ABSTRACT
Writing goes beyond the mere transcription of spoken language. Although writing is a medium whose content is spoken language, its uses differ from those of speech. It organizes and stores information quite differently than speech; in effect, it is a different form of language. Written language has evolved in ways quite different from speech. The rules for the construction of speech and prose are quite different. Prose is not recorded speech but a much more formal organization of information. The closest form of writing to speech is poetry, which is meant to be heard. Prose is not meant to be heard and, in fact, the most efficient form of accessing the information contained in prose writing is to read it silently.
