examples tone in an essay

Tone in Writing: 42 Examples of Tone For All Types of Writing

by Joe Bunting | 0 comments

What is tone in writing and why does it matter?

Tone is key for all communication. Think of the mother telling her disrespectful child, “Watch your tone, young man.” Or the sarcastic, humorous tone of a comedian performing stand up. Or the awe filled way people speak about their favorite musician, author, or actor. Or the careful, soft tones that people use with each other when they first fall in love.

Tone  is  communication, sometimes more than the words being used themselves.

So then how do you use tone in writing, and how does tone influence the meaning of a writing piece?

In this article, you'll learn everything you need to know about how to use tone in all types of writing, from creative writing to academic and even business writing. You'll learn what tone actually  is  in writing and how it's conveyed. You'll learn the forty-two types of tone in writing, plus even have a chance to test your tone recognition with a practice exercise. 

Ready to become a tone master? Let's get started.

Why You Should Listen To Me?

I've been a professional writer for more than a decade, writing in various different formats and styles. I've written formal nonfiction books, descriptive novels, humorous memoir chapters, and conversational but informative online articles (like this one!).

Which is all to say, I earn a living in part by matching the right tone to each type of writing I work on. I hope you find the tips on tone below useful!

Table of Contents

Definition of Tone in Writing Why Tone Matters in Writing 42 Types of Tone Plus Tone Examples How to Choose the Right Tone for Your Writing Piece Tone Writing Identification Exercise Tone Vs. Voice in Writing The Role of Tone in Different Types of Writing

Tone in Creative Writing Tone in Academic Writing Tone in Business Writing Tone in Online Writing

Conclusion: How to Master Tone Practice Exercise

Definition of Tone in Writing

Examples of tone can be formal, informal, serious, humorous, sarcastic, optimistic, pessimistic, and many more (see below for all forty-two examples)

Why Does Tone Matter in Writing

I once saw a version of Shakespeare's  A Midsummer Night's Dream in which the dialogue had been completely translated into various Indian dialects, including Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, and more. And yet, despite not knowing any of those languages, I was amazed to find that I could follow the story perfectly, infinitely better than the average Shakespeare in the park play.

How could I understand the story so well despite the fact that it was in another language? In part, it was the skill of the actors and their body language. But one of the biggest ways that the actors communicated meaning was one thing.

Their tone of voice.

Tone is one of the most important ways we grasp the meaning of what someone is saying. If someone says, “I love you,” in an angry, sneering way, it doesn't matter what their words are saying, the meaning will be completely changed by their tone.

In the same way, tone is crucial in writing because it significantly influences how readers interpret and react to the text. Here are a few reasons why tone is important:

• Tone conveys feeling. The tone reflects the writer's attitude toward the subject and the audience, helping to shape readers' perceptions and emotional responses.
• Tone can help readers understand the meaning of the text. A well-chosen tone can clarify meaning, making it easier for readers to understand the writer's intent and message.
• Tone is engaging! As humans, we are designed to respond to emotion and feeling! Tone can help to engage or disengage readers. A relatable or compelling tone can draw readers in, while an off-putting tone can push them away.
• Tone sets the mood. Tone can set the mood or atmosphere of a piece of writing, influencing how readers feel as they go through the text.
• Tone persuades. In persuasive writing, tone plays a significant role in influencing how convincing or compelling your arguments are.
• Tone reflects professionalism. In professional or academic contexts, maintaining an appropriate tone is crucial to uphold the writer's authority.

42 Types of Tone in Writing Plus Examples of Tone

Tone is about feeling—the feeling of a writer toward the topic and audience. Which means that nearly any attitude or feeling can be a type of tone, not just the forty-two listed below.

However, you have to start somewhere, so here a list of common tones that can be used in writing, with an example for each type:

• Example : “Upon analysis of the data, it's evident that the proposed hypothesis is substantiated.”
• Example : “Hey folks, today we'll be chatting about the latest trends in tech.”
• Example : “The implications of climate change on our future generations cannot be overstated.”
• Example : “Why don't scientists trust atoms? Because they make up everything!”
• Example : “Oh great, another diet plan. Just what I needed!”
• Example : “Despite the setbacks, we remain confident in our ability to achieve our goals.”
• Example : “Given the declining economy, it's doubtful if small businesses can survive.”
• Example : “We must act now! Every moment we waste increases the danger.”
• Example : “The experiment concluded with the subject showing a 25% increase in performance.”
• Example : “I've always found the taste of coffee absolutely heavenly.”
• Example : “We owe our success to the ceaseless efforts of our esteemed team.”
• Example : “So much for their ‘revolutionary' product. It's as exciting as watching paint dry.”
• Example : “The film's plot was so predictable it felt like a tiresome déjà vu.”
• Example : “Every setback is a setup for a comeback. Believe in your potential.”
• Example : “A politician making promises? Now there's something new.”
• Example : “We must fight to protect our planet—it's the only home we have.”
• Example : “Whether it rains or shines tomorrow, it makes little difference to me.”
• Example : “As the doors creaked open, a chilling wind swept through the abandoned mansion.”
• Example : “She gazed at the fading photograph, lost in the echoes of a time long past.”
• Example : “The fire station caught on fire—it's almost poetic, isn't it?”
• Example : “I can understand how challenging this period has been for you.”
• Example : “His excuse for being late was as pathetic as it was predictable.”
• Example : “Our feline companion has gone to pursue interests in a different locale” (meaning: the cat ran away).
• Example : “Your report is due by 5 PM tomorrow, no exceptions.”
• Example : “So, you've got a hankering to learn about star constellations—well, you're in the right place!”
• Example : “She tiptoed down the dim hallway, every shadow pulsating with the mysteries of her childhood home.”
• Example : “With the approaching footsteps echoing in his ears, he quickly hid in the dark alcove, heart pounding.”
• Example : “His eyes were a stormy sea, and in their depths, she found an anchor for her love.”
• Example : “In the heart of the mystical forest, nestled between radiant will-o'-the-wisps, was a castle spun from dreams and starlight.”
• Example : “The quantum mechanical model posits that electrons reside in orbitals, probabilistic regions around the nucleus, rather than fixed paths.”
• Example : “When constructing a thesis statement, it's crucial to present a clear, concise argument that your paper will substantiate.”
• Example : “The juxtaposition of light and dark imagery in the novel serves to illustrate the dichotomy between knowledge and ignorance.”
• Example : “Upon deconstructing the narrative, one can discern the recurrent themes of loss and redemption.”
• Example : “One must remember, however, that the epistemological underpinnings of such an argument necessitate a comprehensive understanding of Kantian philosophy.”
• Example : “The ephemeral nature of existence prompts us to contemplate the purpose of our pursuits and the value of our accomplishments.”
• Example : “She left the room.”
• Example : “Global warming is a major issue that needs immediate attention.”
• Example : “Maybe she’ll come tomorrow, I thought, watching the cars pass by, headlights blurring in the rain—oh, to be somewhere else, anywhere, the beach maybe, sand between my toes, the smell of the sea…”
• Example : “In the quiet solitude of the night, I grappled with my fears, my hopes, my dreams—how little I understood myself.”
• Example : “The autumn leaves crunched underfoot, their vibrant hues of scarlet and gold painting a brilliant tapestry against the crisp, cerulean sky.”
• Example : “Looking back on my childhood, I see a time of joy and innocence, a time when the world was a playground of endless possibilities.”
• Example : “Gazing up at the star-studded sky, I was struck by a sense of awe; the universe's vast expanse dwarfed my existence, reducing me to a speck in the cosmic canvas.”
• Example : “His unwavering determination in the face of adversity serves as a shining beacon for us all, inspiring us to strive for our dreams, no matter the obstacles.”

Any others that we forgot? Leave a comment and let us know!

Remember, tone can shift within a piece of writing, and a writer can use more than one tone in a piece depending on their intent and the effect they want to create.

The tones used in storytelling are particularly broad and flexible, as they can shift and evolve according to the plot's developments and the characters' arcs.

​​How do you choose the right tone for your writing piece?

The tone of a piece of writing is significantly determined by its purpose, genre, and audience. Here's how these three factors play a role:

• Purpose: The main goal of your writing guides your tone. If you're trying to persuade someone, you might adopt a passionate, urgent, or even a formal tone, depending on the subject matter. If you're trying to entertain, a humorous, dramatic, or suspenseful tone could be suitable. For educating or informing, an objective, scholarly, or didactic tone may be appropriate.
• Genre: The type of writing also influences the tone. For instance, academic papers often require a formal, objective, or scholarly tone, while a personal blog post might be more informal and conversational. Similarly, a mystery novel would have a suspenseful tone, a romance novel a romantic or passionate tone, and a satirical essay might adopt an ironic or sarcastic tone.
• Audience: Understanding your audience is crucial in setting the right tone. Professional audiences may expect a formal or respectful tone, while a younger audience might appreciate a more conversational or even irreverent tone. Furthermore, if your audience is familiar with the topic, you can use a more specialized or cerebral tone. In contrast, for a general audience, a clear and straightforward tone might be better.

It's also worth mentioning that the tone can shift within a piece of writing. For example, a novel might mostly maintain a dramatic tone, but could have moments of humor or melancholy. Similarly, an academic paper could be mainly objective but might adopt a more urgent tone in the conclusion to emphasize the importance of the research findings.

In conclusion, to choose the right tone for your writing, consider the intent of your piece, the expectations of the genre, and the needs and preferences of your audience. And don't forget, maintaining a consistent tone is key to ensuring your message is received as intended.

How to Identify Tone in Writing

How do you identify the tone in various texts (or even in your own writing)? What are the key indicators that help you figure out what tone a writing piece is?

Identifying the tone in a piece of writing can be done by focusing on a few key elements:

• Word Choice (Diction): The language an author uses can give you strong clues about the tone. For instance, formal language with lots of technical terms suggests a formal or scholarly tone, while casual language with slang or contractions suggests an informal or conversational tone.
• Sentence Structure (Syntax): Longer, complex sentences often indicate a formal, scholarly, or descriptive tone. Shorter, simpler sentences can suggest a more direct, informal, or urgent tone.
• Punctuation: The use of punctuation can also impact tone. Exclamation marks may suggest excitement, urgency, or even anger. Question marks might indicate confusion, curiosity, or sarcasm. Ellipsis (…) can suggest suspense, uncertainty, or thoughtfulness.
• Figurative Language: The use of metaphors, similes, personification, and other literary devices can help set the tone. For instance, an abundance of colorful metaphors and similes could suggest a dramatic, romantic, or fantastical tone.
• Mood: The emotional atmosphere of the text can give clues to the tone. If the text creates a serious, somber mood, the tone is likely serious or melancholic. If the mood is light-hearted or amusing, the tone could be humorous or whimsical.
• Perspective or Point of View: First-person narratives often adopt a subjective, personal, or reflective tone. Third-person narratives can have a range of tones, but they might lean towards being more objective, descriptive, or dramatic.
• Content: The subject matter itself can often indicate the tone. A text about a tragic event is likely to have a serious, melancholic, or respectful tone. A text about a funny incident will probably have a humorous or light-hearted tone.

By carefully analyzing these elements, you can determine the tone of a text. In your own writing, you can use these indicators to check if you're maintaining the desired tone consistently throughout your work.

Tone Writing Exercise: Identify the tone in each of the following sentences

Let’s do a little writing exercise by identifying the tones of the following example sentences.

• “The participants in the study displayed a significant improvement in their cognitive abilities post intervention.”
• “Hey guys, just popping in to share some cool updates from our team!”
• “The consequences of climate change are dire and demand immediate attention from world leaders.”
• “I told my wife she should embrace her mistakes. She gave me a hug.”
• “Despite the challenges we've faced this year, I'm confident that brighter days are just around the corner.”
• “Given the state of the economy, it seems unlikely that we'll see any significant improvements in the near future.”
• “No mountain is too high to climb if you believe in your ability to reach the summit.”
• “As she stepped onto the cobblestone streets of the ancient city, the echoes of its rich history whispered in her ears.”
• “Oh, you're late again? What a surprise.”
• “The methodology of this research hinges upon a quantitative approach, using statistical analysis to derive meaningful insights from the collected data.”

Give them a try. I’ll share the answers at the end!

Tone Versus Voice in Writing

Tone and voice in writing are related but distinct concepts:

Voice is the unique writing style or personality of the writing that makes it distinct to a particular author. It's a combination of the author's syntax, word choice, rhythm, and other stylistic elements.

Voice tends to remain consistent across different works by the same author, much like how people have consistent speaking voices.

For example, the voice in Ernest Hemingway's work is often described as minimalist and straightforward, while the voice in Virginia Woolf's work is more stream-of-consciousness and introspective.

Tone , on the other hand, refers to the attitude or emotional qualities of the writing. It can change based on the subject matter, the intended audience, and the purpose of the writing.

