Match your voice to your reader
The same idea sounds wrong in the wrong register. Writing for a marker isn't writing for a friend. How to tune formality without sounding stiff.
Strong writers shift their voice depending on who's reading. A text to a friend, a story for a competition, and a persuasive essay for an exam all call for different registers — and getting the register wrong costs marks even when the ideas are good.
Read the audience first
Before you write, ask who the reader is and what they expect. An exam marker expects control and clarity; a creative-writing reader will forgive risk if it pays off. The audience sets the rules.
Tune formality with three dials
- Contractions: "don't" feels casual; "do not" feels formal.
- Vocabulary: everyday words vs precise, ambitious ones.
- Sentence shape: short and punchy vs measured and complete.
Formal doesn't mean stiff
The goal isn't to sound like a textbook. It's to sound like a confident version of yourself who knows the occasion. Aim for clear and controlled, not stuffy — markers reward writing that's precise and still alive.
Try it on your own writing
Coach Pen marks what you wrote and coaches the exact technique to fix next — one at a time.