Tone

What is tone?

Ever heard the phrase, “Don’t use that tone of voice with me!” If so, you know exactly what tone means: attitude. Just like voice, a writer’s tone clues readers in to how the writer feels, or purports to feel, about their subject, hopefully in a way that establishes a felt experience for the reader. For example, when trying to convey a sense of joy, a writer can pen, “I am happy right now,” which literally tells the reader how the writer feels.

But if the writer couples that literal description with language, details, or rhythm that convey a happy tone, readers should more effectively sense, feel, or experience the emotion alongside the writer.

Examples:

Here are a few examples, paraphrasing the classic De Copia sentence from Desiderius Erasmus: “Your letter pleased me greatly.”

Straightforward, energetic, joyful, informal

• “I loved your letter!”

Formal, stiff, detached

• “The reception of your letter was satisfactory to me.”

Deadpan, sarcastic, blasé, unmoved

• “There’s not much to say about your letter, except that it came . . . and I liked it.”

Happy, silly, informal, passionate

• “The letter you sent was, like, ohmygoshsoamazing, and I read it sooooo many times.”

Tone is a mix of everything

Sometimes, establishing or changing tone takes a whole slew of techniques: punctation, diction, pacing, rhythm, figurative language, context, position, complicated syntax . . . And sometimes it takes just one word. Consider how the tone of Erasmus’s sentence changes as you imagine switching out “pleased” with other verbs: loved, excited, satisfied, glad, overjoyed, etc.

Example:
“I was overjoyed to receive your letter” vs “I was satisfied by your letter.”

Now add an exclamation point:

• “I was overjoyed with your letter!”

And then try an adverb:

• “I was breathtakingly overjoyed with your letter!”

Tone as Rhetorical Act

Since tone conveys atmosphere and encourages readers to feel what you’re trying to say, crafting the right tone is key to persuading your audience. If you want a potential employer to see you as confident, use a confident tone (“My experience qualifies me for the position” = confident; “I think I’m the right fit for this job” may = uncertain).

If you want to be seen as teachable and open-minded, avoid an arrogant tone (“Because of my love for learning, I’m happy to try new things” vs. “Because of my love for learning, I have mastered everything I’ve put my mind to.”).

It ultimately comes down to this: how do you want your reader to understand you? What attitude do you, as the writer, want to convey?

Are you ready to talk to one of our consultants about tone and how your writing might sound to the reader? If so, consider these questions as you prepare for a consultation:

1. What is the tone of my writing?
2. Where do you hear this tone? In my diction? In my punctuation?
3. Does my tone match the assignment or my audience’s expectations?
4. Where is my tone “too much”?
5. Where does my tone change?
6. What suggestions do you have for a more readable, effective, or natural tone?