In the same way that someone's tone of voice can change based on what they're talking about or who they're talking to, the tone of a piece of writing can vary. Using the earlier examples, a work by Hemingway might have a serious, intense tone, while a work by Woolf might have a reflective, introspective tone.

So, while an author's voice remains relatively consistent, the tone they use can change based on the context of the writing.

Tone and voice are two elements of writing that are closely related and often work hand in hand to create a writer's unique style. Here's how they can be used together:

• Consistency: A consistent voice gives your writing a distinctive personality, while a consistent tone helps to set the mood or attitude of your piece. Together, they create a uniform feel to your work that can make your writing instantly recognizable to your readers.
• Audience Engagement: Your voice can engage readers on a fundamental level by giving them a sense of who you are or the perspective from which you're writing. Your tone can then enhance this engagement by setting the mood, whether it's serious, humorous, formal, informal, etc., depending on your audience and the purpose of your writing.
• Clarity of Message: Your voice can express your unique perspective and values, while your tone can help convey your message clearly by fitting the context. For example, a serious tone in an academic research paper or a casual, friendly tone in a personal blog post helps your audience understand your purpose and message.
• Emotional Impact: Voice and tone together can create emotional resonance. A distinctive voice can make readers feel connected to you as a writer, while the tone can evoke specific emotions that align with your content. For example, a melancholic tone in a heartfelt narrative can elicit empathy from the reader, enhancing the emotional impact of your story.
• Versatility: While maintaining a consistent overall voice, you can adjust your tone according to the specific piece you're writing. This can show your versatility as a writer. For example, you may have a generally conversational voice but use a serious tone for an important topic and a humorous tone for a lighter topic.

Remember, your unique combination of voice and tone is part of what sets you apart as a writer. It's worth taking the time to explore and develop both.

The Role of Tone in Different Types of Writing

Just as different audiences require different tones of voice, so does your tone change depending on the audience of your writing. 

Tone in Creative Writing

Tone plays a crucial role in creative writing, shaping the reader's experience and influencing their emotional response to the work. Here are some considerations for how to use tone in creative writing:

• Create Atmosphere: Tone is a powerful tool for creating a specific atmosphere or mood in a story. For example, a suspenseful tone can create a sense of tension and anticipation, while a humorous tone can make a story feel light-hearted and entertaining.
• Character Development: The tone of a character's dialogue and thoughts can reveal a lot about their personality and emotional state. A character might speak in a sarcastic tone, revealing a cynical worldview, or their internal narrative might be melancholic, indicating feelings of sadness or regret.
• Plot Development: The tone can shift with the plot, reflecting changes in the story's circumstances. An initially optimistic tone might become increasingly desperate as a situation worsens, or a serious tone could give way to relief and joy when a conflict is resolved.
• Theme Expression: The overall tone of a story can reinforce its themes. For instance, a dark and somber tone could underscore themes of loss and grief, while a hopeful and inspirational tone could enhance themes of resilience and personal growth.
• Reader Engagement: A well-chosen tone can engage the reader's emotions, making them more invested in the story. A dramatic, high-stakes tone can keep readers on the edge of their seats, while a romantic, sentimental tone can make them swoon.
• Style and Voice: The tone is part of the writer's unique voice and style. The way you blend humor and seriousness, or the balance you strike between formal and informal language, can give your work a distinctive feel.

In creative writing, it's important to ensure that your tone is consistent, unless a change in tone is intentional and serves a specific purpose in your story. An inconsistent or shifting tone can be jarring and confusing for the reader. To check your tone, try reading your work aloud, as this can make shifts in tone more evident.

Tone in Academic Writing

In academic writing, the choice of tone is crucial as it helps to establish credibility and convey information in a clear, unambiguous manner. Here are some aspects to consider about tone in academic writing:

• Formal: Academic writing typically uses a formal tone, which means avoiding colloquialisms, slang, and casual language. This helps to maintain a level of professionalism and seriousness that is appropriate for scholarly work. For instance, instead of saying “experts think this is really bad,” a more formal phrasing would be, “scholars have identified significant concerns regarding this matter.”
• Objective: The tone in academic writing should usually be objective, rather than subjective. This means focusing on facts, evidence, and logical arguments rather than personal opinions or emotions. For example, instead of saying “I believe that climate change is a major issue,” an objective statement would be, “Research indicates that climate change poses substantial environmental risks.”
• Precise: Precision is crucial in academic writing, so the tone should be specific and direct. Avoid vague or ambiguous language that might confuse the reader or obscure the meaning of your argument. For example, instead of saying “several studies,” specify the exact number of studies or name the authors if relevant.
• Respectful: Even when critiquing other scholars' work, it's essential to maintain a respectful tone. This means avoiding harsh or judgmental language and focusing on the intellectual content of the argument rather than personal attacks.
• Unbiased: Strive for an unbiased tone by presenting multiple perspectives on the issue at hand, especially when it's a subject of debate in the field. This shows that you have a comprehensive understanding of the topic and that your conclusions are based on a balanced assessment of the evidence.
• Scholarly: A scholarly tone uses discipline-specific terminology and acknowledges existing research on the topic. However, it's also important to explain any complex or specialized terms for the benefit of readers who may not be familiar with them.

By choosing an appropriate tone, you can ensure that your academic writing is professional, credible, and accessible to your intended audience. Remember, the tone can subtly influence how your readers perceive your work and whether they find your arguments convincing.

Tone in Business Writing

In business writing, your tone should be professional, clear, and respectful. Here are some aspects to consider:

• Professional and Formal: Just like in academic writing, business writing typically uses a professional and formal tone. This ensures that the communication is taken seriously and maintains an air of professionalism. However, remember that “formal” doesn't necessarily mean “stiff” or “impersonal”—a little warmth can make your writing more engaging.
• Clear and Direct: Your tone should also be clear and direct. Ambiguity can lead to misunderstanding, which can have negative consequences in a business setting. Make sure your main points are obvious and not hidden in jargon or overly complex sentences.
• Respectful: Respect is crucial in business communication. Even when addressing difficult topics or delivering bad news, keep your tone courteous and considerate. This fosters a positive business relationship and shows that you value the other party.
• Concise: In the business world, time is often at a premium. Therefore, a concise tone—saying what you need to say as briefly as possible—is often appreciated. This is where the minimalist tone can shine.
• Persuasive: In many situations, such as a sales pitch or a negotiation, a persuasive tone is beneficial. This involves making your points convincingly, showing enthusiasm where appropriate, and using language that motivates the reader to act.
• Neutral: In situations where you're sharing information without trying to persuade or express an opinion, a neutral tone is best. For example, when writing a business report or summarizing meeting minutes, stick to the facts without letting personal bias influence your language.

By adapting your tone based on these guidelines and the specific context, you can ensure your business writing is effective and appropriate.

Tone in Online Writing

Online writing can vary greatly depending on the platform and purpose of the content. However, some common considerations for tone include:

• Conversational and Informal: Online readers often prefer a more conversational, informal tone that mimics everyday speech. This can make your writing feel more personal and relatable. Blogs, social media posts, and personal websites often employ this tone.
• Engaging and Enthusiastic: With so much content available online, an engaging and enthusiastic tone can help grab readers' attention and keep them interested. You can express your passion for a topic, ask questions, or use humor to make your writing more lively and engaging.
• Clear and Direct: Just like in business and academic writing, clarity is key in online writing. Whether you're writing a how-to article, a product description, or a blog post, make your points clearly and directly to help your readers understand your message.
• Descriptive and Vivid: Because online writing often involves storytelling or explaining complex ideas, a descriptive tone can be very effective. Use vivid language and sensory details to help readers visualize what you're talking about.
• Authoritative: If you're writing content that's meant to inform or educate, an authoritative tone can help establish your credibility. This involves demonstrating your knowledge and expertise on the topic, citing reliable sources, and presenting your information in a confident, professional manner.
• Optimistic and Inspirational: Particularly for motivational blogs, self-help articles, or other content meant to inspire, an optimistic tone can be very effective. This involves looking at the positive side of things, encouraging readers, and offering hope.

Remember, the best tone for online writing depends heavily on your audience, purpose, and platform. Always keep your readers in mind, and adapt your tone to suit their needs and expectations.

How to Master Tone

Tone isn't as hard as you think.

If you've ever said something with feeling in your voice or with a certain attitude, you know how it works.

And while mastering the word choice, syntax, and other techniques to use tone effectively can be tricky, just by choosing a tone, being aware of tone in your writing, and making a concerted effort to practice it will add depth and style to your writing, heightening both the meaning and your audiences enjoyment.

Remember, we all have tone. You just need to practice  using  it. Happy writing!

What tone do you find yourself using the most in your writing ? Let us know in the comments .

Here are two writing exercises for you to practice tone.

Exercise 1: Identify the Tone

Using the ten identification examples above, write out the tones for each of the examples. Then use this answer guide to check your work.

• Pessimistic
• Inspirational

How many did you get correctly? Let me know in the comments .

Exercise 2: Choose One Tone and Write

Choose one of the tones above, set a timer for fifteen minutes, then free write in that tone. 

When your time's up, post your practice in the Pro Practice Workshop (and if you’re not a member yet, you can join here ), and share feedback with a few other writers. 

Joe Bunting

Joe Bunting is an author and the leader of The Write Practice community. He is also the author of the new book Crowdsourcing Paris , a real life adventure story set in France. It was a #1 New Release on Amazon. Follow him on Instagram (@jhbunting).

Want best-seller coaching? Book Joe here.

Work with Joe Bunting?

WSJ Bestselling author, founder of The Write Practice, and book coach with 14+ years experience. Joe Bunting specializes in working with Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, How To, Literary Fiction, Memoir, Mystery, Nonfiction, Science Fiction, and Self Help books. Sound like a good fit for you?

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Understanding Tone: 18 Examples of Tone Words in Writing

Written by MasterClass

Last updated: Jun 7, 2021 • 4 min read

Of all the literary elements that go into a work of fiction—subject matter, story, character, setting, figurative language, literary devices , and more—tone may be the hardest to concretely define. Yet in fiction, an author’s tone is one of the most defining characteristics that sets one book apart from another. To fully understand how literary work is defined by tone, it’s essential to first understand the actual definition of tone.

How to Describe Tone in Writing: 300 Examples You Can Use

I love studying the tone of great writers — but how do you describe it?

Here’s a quick summary of how to describe tone in writing:

Describe tone in writing by identifying emotional overtones, word choices, punctuation, and sentence structure. Tone reflects the author’s attitude and can be formal, sarcastic, optimistic, or serious. Use specific vocabulary to pinpoint the tone.

For a deep dive into 20 ways and 300 examples, read the rest of this guide.

What Is Tone in Writing?

Table of Contents

Tone in writing refers to the attitude or emotional atmosphere conveyed by the words an author chooses.

It’s how you speak to your readers through the text.

Tone can be formal, informal, intimate, solemn, playful, serious, or ironic.

The tone you choose greatly affects how your message is received and interpreted.

By mastering tone, writers can enhance their ability to connect with their audience, setting the mood and influencing how readers feel and react.

Different Types of Tone in Writing

Understanding different types of tone can help you better express yourself and resonate with your audience.

Here’s a simple chart to categorize common tones in writing:

• Formal : Often used in academic or professional settings.
• Informal : Casual, conversational style used among friends.
• Optimistic : Positive and hopeful tone.
• Pessimistic : Negative and gloomy outlook.
• Sarcastic : Cutting or ironic, often humorous.
• Serious : No-nonsense and straightforward.
• Playful : Light-hearted and fun.
• Inspirational : Motivational and uplifting.

Each type serves different purposes and can be employed to enhance communication in various contexts.

Here is a good video about how to figure out the type of tone so that you can describe it:

20 Ways to Describe Tone in Writing

Here are twenty detailed methods to help you describe the tone of a piece of writing. Each approach comes with an explanation and examples to guide you.

1. Identify Emotional Overtones

Look for emotional cues in the writing to determine its tone.

Is it joyful, fearful, angry, or sad? For instance, a joyful tone might include words like “celebration,” “happiness,” and “excited.”

• “The sun beamed down gloriously, it was a perfect day for a picnic.”
• “The air was thick with tension during the meeting.”
• “She felt a surge of joy seeing her friend.”
• “His voice trembled with barely contained anger.”
• “A sadness hung over the town after the news.”
• “Fear gripped her as she entered the dark room.”
• “The excitement was palpable as the concert started.”
• “A calm tranquility settled over the beach at sunset.”
• “Disgust was evident in his expression.”
• “Anticipation filled the room as the announcement began.”

2. Consider the Writer’s Choice of Words

Word choice is a direct indicator of tone.

Formal vocabulary suggests a serious tone, while slang is more informal and relaxed.

