Today, communication is not just, “saying the right things to the right people at the right time at the right place in the right manner”, but also saying it well enough so as to create the right response.
- Communication depends on two factors for effective response.
One is the art of narration, while the other is the art of description -narration is in itself a description of sequential events.
- Description enhances the clarity of expression and keeps the listener / reader moving with the speaker / writer in thoughts and feelings.
For example, when you say, “This is a bag,” you convey only an outline of an object with no clarity in the image and no motivation for response.
But when you say: “This is a large red cloth bag with white polka dotted print”, you have, through the description of the object, made the image bright and distinctively clear and kindled a comprehensible emotional or reasoning response.
Appropriate use of vocabulary for description in effective communication:
- “This is a man.”
- This is a tall, well-built, fair-complexioned man with straight dark hair, bushy eyebrows, handle bar moustache and a clean – shaven chin. (Description of an appearance)
- “Mother Teresa was a nun”.
- Mother Teresa, a nun from the order of ‘The Sisters of Charity’, was kind and caring of the sick and dying, generous and loving to all and with a heart of gold for the poor and needy. (Description of human feelings)
- “Raju is unwell”.
- Raju has high fever with severe cold, cough and head-ache
which shows all symptoms of an attack of’ flu’- (description of illness)
- “Sita was dressed up for a wedding”.
- Sita was dressed in a rich brown silk brocade saree having a broad shining border of dancing peacocks with a matching blouse and a pair of colourful (colorful) sandals. (Description of clothes)
Accuracy and appropriacy make effective communication.
- “Kumar is usually happy, full of high spirits and loves to be with people”.
This sentence can be expressed briefly but effectively with a single but appropriate vocabulary of description.
“Kumar is a gregarious boy”. (Description of attitude)
- The guard has a thick moustache which covers and droops along his upper lip, but curves up ward on either side of his mouth.
“The guard sports a handle-bar moustache.” (Description of appearance)
- The jockey wears pants which are broad and cut full at the thighs and light from the knee to the ankle with a strap around the foot.
“The jockey wears riding breeches /jodhpurs”. (Description of clothes)
- As it was raining very heavily there was a lot of water flowing along all the streets in the city.
“Due to torrential rains the city streets were flooded”.
(Description of weather conditions)
- Mary wore a long white dress and had a veil on her head on her wedding day.
“Mary wore the customary bridal attire on her wedding day” (Description of clothes)