For english teachers only.?

Question

Why can't you use abbreviations and symbols
when you are writing an essay? What would
happen if people always did?

Answer 1

essay writing is formal writing. abbreviations, contractions, etc. seem lazy when writing something official.

Answer 2

An essay is a formal written report that needs to be gramatically correct, and in the proper format. Using symbols and abbreviations doesn't meet this criteria.

It's the difference between a cover letter and an instant message. It's OK to use the abbreviation LOL on an instant message, but in a cover letter, would not. Why? Because a cover letter is a professional business letter, and we don't abbreviate here.

Answer 3

We teach writing as a communication tool.

Actually, everything you write is a symbol! Written words are symbols. They represenet something, but they are just a collection of wavy and straight lines.

As a communication tool, it is important that what we write uses commonly accepted symbols. Otherwise, you are narrowing your audience, potentially to just yourself if you are the only one who understands your symbol!

Language develops over time. Many of the words you consider "formal" or "proper" for an essay were once considered informal and inappropriate for essays by earlier teachers.

In short, many of the abbreviations and symbols you are not allowed to use today may be acceptable in the future. At some point, they "evolve" from slang, idiom or abbreviation into accepted language. Until they do, the use of them is an exercise in expression, but not in communication. You are only communicationg if you can reasonably expect the reader to be able to understand what you have written. We therefore err on the side of caution and keep written language at a more formal level than spoken language.

Abbreviations, symbols, slang and narrowly understood terminology are not appropriate in a written communication intended for a wide audience. We teach writing to hone communication skills.