• “The findings of the study are remarkable” versus “This stuff is mind-blowing!”
• “The catastrophe devastated the region” vs. “The mishap inconvenienced the region.”
• “Achieved” vs. “managed to get.”
• “Request” vs. “ask.”
• “Commence” vs. “start.”
• “Peruse” vs. “read.”
• “Terminate” vs. “end.”
• “Constructed” vs. “built.”
• “Adore” vs. “really like.”
• “Inquire” vs. “ask.”

3. Analyze the Punctuation

Punctuation can influence tone by controlling the flow of the text.

Exclamation points, for example, can create a tone of excitement or urgency.

• “Wait! I can’t believe this!”
• “Come here—now!”
• “Is that so…?”
• “We’re going out; she’s staying home.”
• “He left the room… and then returned.”
• “Wait! What are you doing?”
• “No… this can’t be happening.”
• “She whispered, ‘are you awake?'”
• “Hurry up!”
• “Yes, indeed.”

4. Look at Sentence Structure

Complex sentences often convey a formal or serious tone, while simple sentences might suggest a straightforward or casual tone.

• “Despite the rain, the ceremony proceeded as scheduled.”
• “Having considered all options, he made his decision.”
• “Rain pattered against the window.”
• “Where are you going? Why? How?”
• “They danced under the stars; the night was young.”
• “Quickly, silently, he disappeared into the night.”
• “The storm raged throughout the night.”
• “She pondered over the old letters, each a window into the past.”
• “Lights flashed. Sirens wailed. Chaos ensued.”
• “He wondered if things would ever be the same.”

5. Reflect on the Purpose

The purpose of the text—whether to inform, persuade, entertain, or describe—plays a significant role in setting the tone.

• “Our goal today is to ensure everyone leaves with a clear understanding of their tasks.”
• “The purpose of this writing is to inform you about changes.”
• “This blog aims to entertain with stories from my travels.”
• “Our main goal is to persuade you to adopt more sustainable practices.”
• “The manual describes how to set up your device.”
• “This article explores the history of the Renaissance.”
• “The script provides characters with depth and motivation.”
• “The review criticizes the lack of depth in the movie plot.”
• “The proposal outlines the benefits of a new project.”
• “The diary entry reflects personal thoughts and feelings.”

6. Assess the Context

The context in which the writing appears can influence its tone.

A business proposal will likely have a different tone than a personal email.

• “We appreciate your proposal and look forward to discussing it further.”
• “In the context of a wedding, the speech was heartfelt.”
• “During a crisis, the leader’s statement was reassuring.”
• “In a casual blog post, the tone was friendly and inviting.”
• “In an academic paper, the tone was formal and precise.”
• “In a legal document, the tone was strict and factual.”
• “In an advertisement, the tone was persuasive and enthusiastic.”
• “In a eulogy, the tone was respectful and somber.”
• “In a sports commentary, the tone was excited and energetic.”
• “In a product review, the tone was critical and detailed.”

7. Determine the Level of Formality

The level of formality can directly impact the tone, affecting how readers perceive the text.

• “I am writing to formally request your presence” versus “Hey, wanna hang out?”
• “Respectfully submitted” vs. “Here you go.”
• “We regret to inform you” vs. “Sorry, but no.”
• “Thank you for your consideration” vs. “Thanks a bunch!”
• “It is our pleasure to” vs. “We’re thrilled to.”
• “As per your request” vs. “Like you asked.”
• “We are pleased to announce” vs. “Guess what!”
• “Please be advised” vs. “Just a heads up.”
• “Thank you for your understanding” vs. “Thanks for getting it.”
• “We await your reply” vs. “Let us know.”

8. Recognize Irony

Irony often signals a complex, humorous, or critical tone.

It involves stating the opposite of what is meant to convey a particular point.

• “Great! Another flat tire, just what I needed today.”
• “Just what I needed on my payday—more bills!”
• “How wonderful, another meeting that could have been an email.”
• “Oh great, the elevator’s broken again—just perfect when I’m late!”
• “What a fantastic time for my car to break down!”
• “Ah, nothing like a cold coffee to start your day.”
• “Sure, I love working weekends.”
• “What a pleasure to find out I’m being audited.”
• “I was hoping for more work over the holidays.”
• “This is exactly what I wanted to do today—wait in line for hours!”

9. Note the Author’s Attitude

The author’s attitude towards the subject can reveal the tone.

Is the author enthusiastic, skeptical, or indifferent?

• “This novel captures the essence of modern society in a way no other has managed to.”
• “She clearly adored her subject, her descriptions filled with affection.”
• “His disdain for the policy was evident in his critical analysis.”
• “The author’s excitement about the new discovery bubbled through the text.”
• “Her skepticism is clear when discussing the theory.”
• “You can sense his pride in the craftsmanship of the product.”
• “Her frustration with the process was obvious.”
• “The writer’s curiosity shines through in his detailed questions.”
• “His amusement at the situation is contagious.”
• “You can feel her passion for environmental issues in her persuasive arguments.”

10. Listen to the Rhythm

The rhythm of the writing can also contribute to its tone.

A rhythmic, poetic style might convey beauty and solemnity, whereas a choppy rhythm could suggest tension or excitement.

• “The river, reflective and serene, whispered secrets of the ancient woods.”
• “The words danced gracefully across the page, each line flowing into the next.”
• “His staccato sentences conveyed the urgency of the situation.”
• “The smooth, slow rhythm of her speech calmed the crowd.”
• “Rapid-fire questions gave the debate a lively pace.”
• “The steady cadence of the poem provided a comforting stability.”
• “Her choppy narrative captured the tumultuous nature of her journey.”
• “The quick bursts of dialogue kept the scene dynamic and engaging.”
• “Long, flowing sentences evoked a dreamy, reflective atmosphere.”
• “The abrupt pauses in his speech emphasized his hesitation.”

11. Use Metaphors and Similes

Metaphors and similes can dramatically shape the tone by comparing elements to evoke certain feelings or images.

• “Her smile was as bright as the sun on a gloomy day.”
• “The office was a beehive of activity.”
• “Her eyes were stars shining in the dark.”
• “His words were a soothing balm on her worries.”
• “The city was a jungle, bustling and wild.”
• “Their love was a delicate flower—beautiful but fragile.”
• “He was a rock in turbulent waters.”
• “Her laughter was music to his ears.”
• “The night was a thick blanket over the city.”
• “His mind was a maze, complex and confusing.”

12. Observe the Theme

Themes can influence the tone.

A dark theme might lead to a somber tone, while a lighthearted theme could create a playful or joyful tone.

• “Despite the looming apocalypse, they shared a laugh over the absurdity of worrying about overdue library books.”
• “The theme of redemption colored the novel’s hopeful tone.”
• “A theme of betrayal created a tense atmosphere throughout the story.”
• “Adventure themes lent an exciting and energetic tone to his writing.”
• “Themes of love and loss wove a melancholic tone through her poetry.”
• “The theme of freedom rang through the speech, uplifting and inspiring.”
• “Themes of survival gave the account a gritty, resilient tone.”
• “A focus on childhood innocence imbued the narrative with a nostalgic tone.”
• “Themes of corruption imbued the article with a sinister tone.”
• “The celebratory theme made the tone of the event joyous and vibrant.”

13. Examine the Imagery

Imagery deeply affects the tone by painting mental pictures that align with the emotional setting of the text.

• “The gloomy house, with its boarded windows and overgrown path, seemed to creak with sadness.”
• “The wilting flowers portrayed a tone of decay and neglect.”
• “Sunlight pouring through the windows filled the room with a tone of warmth and welcome.”
• “Dark clouds looming overhead set a foreboding tone.”
• “The imagery of bustling streets painted a tone of vibrant city life.”
• “Desolate landscapes evoked a tone of isolation and abandonment.”
• “Sparkling rivers and lush greenery created a tone of tranquility.”
• “Images of crowded marketplaces conveyed a tone of chaos and energy.”
• “The stark, barren fields gave a tone of stark simplicity.”
• “Vivid sunsets created a tone of peaceful closure.”

14. Consider the Audience

The intended audience influences tone.

Writing for professionals often has a formal tone, while writing for friends might be more casual and humorous.

• “Esteemed colleagues, let us deliberate on this matter with the seriousness it warrants.”
• “For children, the tone was whimsical and enchanting.”
• “For tech enthusiasts, the tone was informative and cutting-edge.”
• “For history buffs, the tone was detailed and reverential.”
• “For a young adult audience, the tone was dynamic and empathetic.”
• “For professionals in the field, the tone was technical and sophisticated.”
• “For casual readers, the tone was light and easy-going.”
• “For activists, the tone was urgent and mobilizing.”
• “For academics, the tone was analytical and dense.”
• “For a general audience, the tone was broad and inclusive.”

15. Detect Sarcasm

Sarcasm can shift the tone dramatically, often adding a layer of humor or criticism that isn’t overtly stated.

• “Oh, I just love getting stuck in traffic on my way home!”
• “Thanks for the update, I would never have guessed.”
• “Right, because I have all the time in the world for this.”
• “Sure, this tiny umbrella will totally keep us dry in this storm.”
• “Oh, I just love getting interrupted.”
• “Great, another software update that fixes nothing.”
• “Perfect, another rerun of my least favorite show.”
• “Yeah, because what we need is more rain.”
• “Fantastic, just what I wanted to do on my day off—clean.”
• “Oh, wonderful, another day of unending meetings.”

16. Assess the Author’s Bias

An author’s personal biases can color the tone, revealing a subjective rather than an objective tone.

• “Given our superior understanding, it is clear that our approach is the only viable option.”
• “His advocacy for green technologies was evident throughout the report.”
• “Her bias against traditional methods was clear in her critique.”
• “The writer’s preference for minimalist design came through in his descriptions.”
• “Her bias for vintage fashion colored her review of the fashion show.”
• “The historian’s bias towards particular figures was apparent in the narrative.”
• “His fondness for the underdog story biased his sports commentary.”
• “Her inclination toward organic products was manifest in her enthusiastic endorsements.”
• “The critic’s bias against modern art was evident in his dismissive comments.”
• “Her favoritism towards certain authors shaped the tone of her literary analysis.”

17. Identify the Setting

The setting can provide clues to the tone, especially in narrative writing.

A bustling city setting might convey excitement or chaos, while a secluded mountain might evoke tranquility or isolation.

• “The bustling streets of New York buzz with an energy unmatched by any other city.”
• “The bustling urban environment set a tone of fast-paced excitement.”
• “The quiet countryside created a serene, peaceful tone.”
• “The chaotic war zone conveyed a tone of desperation and survival.”
• “The luxurious mansion set a tone of opulence and grandeur.”
• “The cramped office space gave a tone of restriction and monotony.”
• “The festive holiday market brought a tone of joy and celebration.”
• “The ancient ruins evoked a tone of mystery and history.”
• “The modern laboratory conveyed a tone of innovation and precision.”
• “The isolated cabin in the woods provided a tone of solitude and introspection.”

18. Reflect on the Syntax

The arrangement of words and phrases in a sentence can affect the tone.

Repetitive, terse sentences might convey urgency or simplicity.

• “Fire! Run! Now!”
• “The orderly list format presented a clear, structured tone.”
• “Frequent use of passive voice gave the report a detached tone.”
• “Repetitive, rhythmic phrases created a hypnotic tone.”
• “Abrupt, short sentences conveyed a brisk, to-the-point tone.”
• “Elaborate, ornate language set a tone of sophistication and grandeur.”
• “Sparse use of adjectives gave a blunt, no-frills tone.”
• “The casual, conversational syntax created a relaxed, informal tone.”
• “Legal jargon contributed to a formal, authoritative tone.”
• “The poetic use of enjambment conveyed a flowing, continuous tone.”

19. Interpret the Connotations

Words carry connotations that influence tone.

Words with positive connotations enhance a positive tone, while those with negative connotations do the opposite.

• “The victory was a testament to their relentless spirit.”
• “Words like ‘catastrophe’ and ‘devastation’ added a grim tone.”
• “Using ‘blissful’ and ‘joyous’ contributed to an uplifting tone.”
• “Terms like ‘cutting-edge’ and ‘innovative’ gave a progressive tone.”
• “Describing the event as a ‘gala’ instead of a ‘party’ added an upscale tone.”
• “Using ‘quaint’ instead of ‘old’ conveyed a charming tone.”
• “The choice of ‘alleged’ added a tone of skepticism.”
• “Words like ‘pioneering’ and ‘trailblazing’ provided a tone of leadership and adventure.”
• “Describing someone as ‘youthful’ instead of ‘young’ added a positive tone.”
• “Using ‘meticulous’ instead of ‘picky’ conveyed a tone of careful attention to detail.”

20. Analyze Dialogue

In narrative writing, dialogue can reveal tone through the characters’ word choices and speech patterns.

