing and teaching of business prose.

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