What Is Context? And Why Does It Matter?

Which one of these sentences should I use?

• I got the package.
• I received the package.

This is the type of question our TextRanch editors see every day. Our customers often want to know which sentence is better, which one is correct, which one is the better choice. Assuming that both sentences are technically correct, the answer often comes down to context.

Context is the background, details, or circumstances that surround a statement or a piece of writing; it is similar to the way a neighborhood surrounds a house. Going back to our hypothetical customer’s question, the first sentence works best if the “neighborhood” is a text message, a photo caption on social media, a casual conversation. However, the second sentence belongs in a “neighborhood” that’s more formal or professional, such as a business email.

Context can mean the difference between whether your audience is able to understand your message or whether they will be confused. It may also influence how your audience perceives you. In this article, we will look at how time, place, field-specific terminology, and other details can be part of the context of a piece of writing. Having a deeper understanding of context can help you decide which words to use, which details to include, and how to adapt your writing so it reads more clearly.

Another example

Before we go any further, let’s take a look at a short personal essay, the type that might appear on social media or a blog.

Angela, Julian, and I are at our desks right now, going through files and preparing for the meeting with XYZ Tech. Kathy is on the phone with a client, trying to straighten out a misunderstanding over an invoice. I can’t see Ivan, but I can hear him in the next room, swearing at the copy machine in two different languages. The boss is sitting in his big chair, with Nicole on his lap.

Most readers are familiar with the hustle and bustle of a busy, modern office, so this paragraph isn’t difficult to understand. They would recognize the context, even though the author does not actually use the word “office”. We don’t know what kind of company this is, but so far we don’t see any technical or field-specific terminology that would confuse the typical reader.

What about that last sentence, though? Is the boss having an affair with an employee, right out in the open? Is this company in danger of a sexual harassment lawsuit? Or is it located in a place where such behavior is tolerated?

If we read on, the context gives us the answer:

As I head over to the water cooler for a drink, Nicole jumps down and runs over to me, her tail wagging. She knows that her biscuits are stored in the bin next to the water cooler. I bend over to pat her fuzzy head and tell her she’s a good girl, but I can’t give her a biscuit. The boss only lets Nicole have one biscuit before lunch, and Julian just gave her one ten minutes ago.

Ah, so Nicole is an animal, most likely a dog. She could be an office pet, a service animal, or the boss’s dog that he frequently brings to work. Whatever the case, this second paragraph provides additional context. So now we understand what was happening in the first paragraph.

That first paragraph also illustrates how sometimes what isn’t in a text can alter your readers’ perception as much as what is there. If your readers don’t have enough context, they might jump to conclusions…and those conclusions might be wrong.

Now, let’s move on and examine some other aspects of context.

1. Genre

Genre refers to the category or style of a written work. Is it a fairy tale, a romantic poem, a memoir? Is it a news article or an opinion piece? Is it a cover letter written by a university applicant, a research article in a prominent academic journal, or an angry rant on social media?

It isn’t possible to list every genre here. Just keep in mind that readers have different expectations based on genre. For example, incomplete sentences are okay (and even expected) if you are writing a resume or CV, but not if you are writing an essay for your college English class. A silly, playful tone is okay when you’re writing to a close friend, but not to the CEO of a company that you’re trying to make a deal with.

2. Time

Time is an element of context that can be confusing if it isn’t written clearly. Did an event happen in the past? Is it happening now? Will it take place at some point in the future? When was this work written/published? Are there words or references to outdated customs that a reader in the 21st century might have difficulty understanding?

Many of the context-related writing problems we see at TextRanch are due to inadequate wording about time. Sometimes this is because the verb tense is incorrect. But it also occurs when a sentence is missing words or phrases such as “tonight”, “last week”, “during the third quarter of 2015”, or “in the Elizabethan era”.

3. Place

Similar to time, it is also important to be clear about where an event is occurring. Did your electricity go out at the office, or while you were working from home? Are you conducting research at a university lab or out in the field? Are you describing events at two different locations? If so, how do you move your readers from Place A to Place B? Unless you provide them with some context, your audience will get lost!

4. The intended audience

Who is reading your text? Are they familiar with your topic, or do you need to explain certain terms and details to them? Let’s say you’re writing an article about a new cancer treatment that will be published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. It will include a lot of jargon that you would not use if you were writing an article about this same cancer treatment for a popular health website.

5. The author’s personal or professional background

Imagine a TextRanch customer wants one of our editors to work on a business email that includes the word “python”. If the context indicates that the customer is concerned about invasive species in the Everglades, then “python” probably refers to a large snake. However, if the context is related to computer programming, then “python” most likely refers to the computer programming language. If this is the case, then the TextRanch editor would need to change “python” to “Python”, since names of languages (English, Spanish, Mandarin, etc.) are capitalized.

6. Culture

As our world grows more connected, we are more likely to find ourselves communicating with people from different cultural, religious, or ethnic backgrounds. Even if we are writing to each other in the same language (in this case, English), we might not always be familiar with the context surrounding certain events or situations.

Culture also includes pop culture–movies, TV programs, music, video games, sports, bestselling books, etc. Imagine getting a text from a friend that includes lines from a movie you’ve never seen because you grew up in a different country. You can read the words, but the meaning is lost on you because you are not familiar with the context.

7. Regional language differences

John wore a vest to the office.

In the U.S., a vest is a sleeveless garment worn over a shirt. Sometimes a vest is part of a three-piece suit (with the other two pieces being trousers and a jacket). In the U.K., however, a vest is worn under one’s clothing; it is what Americans would call an “undershirt”. Which one of these did John wear to the office? Without context, we don’t know.

Regional language differences like the above example are why we ask our TextRanch customers to specify U.S. English or U.K. English when they submit a text for editing.

8. National or international events

The wealthy suburbs in Oakland County flipped from red to blue in the 2022 midterms.

The above sentence would make no sense to someone who doesn’t follow U.S. politics. It wouldn’t even make sense to an American in the 1990s, because the media didn’t start using the same color coded electoral maps (red for Republicans, blue for Democrats) until the 2000 presidential election. Thus, this is an example of how politics can be part of the context of a written work. It also shows how context is constantly shifting.

What does all of this mean for you?

If you have written an email, an essay, a story, or anything else, take a step back for a moment and look at the bigger picture. Consider how various elements of context might factor into how well your readers will be able to understand what you have written. You may have to make some adjustments.

What about artificial intelligence? If you’re thinking about using AI to help you adapt your writing to suit the context, keep in mind that AI systems only have a basic understanding of context. For instance, if you pair the word “deep” with “thoughts”, the AI should be competent enough to know you’re not referring to a body of water. But an AI tool might not correctly interpret humor, sarcasm, emotional states, figurative language, or many cultural references. Only a human can do that.

Therefore, if you want to make sure your audience will understand your writing, click the blue box below. One of our TextRanch editors will take a look at your writing and let you know if you’re on the right track. We provide a variety of proofreading and editing services to individual writers and businesses. So if you’re struggling with context or any other English writing issue, we’re available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.