• “Could you be any more careless?” she snapped, frustration clear in her tone.
• “Could you, like, not?” she quipped, her tone casual but pointed.”
• “He bellowed, ‘Get out!’ showing his explosive anger.”
• “Why must you always do this?” she asked, her tone weary and resigned.”
• “Can we talk about this later?” he suggested, his tone suggesting avoidance.”
• “‘I couldn’t be prouder,’ she beamed, her tone full of warmth and pride.”
• “He muttered under his breath, his tone secretive and conspiratorial.”
• “‘Absolutely not!’ she declared, her tone resolute and firm.”
• “‘Please, tell me more,’ he insisted, his tone eager and interested.”
• “‘This is just perfect,’ she drawled sarcastically, her tone dripping with irony.”

50 Best Words to Describe Tone

• Inspirational
• Lighthearted
• Melancholic
• Pessimistic
• Exasperated

50 Best Phrases to Describe Tone

• Air of solemnity
• Biting sarcasm
• Calm and collected
• Deeply cynical
• Effortlessly witty
• Fiercely passionate
• Gently mocking
• Highly formal
• Incredibly somber
• Joyfully optimistic
• Keenly perceptive
• Light and playful
• Morose and gloomy
• Notably sincere
• Overwhelmingly pessimistic
• Pensively quiet
• Quietly contemplative
• Richly descriptive
• Slightly amused
• Taut with tension
• Unabashedly joyful
• Vividly imaginative
• Warmly reassuring
• Zealously enthusiastic
• Excitedly optimistic
• Coldly impersonal
• Dryly humorous
• Eagerly anticipatory
• Frustratingly vague
• Guardedly optimistic
• Hilariously ironic
• Intensely serious
• Jarringly blunt
• Kindly gentle
• Lazily drawn-out
• Mockingly dismissive
• Nervously excited
• Oddly detached
• Politely formal
• Quietly assertive
• Roughly gruff
• Sweetly sincere
• Tensely suspenseful
• Unusually quiet
• Vividly descriptive
• Wistfully nostalgic
• Exasperatingly slow
• Yearningly hopeful
• Zestfully lively
• Casually sarcastic

3 Full Paragraph Examples of Describing Tone in Writing

Let’s look at full paragraphs examples of how to describe tone in writing.

Example 1: Optimistic Tone

In her latest blog post, Maria writes with an infectious optimism that leaps off the page. Her words are bathed in hope and possibility, painting a picture of a future brimming with potential. Sentences like, “Together, we can overcome any obstacle,” resonate with a can-do spirit that encourages and uplifts her readers.

Example 2: Sarcastic Tone

John’s article on office etiquette drips with sarcasm. From his mockingly polite ‘thank yous’ to his biting commentary on ‘the joys of open-plan offices,’ his tone skewers the absurdities of corporate life. His clever use of ironic expressions exposes the underlying frustrations many workers feel, providing both humor and insight.

Example 3: Solemn Tone

In her tribute to a fallen friend, Claire’s words carry a heavy solemnity. Her reflective, measured sentences convey deep respect and profound loss. Phrases like, “We shall carry your legacy forward,” echo with a reverent somberness, fitting for honoring a life that made a lasting impact. The careful choice of somber adjectives and the slow cadence of her writing allow readers to feel the weight of her grief and the depth of her admiration.

Here is a good video about how to

Final Thoughts: How to Describe Tone in Writing

It’s been a joy exploring the nuances of tone with you. Remember, the right tone can truly bring your writing to life.

Keep playing with words and see what unfolds.

Read This Next:

• What Is Writing Style? (Easy Guide for Beginners)
• What Makes Stephen King’s Writing So Good? (11 Reasons)
• How To Write Like Dean Koontz (24 Best Tips Explained)
• What Is A Lens In Writing? (The Ultimate Guide)
• What Is a Summary In Writing? (Explained + 40 Examples)

• Writing & Editing

12 Different Types of Tones in Writing with Examples

If you want your writing to be as multifaceted and engrossing as possible, it is important that you know how to efficiently use tones. What is tone, though? What makes it so important to the writing process? How do you actually use tone in your writing? This article will answer those questions and so much more.

What is Tone in Writing?

It is the way a writer uses words to convey non-verbal observations about specific subjects. By using specific tones and tone words in your manuscripts and poems, you will be able to convey facts, emotions, and concepts more effectively.

What Is the Importance of Tone in Writing?

Writing tone is very important because it is one of the most effective ways to convey emotion and context to your writing. Tones are a bit tricky to use, though. If you don’t use the right tone, your readers might misunderstand your intent and have a negative perception of you and your writing.

How to Develop Your Writing Tone?

If you want to effectively develop the tone in your writing, you should be willing to experiment with the types of tone. The more you practice with writing tones, the better your writing style will be.

Before you start using specific tones in your writing, it always helps to know which tone is best to use. Below are the 12 most common tones: 

• Pessimistic
• Encouraging
• Cooperative
• Inspirational

It is also important to know the difference between voice and tone. The key difference between voice and tone is that the voice is the unique point of view and choice of words that the author uses in his or her work. The tone on the other hand is the attitude conveyed through the author’s writing.

If you want your readers to be emotionally invested in your writing, it is a good idea to utilize a sad tone in your writing. Sadness is a core emotional state for most people.

We feel sad whenever something unfortunate happens to us or someone close to us. We could also feel sad whenever we empathize with someone.

This person does not need to be close to us either. When you use a sad tone in your writing, your main goal should be to make the reader more sympathetic to your main character.

This empathy will keep them interested in the story.

“The pleasure of remembering had been taken from me, because there was no longer anyone to remember with. It felt like losing your co-rememberer meant losing the memory itself. As if the things we’d done were less real and important than they had been hours before.” -John Green, The Fault In Our Stars

“Why do people have to be this lonely? What’s the point of it all? Millions of people in this world, all of them yearning, looking to others to satisfy them, yet isolating themselves. Why? Was the earth put here just to nourish human loneliness?” -Haruki Murakami, Sputnik Sweetheart

“Tonight I can write the saddest lines. I loved her, and sometimes she loved me too.” -Pablo Neruda, Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair

Horror is all about surprise and fear. When you use a horror-filled tone, your main intent should be to shock your readers to the core.

Give them a fearful situation that they will have to confront.

“Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before.” -Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven

“Eddie discovered one of his childhood's great truths. Grownups are the real monsters, he thought.” -Stephen King, It

“Blood is really warm, it’s like drinking hot chocolate but with more screaming.” -Ryan Mecum, Zombie Haiku: Good Poetry for Your...Brains

3. Pessimistic

Being pessimistic is a state of mind wherein you expect the worst to happen. This does not really show the reality of the situation and is more like a mindset.

“All religion, my friend, is simply evolved out of fraud, fear, greed, imagination, and poetry.” -Edgar Allan Poe

“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” -Oscar Wilde, Lady Windermere's Fan

“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorns have roses.” -Alphonse Karr, A Tour Round My Garden

4. Humorous

This tone is by far one of the most useful tones because it allows you to draw your readers into the story. It is a very multifaceted tone.

It not only makes your readers laugh, but it also lightens the overall mood of your writing.

“You mistake me, my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these twenty years at least.” -Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

“Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.” -Albert Einstein

“Never put off till tomorrow what may be done day after tomorrow just as well.” -Mark Twain

5. Optimistic

Like the pessimistic tone, the optimistic tone is more like a state of mind, rather than being a signifier of the reality within the story. The tone usually takes place in the narrator’s mind and is a reaction to a specific situation within the story.

“There is nothing sweeter in this sad world than the sound of someone you love calling your name.” -Kate DiCamillo, The Tale of Despereaux

“Don't be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.” -Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” -Anne Frank, Anne Frank's Tales from the Secret Annex: A Collection of Her Short Stories, Fables, and Lesser-Known Writings

Joy is by far one of the purest of all positive emotions and could be used as a specific tone to create a lighter and happier atmosphere in your writing. This type of tone is usually used in character interaction situations and is meant to create a sense of positivity in the story.

“Stars are always dancing. Sometimes they dance twinkling away with the rhythm of your joyful heart and sometimes they dance without movement to embrace your heartache as if frozen sculptures of open-armed sadness.” -Munia Khan

“The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.”  -Nicolas Chamfort

7. Encouraging

If you are going to use an encouraging tone, you should take a more understanding and supportive frame of mind. The encouraging tone is meant to uplift, and reassure readers.

It could also be used to assuage readers about a specific fear that they have.

“So many things are possible just as long as you don’t know they’re impossible.” -Norton Juster, The Phantom Tollbooth

“You've gotta dance like there's nobody watching, Love like you'll never be hurt, Sing like there's nobody listening, And live like it's heaven on earth.” - William W. Purkey

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” -Mahatma Gandhi

8. Cooperative

When you use a cooperative tone, you should choose your words as carefully as possible. This type of tone is usually used in the workplace, or in situations where you will need group members to do their part.

The tone should emanate a positive outlook on the job, and compel your audience to do their part.

“One cannot be pessimistic about the West. This is the native home of hope. When it fully learns that cooperation, not rugged individualism, is the quality that most characterizes and preserves it, then it will have achieved itself and outlived its origins. Then it has a chance to create a society to match its scenery.” -Wallace Stegner, The Sound of Mountain Water

“I would like to see anyone, prophet, king or God, convince a thousand cats to do the same thing at the same time.” -Neil Gaiman

When you use a curious tone in your writing, your main goal should be to compel your audience to get curious about a specific topic. It could be an unsolved mystery, or an unanswered query, what’s important is that you compel your readers to dig deeper and learn more about the topic.

“The best thing for being sad," replied Merlin, beginning to puff and blow, "is to learn something. That's the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honour trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then — to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting. Learning is the only thing for you. Look what a lot of things there are to learn.” -T.H. White, The Once and Future King

“I'm really hoping he’s being genuine because I can already tell he isn't the kind of guy a girl gets a simple crush on. He’s the kind of guy you fall hard for, and the thought of that terrifies me. I don’t really want to fall hard for anyone at all, especially someone who’s only making an effort because he thinks I'm easy. I also don’t want to fall for someone who has already branded himself hopeless. But I'm curious. So curious.” -Colleen Hoover, Hopeless

“What about you? What do you do?” I needed to ask questions, draw him out. I needed to find out all the information I could. My voice sounded strong and smooth, but my hands were shaking. I put them in my lap so he couldn’t see. “I prey on innocent villagers and terrify their children,” he said with a nasty smile. “And sometimes when I’m feeling really evil, I read books or paint.” -Kate Avery Ellison, The Curse Girl

10. Worried

This tone’s main intent is to make the reader apprehensive about a character or topic. In order to use a worried tone, you should use specific words and scenarios that will create a sense of unease and anxiety in your readers.

“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.” -Corrie Ten Boom, Clippings from My Notebook

“The more you pray, the less you'll panic. The more you worship, the less you worry. You'll feel more patient and less pressured.” -Rick Warren, The Purpose of Christmas

“The whole thing is quite hopeless, so it's no good worrying about tomorrow. It probably won't come.” -J R R Tolkien, The Return of the King

11. Nostalgic

A nostalgic tone is meant to evoke a fondness for times long past. This is a useful tone if you have your characters reminiscing about their younger days or the way things were when they were younger.

This tone could also be used if you are writing about specific eras such as the 70s or 80s.

“It is an illusion that youth is happy, an illusion of those who have lost it; but the young know they are wretched for they are full of the truthless ideal which have been instilled into them, and each time they come in contact with the real, they are bruised and wounded. It looks as if they were victims of a conspiracy; for the books they read, ideal by the necessity of selection, and the conversation of their elders, who look back upon the past through a rosy haze of forgetfulness, prepare them for an unreal life. They must discover for themselves that all they have read and all they have been told are lies, lies, lies; and each discovery is another nail driven into the body on the cross of life.” -W. Somerset Maugham, Of Human Bondage

“It is strange how we hold on to the pieces of the past while we wait for our futures.” -Ally Condie, Matched

12. Inspirational

This tone is meant to inspire readers to commit to a task or ideal. This could be used in a story where your main character calls his comrades to fight for an ideal.

It could also be used in self-help books where you call on your reader to strive for something. Just make sure that you don’t overdo it with the inspirational language because it might sound corny.

“Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” -Neil Gaiman, Coraline

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” -Martin Luther King Jr., A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches

When it comes to making your writing as effective as possible, it is important that you know how to use tones. By using these tones in your manuscripts and poems, you will be able to add a whole new facet to your writing.

Remember though, that these are not the only tones out there. If you want to further expand your writing prowess, it is a good idea to experiment with other tones.

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Tone Definition

What is tone? Here’s a quick and simple definition:

The tone of a piece of writing is its general character or attitude, which might be cheerful or depressive, sarcastic or sincere, comical or mournful, praising or critical, and so on. For instance, an editorial in a newspaper that described its subject as "not even having the guts to do the job himself," has a tone that is both informal and critical.

Some additional key details about tone:

• All pieces of writing, even letters and official documents, have a tone. A neutral, official tone is still a tone.
• The tone of a piece of writing may change over the course of a text to produce different effects.
• Tone and mood are not the same. Tone has to do with the attitude of the author or the person speaking, whereas mood is how the work makes the reader feel.
• The author's intentions, emotions, and personal ideas about the theme or subject matter often reveal themselves in the piece's tone.

How to Pronounce Tone

Here's how to pronounce tone:  tohn

Tone Explained

It is always possible to describe the way that a writer uses language. Therefore, every piece of writing has a tone. Even when a writer's aim is to use completely neutral language—as is often the case in scientific papers or investigative journalism—the language still sounds a certain way, whether it's "scientific," "journalistic," "formal," "professional," or even "mechanical." The way a writer makes use of tone can tell you a lot about the writer's attitude or relationship toward their subject matter and what they are trying to say about it, as well as the effect they are trying to create for their reader.

Here's just a partial list of words that are commonly used to talk about tone, with examples of the types of writing they might be used to describe:

• A particularly stirring campaign speech
• The Declaration of Independence
• Maya Angelou's famous poem, "Still I Rise"
• A sappy love poem
• An over-the-top television sermon
• A wordy letter of apology
• A know-it-all at a cocktail party
• The comments section of almost any YouTube video
• A speech made by a boastful or proud character
• A speech at a funeral
• A murder mystery
• A novel about someone's struggles with depression
• An article in the newspaper The Onion
• A work of  parody  like Don Quixote
• A  satire , like many skits on SNL
• A stand-up comedy routine
• A play like Shakespeare's As You Like It
• A TV show like Seinfeld or Friends
• A Dr. Seuss Book
• A wedding speech
• A friendly joke
• An essay you'd write for school
• A dense work of political theory
• An article analyzing a political event
• A letter from the IRS
• A scientific paper
• Instructions on how to assemble furniture

The tone of a piece of writing depends on a confluence of different factors, including:

• The connotation  of the words used: Are they positive or negative? What associations do the words bring to mind?
• The diction , or word choice: Are there lots of thou's and thine's? Does the writer use slang? Are the words long and technical, or short and childish?
• The use of figurative language :  Is there a lot of metaphor, hyperbole, or alliteration? Does the language sound lofty and poetic?
• The mood : How does the language make you feel as the reader? This can reveal a lot about the tone of the piece.

All of these things work together to determine the tone of a piece of writing.

The Difference Between Tone and Mood

The words "tone" and " mood " are often used interchangeably, but the two terms actually have different meanings.

• Tone is the attitude or general character of a piece of writing and is often related to the attitude of the writer or speaker.
• Mood refers specifically to the effect a piece of writing has on the reader .  Mood is how a piece of writing makes you feel. 

While tone and mood are distinct literary devices, they are often closely related. For example, it wouldn't be unusual for a poem with a somber tone to also have a somber mood—i.e., to make the reader feel somber as well. And as we explained above, a journalist who makes a jab at a politician might be conveying how they feel about their subject (using a critical tone) while also trying to influence their readers to feel similarly—i.e., to create a  mood of anger or outrage.

Tone Examples

Since every text has a tone, there are essentially endless examples of tone. The examples below illustrate different types of tone. 

Tone in U.A. Fanthorpe's "Not my Best Side"

The poem "Not my Best Side" by U.A. Fanthorpe has a lighthearted and ironic   tone. The poem concerns the painting  Saint George and the Dragon  by Paolo Uccello, and pokes fun at the way the various characters are portrayed in the painting—the dragon, the maiden, and the knight who is supposedly rescuing her. Fanthorpe creates a contrast between her modern, colloquial way of speaking and the medieval subject matter of her poem. Using colloquial words like "sexy" and phrases like "if you know what I mean," Fanthorpe creates a lighthearted, conversational tone. But this conversational tone also has the effect of imbuing the poem with a tone of  irony  because it is used to describe the unlikely scenario of a maiden falling in love with a dragon.

It's hard for a girl to be sure if She wants to be rescued. I mean, I quite Took to the dragon. It's nice to be Liked, if you know what I mean. He was So nicely physical, with his claws And lovely green skin, and that sexy tail

Tone in Milton's "Lycidas"

The poem "Lycidas" by John Milton has a mournful   tone. The poem was inspired by the untimely death of Milton's friend, who drowned. To express his grief, and set the sorrowful and mournful tone, Milton uses words and phrases with negative  connotations , like, "watery bier" (or "tomb"), "parching wind" and "melodious tear."

For Lycidas is dead, dead ere his prime, Young lycidas, and hath not left his peer. Who would not sing for Lycidas? he knew Himself to sing, and build the lofty rhyme He must not float upon his watery bier Unwept, and welter to the parching wind, Without the meed of some melodious tear.

Tone in Flaubert's  Madame Bovary

In many passages in Gustave Flaubert's  Madame Bovary , Flaubert's own cynicism about romance shines through the third-person narration to imbue the work with a tone of cynicism. Bored by her husband and desperate for a passionate love affair like the sort she reads about in romance novels, Emma Bovary gets involved with a notorious womanizer. Flaubert highlights Emma's foolishness for falling for such an obvious hack, who sees her as no different from any other mistress:

Emma was just like any other mistress; and the charm of novelty, falling down slowly like a dress, exposed only the eternal monotony of passion, always the same forms and the same language. He did not distinguish, this man of such great expertise, the differences of sentiment beneath the sameness of their expression.

Flaubert sets the cynical tone in part by describing, using figurative language , how the charm of novelty, for Madame Bovary's lover, fell down "slowly like a dress," suggesting that what she experiences as romance, her lover experiences only as an extended prelude to sex.

What's the Function of Tone in Literature?

First and foremost, tone clues readers into the essence and the purpose of what they're reading. It wouldn't make sense to use a wordy, poetic tone to write a simple set of directions, just like it wouldn't make sense to use a dry, unfeeling tone when writing a love poem. Rather, writers set the tone of their work to match not only the content of their writing, but also to suit the purpose they intend for it to serve, whether that is to convey information clearly, to make people laugh, to lavish praises on someone, or something else. Additionally, tone can serve the following purposes:

• For example, a biography of Bill Clinton might have a critical tone if the author has critical views of the former president and what he stood for, or it might have an admiring tone if the author was a staunch Clinton supporter.
• If a writer wants their readers to feel upset, he or she might use words with certain connotations to create a gloomy tone.
• Likewise, if a writer wants to create an informal tone, he or she might make use of colloquialisms , slang terms, and everyday language to make the reader feel like their familiar or their equal.

Simply put, establishing the tone of a work is important because it helps writers show readers what the work is trying to accomplish, and what attitude the work takes toward its own subject matter.

Other Helpful Tone Resources

• Wikipedia Page on Tone in Literature : A helpful overview of tone and its usage.
• A Definition of Tone : A definition of tone that includes a short overview of the difference between tone and mood.
• List of Poetic Tones : A handy chart listing a slew of tones commonly found in poetry, and all other types of literature.

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Style and Tone Tips for Your College Essay | Examples

Published on September 21, 2021 by Kirsten Courault . Revised on June 1, 2023.

Unlike an academic essay, the college application essay does not require a formal tone. It gives you a chance to showcase your authentic voice and creative writing abilities. Here are some basic guidelines for using an appropriate style and tone in your college essay.

Table of contents

Strike a balance between casual and formal, write with your authentic voice, maintain a fast pace, use a paraphrasing tool for better style and tone, bend language rules for stylistic reasons, use american english, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about college application essays.

Use a conversational yet respectful tone, as if speaking with a familiar teacher, mentor, or coach. An academic, formal tone will seem too clinical, while an overly casual tone will seem unprofessional to admissions officers.

Find an appropriate middle ground without pedantic language or slang. For example, contractions are acceptable, but text message abbreviations are not.

Note that “Why this college?” essays , scholarship essays , and diversity essays are usually similarly conversational in tone.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

Your essay shouldn’t read like a professor, parent, or friend wrote it for you. Use first-person singular “I” statements, appropriate vocabulary for your level, and original expressions.

Prioritize using the first-person singular

Unlike in some other kinds of academic writing, you should write in the first-person singular (e.g., “I,” “me”) in a college application essay to highlight your perspective.

Avoid using “one” for generalizations , since this sounds stilted and unnatural. Use “we” sparingly to avoid projecting your opinions or beliefs onto other people who may not share the same views. In some cases, you can use “we” to talk about a community you know well, such as your family or neighborhood.

The second-person pronoun “you” can be used in some cases. Don’t write the whole essay to an unknown “you,” but if the narrative calls for it, occasionally addressing readers as “you” is generally okay.

Write within your vocabulary range

Creative but careful word choice is essential to enliven your essay. You should embellish basic words, but it shouldn’t read like you used a thesaurus to impress admissions officers.

Use clichés and idioms with discretion

Find a more imaginative way of rewriting overused expressions一unless it’s an intentional stylistic choice.

Write concisely and in the active voice to maintain a quick pace throughout your essay. Only add definitions if they provide necessary explanation.

Write concisely

Opt for a simple, concise way of writing, unless it’s a deliberate stylistic choice to describe a scene. Be intentional with every word, especially since college essays have word limits. However, do vary the length of your sentences to create an interesting flow.

Don’t provide definitions just to sound smart

You should explain terms or concepts that may be unfamiliar to the reader. However, don’t show off with several definitions to impress admissions officers.

Prioritize the active voice to maintain a lively tone

The passive voice can be used when the subject is unimportant or unknown. But in most cases, use the active voice to keep a fast pace throughout your essay.

If it seems hard to find the right tone and voice for your college essay, there are tools that can help.

One of these tools is the paraphrasing tool .

To begin, you can type or copy text you’ve already written into the tool.

After that, select a paraphrasing mode (e.g., fluency for better flowing text) that will rewrite your college essay accordingly.

You can occasionally bend grammatical rules if it adds value to the storytelling process and the essay maintains clarity. This can help your writing stand out from the crowd. However, return to using standard language rules if your stylistic choices would otherwise distract the reader from your overall narrative or could be easily interpreted as unintentional errors.

Sentence fragments

Sentence fragments can convey a quicker pace, a more immediate tone, and intense emotion in your essay. Use them sparingly, as too many fragments can be choppy, confusing, and distracting.

Non-standard capitalization

Usually,  common nouns should not be capitalized . But sometimes capitalization can be an effective tool to insert humor or signify importance.

For international students applying to US colleges, it’s important to remember to use US English rather than UK English .

For example, use double quotation marks rather than single ones, and don’t forget to put punctuation inside the double quotation marks. Also be careful to use American spelling, which can differ by just one or two letters from British spelling.

If you want to know more about academic writing , effective communication , or parts of speech , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

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College application essays are less formal than other kinds of academic writing . Use a conversational yet respectful tone , as if speaking with a teacher or mentor. Be vulnerable about your feelings, thoughts, and experiences to connect with the reader.

Aim to write in your authentic voice , with a style that sounds natural and genuine. You can be creative with your word choice, but don’t use elaborate vocabulary to impress admissions officers.

Use first-person “I” statements to speak from your perspective . Use appropriate word choices that show off your vocabulary but don’t sound like you used a thesaurus. Avoid using idioms or cliché expressions by rewriting them in a creative, original way.

Write concisely and use the active voice to maintain a quick pace throughout your essay and make sure it’s the right length . Avoid adding definitions unless they provide necessary explanation.

In a college application essay , you can occasionally bend grammatical rules if doing so adds value to the storytelling process and the essay maintains clarity.

However, use standard language rules if your stylistic choices would otherwise distract the reader from your overall narrative or could be easily interpreted as unintentional errors.

A college application essay is less formal than most academic writing . Instead of citing sources formally with in-text citations and a reference list, you can cite them informally in your text.

For example, “In her research paper on genetics, Quinn Roberts explores …”

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An Author’s Guide to 22 Types of Tones in Writing

As an author, do you use different types of tones depending on the genre or audience? Do you have a distinctive tone readers can use to identify your writing, regardless of the subject matter? Or are you still trying to figure out how to leverage different types of tones in your writing to create a more compelling story?

Regardless of what you answered, this guide to the types of tones in writing is for you!

In this article, we’ll help you identify the different types of tones, provide examples, and give you tips on how to develop your own writing tone and decide which types of tones to use for your next book.

This Guide to the Types of Tones in Writing Will Cover:

What is a writing tone.

Have you ever had your writing misinterpreted? An everyday example is sending a text as a joke just to realize that the person thought you were serious.

It never feels good to have someone misinterpret what you are trying to say. And that’s just one reason why it is important to learn how to convey the right types of tones.

But before you begin – whether you’re writing a novel or updating your author website (or even a social media caption!), it’s important to know what is meant by “tone” in writing.

Writing tone is a type of literary device and the different types of tones refer to the attitude, mood, or emotional quality an author conveys through their choice of words, sentence structure, and overall style. A tone is like the author’s unique voice (or the voice they assign to their characters or narrator) that sets the emotional tone of the book and shapes how the reader perceives the overall story.

Whether formal, informal, serious, humorous, optimistic, or cynical, the different types of tones give context to the words, ultimately influencing how readers interpret and engage with the story and all the different characters in it.

In short, the author’s tone impacts the reader’s mood .

When establishing what types of tones you want to use, it’s important to be mindful of the genre you are writing for, the audience you are writing for, the different types of characters you want in the story, and the feelings you want your writing to evoke.

For example, a young adult fiction book , a children’s book, and a memoir would all have vastly different types of tones in the story.

The Difference Between Voice, Style, and Tone

Authors often confuse voice, style, and tone in writing. Though these all impact each other, they are different.

Voice is the distinct personality, beliefs, and expressions infused into the writing, and style is the author’s unique manner of expressing this personality via literary elements and specific word choices. Meanwhile, the tone is the emotional attitude conveyed to the reader.

It breaks down like this:

• Voice = what you write
• Style = the way you say it
• Tone = the mood created by what you say

In a physical conversation or written dialogue, the types of tones might be perceived in tangible (though not necessarily spoken) cues such as vocal pitch, facial movements, eye contact, stance, etc.

Should You Use Different Types of Tones in Writing?

Using different types of tones throughout the same book can be a powerful literary technique, as it adds depth, complexity, and variety to the narrative.

Just as life is multifaceted with various emotions and situations, a book can benefit from shifting the types of tones to better reflect the evolving themes, characters, and plot developments.

Using different types of tones in writing can help keep the reader engaged and intrigued, as well as enhance the overall emotional impact. However, it’s important to maintain some coherence and consistency, ensuring that the shifts in tone are purposeful and serve the narrative’s goals.

Abrupt or jarring changes in the types of tones might confuse or alienate the reader, so the key is to strike a balance that enhances the storytelling rather than detracts from it.

Using a narrative writing prompts generator is a great way to hone your writing skills – and can help you understand how to use different types of tones in writing. It will also give you practice with using multiple writing tones within one narrative.

So what are the different types of tones? Let’s discuss the most common writing tones that authors use.

22 Types Of Tones In Writing – And How to Use Them

Like emotions, the types of tones you can employ in your writing can be nearly endless. They span far and wide and can even vary with every character and scene. But here’s a rundown of the most common types of tones that authors utilize in their writing: 

1. Formal Tone

The formal tone is one of the types of tones that uses very proper grammar, longer sentence structure, and complex phrasing with few contractions.

A formal tone is usually objective and direct, cutting fluff or extra words. It can be interpreted as cold or emotionless or proper and polite, depending on the delivery and setting.

This tone is at home in academic, legal, medical, and professional settings.

Example of a formal tone: “Due to the lack of information received, it’s difficult to reach a decision on the best next steps to take. We will have to give a few more days to this matter.”

2. Informal Tone

Unlike formal writing, informal writing is one of the types of tones that is much more conversational. Think “writing like you talk” (or rather, how your character would talk).

While you should not throw typical spelling and grammar rules out the window, you can relax with some of the rules and use things like emojis, casual language, or current slang.

This tone works well when writing a memoir , young adult novel, or when writing dialogue .

Example of an informal tone: “Nah – I’ve got a ton of work to do, so I won’t be able to make it tonight. Maybe tomorrow if you’re still up for it?”

3. Friendly Tone

A friendly tone is one of the types of tones that is meant to convey a warm, familiar feeling and build rapport with the reader.

To convey a friendly tone in writing, you might use exclamation points, words that lean toward the positive side, casual salutations (hey, buddy!), and jests.

When writing your characters, think about creating inside jokes or thoughts between friends. A friendly tone is generally lighter in nature than other types of tones.

4. Sad Tone

It’s unlikely that you’ll use a sad tone throughout an entire book, but it could be the tone of a specific event, conversation, or even a character. It’s most often used to describe funerals, heartbreak, disappointment, the delivery of bad news, character flaws , inner conflicts, or depressing inner thoughts.

As humans, we all identify with being sad. To make your story more interesting or intense, you may want to choose other words that convey sadness or talk about things characters are doing (or not doing) to highlight their current state. A list of words includes sulk, mourn, lament, wistful, somber, tragic, dismal, etc.

5. Humorous Tone

Humor can be a hard tone to convey in writing, and it might be one of the harder types of tones for you to master with time.

You will want to pick jokes and lines that convey the humor you want, whether dark humor or friendly banter. If you are writing a fiction book, you might also want to mention gestures done by your characters to convey they are joking, such as smirking, laughing, or playfully rolling their eyes.

Example of a humorous tone: “The old man was about as charming as an eel, but when it came to cricket, he turned into a young boy again – leaping and yelling alongside the field!”

6. Joyful Tone

A joyful tone in writing is often full of unabashed enthusiasm and excitement. It often evokes feelings of playfulness, youth, and freedom.

You will want to focus on using happy words or expressing passion to convey a joyful tone. If you do pair it with actions, there should be plenty of smiling or excited movements – maybe even some frolicking, if you will.

7. Optimistic Tone

An optimistic tone is different from a joyful tone (although they are very similar types of tones) because it is projecting hope, joy and good feelings into the future. It’s less about a current state or emotion and more about a lasting philosophy or mindset.

This is living with rose-colored glasses. And your writing and characters should use exclamation points, positive phrases, and elude to happiness. Your characters may even be so optimistic that they take on some traits of toxic positivity.

Example of an optimistic tone: “I’m so certain you can get through this,” Sophie said with a reassuring smile.

8. Pessimistic Tone

A pessimistic tone is usually dismissive, negative, cautious and may feel frustrating or upsetting. As an author, you can achieve this negative tone through excessive questioning, doubtful language, and short, curt sentences. You want to project a negative view of a situation (past, present, or future) and a belief that things will not improve.

Pessimistic characters may call themselves realists, but they are usually looking for the bad in people or situations, calling it out to others.

Example of a pessimistic tone: “See? I told you it would fail. The whole campaign was built on empty promises. I can’t believe you really thought they could achieve all that.”

9. Aggressive Tone

An aggressive tone often uses strong, forceful, blunt, and threatening words and actions.

When authors are using this tone, they are often trying to prove a point in a harsh way. They will not use friendly words and will be bordering on an offensive tone.

10. Assertive Tone

Slightly less physical or offensive than an aggressive tone, an assertive tone in writing is still very direct. However, it does not imply violence or anger like some other types of tones.

Consider the difference between these examples: “Do you think you could be there by 6 p.m.?,” “Be there at 6 p.m.,” and “You better be there at 6 p.m., or else…”

One is friendly, one assertive, and one aggressive.

11. Curious Tone

This can be one of the most fun types of tones to use in writing – especially when writing a cozy mystery or children’s book. A curious tone in writing often feels youthful, naive, and enthusiastic.

You or the character wants to learn more about something and is intrigued by the subject matter. Stoking curiosity in your reader will get them invested in the book and story arc – you could do this by teasing future events or presenting a challenge or riddle they feel they can solve.

12. Serious Tone

A serious tone is used to signify importance and, often, a pivotal moment in a story (such as a difficult call to adventure or sacrifice that must be made). Effectively using a serious tone requires a bit more formal language, but it doesn’t require large words or emotional coldness. In fact, something can be very serious yet kind (like a doctor sharing bad news).

As an author, you leverage all caps to denote yelling and use words such as “solemn, intense, thoughtful, or weighty.” To really drive home the severity of a situation, you can describe the setting and the characters’ body language with a bit more detail.

13. Helpful Tone

A helpful tone can lean either formal or informal, but the essence of it is a desire to assist. Learning to convey a friendly, helpful tone without coming across as over-explaining is a fine balance. Though the latter is certainly a choice you could make as an author when writing a character (we’ve all met the condensing character ready to bestow upon you their “advice”).

In most instances, you will want to use friendly words and language to convey that you or your characters are trying to be helpful. That might include using extra enthusiasm, kind, encouraging words, and simplified explanations that help someone understand a concept or instructions.

Examples of using a helpful tone could be a nurturing mother, selfless caretaker, or kind teacher in fiction. In nonfiction, this is one of the best types of tones to use when writing a self-help book .

14. Compassionate Tone

A compassionate tone is used to convey sympathy, caring, and a level of understanding towards someone else and their feelings. Often mixed with a serious tone, the goal of compassionate writing is to make the reader feel sorry about a situation or highlight the love and care someone has toward a person, animal, or cause.

This one of the types of tones that is common in both fiction and nonfiction books .

Example of a compassionate tone: “The woman very carefully lifted the sick puppy out of the ditch and placed him in her passenger seat. In that moment, she resolved to do everything in her power to give him the life he deserved.”

15. Informative Tone

Like a helpful tone in writing, an informative tone aims to assist. But it skews a bit more formal, unbiased, and educational or academic. A lot of informative writing and language is void of emotion, opinions, or personal anecdotes (unless the person is an expert on the topic).

16. Tense Tone

Are you writing a scary story or a thriller? You’ll probably really rely on a tense tone in your writing.

Done correctly, a tense tone creates an atmosphere of apprehension and heightened emotional strain. You can do this by creating a build-up, adding some suspense, or implying something that hasn’t happened yet (and might not) with body language descriptions and short, curt lines.

Example of a tense tone:   “Did you hear that? I think someone’s following us,” she whispered, her voice trembling with unease.

17. Concerned Tone

A concerned tone should make someone feel another person’s love, worry, or apprehension, often reflecting the characters’ genuine interest in the well-being of others or themselves.

Use a concerned tone to deepen character relationships and readers’ relationships with your characters and the circumstances they face. This is one of the types of tones that is very effective at evoking empathy via dialogues, inner monologues, or narrative descriptions that reveal characters’ motivations , anxieties, inquiries, and considerations.

Example of a concerned tone: “I noticed you’ve been missing meals… is everything alright?” she inquired, her eyes reflecting a mix of care and worry.

18. Sarcastic Tone

Often used to mock people or situations, a sarcastic tone means continually saying one thing while implying the opposite. For some, this is a form of humor. For others, it’s a way to be ironic, critique someone or something, or express a pessimistic opinion.

As an author, you can use italics to emphasize specific words and can sprinkle in witty remarks that say one thing but hint at the opposite. This will add a playful zing to your prose or your characters’ personalities, highlight absurdities , and even provide social commentary.

19. Apologetic Tone

An apologetic tone is used in writing to acknowledge a character’s mistake (though it can also be used in nonfiction writing, like memoirs). It usually conveys self-awareness, humility, a desire for feedback or input, some level of regret, and perhaps even some self-deprecation. Sometimes, characters or dialogue can seek justification, hinting at their guilt.

Using words and phrases like “let me explain,” “unfortunately,” “forgive me,” and “regretfully,” are different ways to channel this tone.

Example of an apologetic tone: “As a young adult, I was always disrespectful to my parents. I made life harder for them despite everything they did for me. Looking back, I should have never taken them for granted.” 

20. Cynical Tone

A cynical tone embodies a skeptical and distrustful perspective. It may overlap or become a pessimistic or even a disapproving tone, but it is slightly different than those types of tones.

Unlike other types of tones, cynicism requires undertones of distrust, a belief in others’ selfish motives, or some insincerity of individuals or systems. It’s very much about how something is said – and readers must look beyond the words on the page.

This tone can be used in writing to highlight the darker aspects of human behavior and societal dynamics, challenging the conventional or optimistic views of a situation.

21. Disapproving Tone

A disapproving tone conveys a critical stance and skepticism toward a person, idea, action, belief or argument, often implying disagreement or disbelief through carefully chosen words and expressions.

In fiction and nonfiction books, this tone can subtly challenge the validity of a concept or perspective while encouraging readers to question and analyze the subject matter more closely. A great tool to employ when you are challenging readers to change behaviors or beliefs. One final thing to note about a disapproving tone is that it expresses something is not okay (in the opinion of the author or character), without necessarily being aggressive or loud. 

Example of a disapproving tone: “Kyle’s dad glanced over at him as he tiptoed into the house at 3am. “There’s no justification for why you’ve just come home now”, Kyle’s dad uttered as he walked up the stairs. “

21. Nostalgic Tone

A nostalgic tone in writing carries a bittersweet longing for the past, evoking emotions tied to cherished memories and experiences that have shaped the author’s or character’s journey. It often infuses the narrative with a wistful and reflective quality, inviting readers to empathize with the sentimentality of what has been and might never be again.

Nostalgic writing can be sad, happy, or bittersweet – it depends on the emotion you want readers to feel.

“Back when the air was warm and the lake shimmered under the stars, life felt like a different kind of adventure,” she reminisced, a wistful smile in her voice.

Tips for Defining and Developing Tones in Your Writing

As an author, you may get asked the question: “What is the tone of your story? “

If you’ve just started outlining or writing your book, you might be asking yourself this question. And it’s important to define. Your tone will help you identify your book positioning , establish the setting of your story , and generate a book title . It can also inspire marketing creatives and book cover ideas .

So let’s look at some ways you can find the right tone and intentionally use different types of tones in your writing to create interest and contrast between the characters in your story.

Remember Your Audience

The first step is to remember your target audience. Who are you talking to, and what do you want them to feel?

Most readers are loyal to specific genres of fiction – some examples being dystopian, dark romance , mystery, or horror stories . They often already know what mood they want to be in when picking up a book. It’s a way for them to escape reality – and can be a bit jarring if you throw them into humorous prose if they were looking for serious suspense.

That being said, you can still use different types of tones in writing. A lighthearted detective could be a fun addition to an otherwise somber book. But you’ll want to keep the larger tone of your book aligned with the genre and story.

Don’t be Afraid of Detail and Description

Setting a specific tone requires you to play on the character personality types and create a clear picture in the mind of readers. The way to do this is to go bold with your descriptive phrases and words. 

If your character is feeling depressed and hopeless, their inner dialogue may be critical of their surroundings by describing moldy walls and dirty floors. Meanwhile, if your character is hopeful about their new home, you’ll want to emphasize the bright colors and vibrant flowers. 

Lead into your thesaurus for this one. Go beyond words like “sad” when trying to achieve a specific tone in writing. You can also use our free tool to enhance your writing with AI .

Be Picky with Your Choice of Words

As we mentioned earlier, your tone in writing often reflects your attitude (or your characters’ attitudes) towards something. So it’s important that you’re intentional and deliberate in your writing. Choose words for the purpose of adding (or taking away!) value to a subject. 

Here’s an example of how tone can change with your choice of words: 

Option 1: “Why would you do that to me? I thought we were friends.”

Option 2: “I should have known you would do this, despite everything.”  

The first line is a confused tone, signifying to the reader that the character is clueless and emotionally distressed. 

The second line is part of the same dialogue, but the words of choice depict a disappointed tone, reflecting the character’s feeling of being betrayed once again. 

Ready to Master the Types of Tones?

Before you can intentionally use different tones in writing, you must think about how you want your character or book to be perceived.

Are they witty or are they easily fooled? Are they hopeful in calamities or more pessimistic?

Your writing tones will help you relay the right characteristics. 

As we’ve seen, there are many types of tones that you can leverage as an author. While you’re not bound to use just one tone, consistency can help your readers build a clearer image of your character and subject matter. 

If you’re still not sure how to use writing tones, you can hire a book writing coach or reach out to the team at selfpublishing.com for advice.

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• Writing Tips

Types of Tones in Writing

5-minute read

• 27th November 2022

There are as many tones in writing as there are human emotions. The differences between these tones are the context, syntax , and diction that authors employ to cultivate personalities and emotions in characters or to appeal to their readers.

For example:

These two sentences have the same meaning, but they use different tones. The first is more informal and casual, while the second is more formal.

Generally, there are three categories of tones in writing: positive, negative, and neutral. Within these categories are varying intensities of emotion that writers may want to evoke. For example, to create a calming tone (positive), a writer may use words such as “quite,” “peaceful,” or “tranquil.” However, to create a playful tone (also positive, but more intense than calm), a writer may use “cheerful,” “spirited,” or “mischievous.”

Below, you’ll find five tones with examples and explanations to help you with your writing.

A formal tone may be used in many contexts, such as business copy, academic writing, email correspondence, or giving a speech. To achieve a formal tone, avoid the following:

●  First (“I”, “me”, “my,” “we,” etc.) and second (“you”) person pronouns

●  Contractions (e.g., “can’t,” “I’d,” “that’s,”)

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●  Colloquialisms and slang

●  Overly simplified sentences

●  Abbreviations, acronyms , and non-standard spellings of words

Ultimately, a formal tone aims to be thorough, direct, and respectful. Let’s look at a couple of examples:

Here’s an example of a formal business email . Keep in mind that context plays a crucial role in all writing. So, for this context, it’s appropriate to use first and second person pronouns because this is correspondence between two people.

An informal tone is exactly the opposite of formal. It’s used in everyday language. In writing, it may be used in dialogue between characters, narration, texts, social media posts, or emails between friends and colleagues.

Let’s look at how the earlier formal examples can be written as informal:

In these examples, the opposite of our above list to accomplish formal writing is done to create an informal tone, such as using abbreviations and contractions.

Here’s how we can make the formal email informal:

The overall language in this email is vastly different from the opening marks (“Hey” vs. “Dear XXX”) to the vocabulary (e.g., “discuss” vs. “talk about” or “we did not receive a response” vs. “we never heard back”) and the sign off (“Regards” vs. “Sent from my iPhone”).

A writer can use an optimistic tone using words like “bright,” “encouraging,” “promising,” or “upbeat.” An optimistic tone may be used in scenes of tragedy or despair by characters who usually look on the bright side.

Let’s look at an example:

In this example, we can feel an optimistic tone from the narrator through language such as “we have succeeded,” “hope,” “shall conquer,” and “must prevail.” Even without reading the book, you can sense that some kind of tragedy has occurred, but through the use of “shall” (looking toward the future) and positive vocabulary, the author employs an optimistic tone.

A friendly tone can be used with words like “warm,” “genial,” “affectionate,” or “sweet.” Let’s look at an example of a friendly tone.

From this example, we sense a friendly tone from the author’s choice of words and the general context set. For example, vocabulary such as “smile,” “natural,” and “charming” create a friendly tone. From the context, we sense a friendly mood from the interactions between friends; for example, “gently mussed Sumire’s already tousled hair.”

A serious tone is not joking or playful. It may be conveyed through words like “stern,” “dark,” “sober,” or “grave.” You may find a serious tone in books or materials that cover sensitive or tough topics, such as racial issues, prejudice, or mental health. Overall, a serious tone may be used to emphasize something important or create suspense.

Here’s an example using a serious tone from Time :

The dominant strategy used in this example (and many news articles) to create a serious tone is the use of figures and comparative language. For example, “increase by about 20%,” “by far the biggest jump recorded in the 37-year history of the report,” and “four-decade high.” This language emphasizes the seriousness of the topic to its readers.

Here’s an example of a serious tone used to create suspense:

In this example, the tone becomes serious because the character is at a pivotal moment. Sarah must make a decision that will clearly change the course of the narrative from this point on. Language like “she knew,” “tell the truth,” and “confess” emphasize the seriousness of the situation and the internal conflict the character is having.

An assertive tone can convey ambition, confidence, and boldness. Alternatively, it can also come across as aggressive , pushy, and militant if the writer isn’t careful. An assertive tone is usually used in business and academic writing because these types of writers need to convey a sense of authority on the topic they’re writing on.

Here are some assertive tone examples for a business context:

Using strong language (“I am confident”), statements vs. questions (e.g., “We will have to find another time to meet” vs. “Are you available for another time?”), and imperatives (“Pay attention”) can create a strong and assertive business tone.

Here are some assertive tone examples for an academic context:

The difference in vocabulary in these examples are what set them apart as assertive or weak statements. In academic writing, authors should be firm and confident in their findings (or lack thereof in some cases).

Employing the appropriate tone in your writing can make the difference in whether you reach a business agreement with a potential client, evoke emotion from your reader, or have your scholarly article accepted for publication.

If you’re struggling to maintain an appropriate tone in your writing, we can help. We’ll even proofread your first 500 words for free!

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Types of Tone in Writing: Essential Guide to 10 Different Types

Beneath the surface of every well-crafted piece of writing lies an often overlooked but essential element: tone. Did you know that Ernest Hemingway, renowned for his succinct and straightforward prose, once wrote an entire short story in just six words? This astonishing feat highlights the immense power that tone holds in conveying emotions and messages concisely.

Types of Tone in Writing: Short Description

In this guide, you'll learn about 10 basic types of tones in writing and how to use them effectively. Our paper writing service experts will show you examples and tips to help you understand how each tone creates feelings and messages. By the end, you'll know how to use tones to make your writing truly impactful and memorable for your readers. Armed with this knowledge, you'll have the tools to infuse your own writing with the perfect tone for the occasion. Whether you're aiming for a heartfelt narrative, a persuasive argument, or a piece that sparks curiosity, you'll be able to craft words that resonate deeply with your readers, leaving an impression that lingers long after they've finished reading.

What is Tone in Writing: Grasping the Idea

Imagine your favorite song playing on a piano. The same notes can create vastly different feelings – a light-hearted melody, a melancholic tune, or an intense crescendo. Just like in music, the words you use in writing can evoke emotions and set the mood. This magical ingredient that influences how your words are perceived is known as 'tone.'

Examples of tone in writing are the attitude, emotion, or mood that comes across in your words. It's not just about what you say but how you say it. Think of it as the emotional coloring that tints your writing, giving it depth and resonance. The right tone can make your words dance off the page, making them memorable and impactful.

Tone refers to more than just a mere linguistic element within a composition; it's a crucial tool that shapes how readers experience your writing. It influences how they feel, how they connect with the content, and even how they interpret the information. Whether you're crafting a compelling story, delivering an informative article, or sharing your thoughts, the right tone can make your writing resonate on a whole new level.

The tone isn't one-size-fits-all. Just as you adapt your tone of voice when speaking to different people, your writing tone should adjust to your audience and purpose. It can range from professional and formal writing tone to casual and conversational. Want to engage young readers? A playful tone might be the way to go. Need to address a serious topic? A respectful and serious tone is apt.

Ready to Give Your Paper a Symphony of Tones?

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How to Develop Your Writing Tone

Much like an artist intricately combines hues to forge a mesmerizing masterpiece, a writer conscientiously crafts sentence structure to weave a captivating enchantment upon their readers. The composition of sentence structures is a craft that entails comprehending one's distinctive voice, the inclinations of the intended audience, and the sought-after emotional resonance.

1. Know Thyself: Embrace Your Authentic Voice

The journey towards developing your overall tone, even when tackling essay topics, begins with self-discovery. Reflect on your natural speaking style, your personal experiences, and your unique way of expressing thoughts. Are you naturally witty? Do you tend to be straightforward? These qualities can be the building blocks of your distinct tone, even when addressing essay topics . Embrace your authentic voice; your readers will appreciate your sincerity.

2. Listen and Learn: Understand Your Audience

Imagine performing a song for an audience of jazz enthusiasts versus a group of classical music aficionados. The song remains the same, but the rendition differs based on the audience's preferences. Similarly, your writing tone should cater to your readers' expectations and comfort zones. Research their interests, language preferences, and the style of content they engage with. This insight helps you strike a chord with your audience.

3. Setting the Mood: Match Tone with Purpose

Just as a chef selects ingredients to suit a specific dish, adapt your tone to your writing's purpose. If you're crafting a heartwarming story, a tender and nostalgic tone might be perfect. For an analytical piece, a tone of logic and clarity works wonders. Aligning your tone with the intended emotional response enhances the impact of your writing.

4. Experiment and Evolve: Flexibility is Key

Think of your writing tone as a chameleon, capable of adapting to diverse situations. Don't hesitate to experiment with different tones. Try a humorous tone for one piece and a contemplative tone for another. Through experimentation, you'll discover your range and refine your ability to switch tones effortlessly, like a skilled actor embodying various roles.

10 Different Types of Tones

In the following sections, we'll journey through ten distinctive writing tones. Each tone is like a tool in your writing toolkit, ready to be wielded to create the impact you desire. By the end of this exploration, you'll be equipped not only to recognize these tones in your favorite pieces of writing but also to employ them to craft content that leaves a lasting impression.

A formal tone in writing is characterized by its polished and professional demeanor. This tone is frequently employed in various contexts, including academic papers following the Chicago style format , official documents, and business communications. This tone employs sophisticated vocabulary and avoids contractions and colloquial language. For example, a formal tone might be used in an academic research paper discussing the socioeconomic impacts of climate change on global economies.

'In accordance with the aforementioned legislation, it is imperative to adhere to the stipulated guidelines in order to ensure compliance. Failure to do so may result in potential legal ramifications.'

An informal tone in writing is more relaxed and conversational. It mimics the way people speak casually and is often used in personal emails, blog posts, and friendly communications. Informal tones in writing may include contractions and colloquialisms. For instance, an informal conversational tone could be used in a travel blog describing an adventurous journey, engaging readers with a relatable and friendly approach.

'So, imagine you're at this amazing concert, right? The music's blasting; everyone's dancing like there's no tomorrow. And then suddenly, out of nowhere, the lead singer jumps into the crowd! Like, whoa, talk about a crazy show!'

An optimistic writing tone exudes positivity and hope. It's like a sunbeam breaking through the clouds, infusing a piece with enthusiasm and confidence. This tone inspires and uplifts, often using bright language and focusing on the potential for good outcomes. For instance, in a motivational blog post, an optimistic tone might encourage readers to embrace challenges as opportunities for growth, stating:

'Every setback is a chance to spring forward even higher.'

A worried writing tone reflects unease and concern, akin to a storm cloud hovering overhead. It conveys a sense of urgency and vulnerability, using language that expresses doubt or apprehension. In a suspenseful novel, a worried tone might create a tense atmosphere as the protagonist navigates a perilous situation, evoking emotions with lines like:

'As the minutes ticked by, an unsettling feeling gnawed at the edges of her thoughts, making her wonder if escape was even possible.'

If you opt to explore various definition essay topics , it opens the door to employing a worried tone, particularly in scenarios such as explaining 'existentialism.' Through your words, you could convey the unsettling realization that, in the vast cosmos, humans grapple with their individual significance, with each path they choose carrying a weight of consequence. This worried tone could evoke a sense of shared contemplation, connecting readers to the disquieting yet profoundly human questions that underlie the philosophy of existentialism.

A friendly writing tone is warm and approachable, akin to a welcoming smile. It establishes a connection with the reader, making them feel like they're having a chat with a close friend. This tone uses inclusive language and may even sprinkle in personal anecdotes. For instance, in a blog post about a new recipe, a friendly, uplifting tone might say:

'Hey there! Today, we're diving into the world of delicious desserts. I stumbled upon this amazing chocolate cake recipe that's sure to satisfy your sweet tooth.'

A curious writing tone is like a detective's eager pursuit of answers. It sparks intrigue and invites readers to explore alongside the author. This tone uses questions, prompts, and a sense of wonder to engage the audience. For example, when you want to learn how to start an essay with a curious tone, you can captivate readers in the following way:

'Have you ever wondered what lies beyond the twinkling stars? Join us on a journey as we venture into the mysteries of the cosmos and uncover the secrets of the universe.'

An aggressive writing tone is forceful and confrontational, aiming to provoke a strong reaction. It employs strong language and harsh rhetoric and may even involve personal attacks. In a debate article, an aggressive or tense tone might state:

'It's absolutely baffling that anyone could support such a flawed policy. Those who do clearly lack any understanding of basic economics.'

An assertive writing tone is confident and self-assured, expressing opinions firmly without resorting to hostility. It uses clear language and evidence to support its stance. For instance, in a persuasive essay on climate change, an assertive tone might state:

'The scientific consensus is undeniable: human activities contribute significantly to global warming. Addressing this issue requires collective action and policy changes.'

Exploring different types of tones in writing can greatly enhance the overall emotional impact and engagement of the content. A surprised writing tone mirrors the raised eyebrows and widened eyes of someone caught off guard. It conveys astonishment or amazement, often using exclamations or vivid descriptions. In a travel blog recounting unexpected wildlife encounters, a surprised tone might convey:

'As we rounded the bend, a majestic eagle swooped down from the sky, and we were left utterly speechless by this breathtaking spectacle!'

• Cooperative

A cooperative writing tone promotes collaboration and teamwork, fostering a sense of unity among readers. It employs inclusive language and encourages shared understanding. You can also adopt this tone when learning how to write a complaint email , emphasizing the importance of expressing concerns while maintaining a constructive and respectful approach. In a how-to guide for successful group projects, a cooperative tone might suggest:

'By pooling our strengths and working together, we can create an environment where each member contributes their unique skills, resulting in a project that surpasses expectations.'

Wrapping Up

This guide, prepared by our custom research paper writing experts, offered valuable insights to assist you in selecting the right tone, breathing life into your words. Mastering the art of using different types of tone in writing is a skill that can elevate your communication to new heights. By understanding the nuances of various tones and tailoring them to your audience, purpose, and subject matter, you can create content that resonates, engages, and leaves a lasting impact!

Transform Your Paper with the Expertise of Our Writers!

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How to Choose Proper Types of Tone in Writing?

Daniel Parker

is a seasoned educational writer focusing on scholarship guidance, research papers, and various forms of academic essays including reflective and narrative essays. His expertise also extends to detailed case studies. A scholar with a background in English Literature and Education, Daniel’s work on EssayPro blog aims to support students in achieving academic excellence and securing scholarships. His hobbies include reading classic literature and participating in academic forums.

is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics.

27 Tone Examples + How to Use Tones Effectively in Writing

• Updated: 03/04/24
• Comments: 0

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In the realm of writing, tone is the hidden language that speaks volumes beyond the words on the page.

It can turn a simple text into a symphony of sentiments, evoking joy, sadness, anger, surprise, and much more.

Tone spans everything from literature to film writing to professional emails in the workplace.

It dictates how your message is received and what kind of an impact your words will have on your audience.

In this post, we’ll uncover the mystery behind the different examples of tone and provide practical insights into how you can deftly weave these tones into your own writing.

So, ready to tune in? Let’s dive deep into the fascinating world of writing tones.

What is Tone?

Tone is an attitude or outlook towards a subject, idea, or event. It can be formal or informal, positive or negative, serious or humorous, etc.

To put it simply, tone is the way you use words to express yourself and convey your message.

It conveys the intended emotion behind the words you choose to write with. Tone encompasses everything from the word choice to syntax and punctuation, all of which contribute to “how” you communicate a message.

But what comes first? The chicken or the egg?

Does your word choice dictate your tone or does your tone dictate your word choice?

Both can be true. The writer’s attitude often dictates their writing style but the author’s word choice can also change the overall tone of their content – whether intentionally or not.

This is why it’s important to be intentional with your literary elements.

Why is Tone Important?

The overall tone of your writing is essential in conveying the right message to your reader. It helps them understand what you’re trying to say and builds a connection between you as the writer and them as the reader.

Your audience will identify with your writing if it resonates with their outlook on life. Conversely, they will be turned off by writing that does not align with their beliefs or personal values.

The tone you use is important for creating a strong relationship between yourself and your readers. It helps them understand who you are, what you stand for, and how they can relate to your message.

27 Examples of Tone

There are many ways to describe a writer’s tone, each conveying a different set of emotions and sentiments.

Here are some of the more commonly used examples of tone:

1. Formal Tone

Formal tone is typically used in professional settings and often appears in legal documents or emails from employers to employees.

It juxtaposes politeness with authority and often requires the use of formal language and terms.

Examples of tone in a formal manner are most often found in the workplace among colleagues and in other professional settings.

Formal tone examples:

• “We are pleased to inform you that your job application has been accepted.”
• “As per the company policy, employees are required to adhere to strict deadlines.”

2. Informal Tone

The informal tone is used in casual conversations between friends or acquaintances.

It can also be used to create a friendly, humorous atmosphere. This tone should not be confused with being unprofessional or disrespectful.

When using an informal tone it’s important to sound natural and authentic. Don’t use complicated words or phrases – use conversational language that anyone can understand. You don’t have to talk in full sentences either – fragments are okay too.

This writing style often includes slang words, abbreviations, colloquialisms , and other informal settings.

Informal tone examples:

• “Hey dude, what’s up?”
• “Check out my new phone! It’s sick!”

3. Serious Tone

The serious tone comes into play when discussing sensitive topics or delivering an important message. It conveys respect and a sense of gravity that must be conveyed in the moment.

When using the serious tone, the language should be confident yet compassionate. This means avoiding words or phrases that could be seen as judgemental or condescending. Instead, use facts to back up statements and avoid any kind of exaggeration.

This type of tone is most commonly used in political speeches and news about serious matters.

Serious tone examples:

• “We are deeply saddened by the passing of John Smith.”
• “The terrorist attacks in Paris have brought to light the urgent need for worldwide peace and security.”

4. Funny Tone

This writing tone is used to lighten up a potentially dull moment or to break through the mundane. Humor can be used to create a connection with the audience, as it creates an intimate atmosphere.

Using this type of tone in writing must be done with caution so that it doesn’t become too over-the-top or offensive—it should always remain appropriate for the brand and its message.

Including an element of wit and charm helps shape how customers perceive the brand and its products.

Funny tone examples:

• “I had a great time at the party last night…or so I’m told.”
• “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade – and don’t forget the tequila!”

5. Positive Tone

The positive tone of an author’s voice is one that is enthusiastic, upbeat, and optimistic. It is also generally friendly and cheerful.

The positive tone conveys enthusiasm and optimism to the reader, often inspiring them to take action or be hopeful.

Positive tones often have a warmer feel than neutral tones, making them well-suited to create trust and build relationships with customers.

They can be used to express excitement or enthusiasm about a product or service, as well as to emphasize the positive aspects of a company or brand.

Positive tones can be used to show appreciation for customers, announce promotions and new products, and provide helpful customer support.

Positive tone examples:

• “Let’s make this project a success!”
• “This year will be full of great opportunities – let’s make the most of them!”

6. Negative Tone

The negative tone of an author’s voice is one that is downbeat, pessimistic, and often filled with criticism. It can also be used to express frustration or contempt.

Negative tones should generally be avoided in business writing, as they can reflect poorly on the brand and create a sense of negativity or hostility in the reader.

However, it may be appropriate in some cases to address negative topics or criticism, such as when a customer service issue needs to be resolved.

Negative tones should always remain polite and professional, even when addressing difficult topics.

Negative tone examples:

• “Your performance in this project was unacceptable.”
• “This behavior needs to change immediately.”

7. Playful Tone

This lighthearted tone is perfect for lightening up a conversation or adding some humor into your writing . It often makes use of puns, metaphors, hyperboles , and other creative language.

When writing with a playful or witty tone, it’s important to be mindful of the audience and use appropriate language. It should be used in moderation and not overwhelm other tones that you’re using.

It can be helpful to take a step back and re-read your work every once in awhile to make sure it follows the brand voice guidelines you have set up for your writing.

Playful tone examples:

• “Life is like a box of chocolates – you never know what you’re gonna get!”
• “The future isn’t far away; it’s just around the corner.”

8. Inspirational Tone

The inspirational tone aims to motivate and inspire its readers. It often employs phrases that evoke hope and courage, as well as words of encouragement.

This tone should be used sparingly, as it can easily come across as corny or self-aggrandizing. It’s important to maintain a balance between expressions of enthusiasm and sincerity.

Make sure your messages are genuine and uplifting. Inspire readers by emphasizing the benefits of acting on their goals and dreams with positive statements.

For example, when writing product descriptions, highlight how it can make life easier or more fun rather than just listing features. Encourage readers to imagine a better future for themselves and their lives after using the product.

Inspirational tone examples:

• “Anything is possible if you believe in yourself.”
• “The only way to succeed is to keep on trying even when the odds are against you.”

9. Sarcastic Tone

Sarcasm is often adopted in order to make a point or express emotion. It often uses irony and wit when delivering the message, but should be done carefully as it can also come off as rude.

Sarcastic language should be kept light-hearted and never used in an aggressive manner.

Sarcastic tone words should only be employed if the situation warrants it, and it should always be used sparingly.

Sarcastic tone examples:

• “Oh, great! Another project I get to work on at 3 AM.”
• “Right on time again – what a surprise!”

10. Pessimistic Tone

A pessimistic tone reveals a lack of hope or enthusiasm. It can be used to express disappointment with the current state of affairs, as well as doubt in the success of future endeavors.

of should be used sparingly and only when appropriate. It may be appropriate in some cases to address negative topics, such as when a customer service issue needs to be resolved.

When used, it should always remain polite and professional, even when addressing difficult topics.

Pessimistic tone examples:

• “I’m afraid this situation is beyond repair.”
• “It’s impossible to reach our goals with the current resources available.”

11. Optimistic Tone

The opposite of pessimism is optimism. This type of tone reveals a sense of hope and enthusiasm for the future. Optimistic tone words can help to motivate others and inspire them to take action.

Optimistic tone examples:

• “We can achieve our goals if we work together.”
• “This is a great opportunity to try something new!”

11. Aggressive Tone

The aggressive tone is one that expresses anger or hostility. It should be avoided in most cases, as it can come off as hostile and unwelcoming.

When aggressive tone words are used, they should always remain professional and polite.

Aggressive language should not be employed unless absolutely necessary.

Aggressive tone examples:

• “You need to make this happen – right now!”
• “I’m not asking, I’m telling you.”

13. Neutral Tone

The neutral tone is one that avoids emotion or opinion. It is often used when writing reports or providing factual information.

This type of writing should be concise and free from any bias. It should also include accurate facts and figures to provide the reader with an objective view of a situation.

Neutral tone examples:

• “This could be a good opportunity for both parties.”
• “What do you think about this issue?”

14. Respectful Tone

The respectful tone is one that shows respect for the reader and their opinions. It uses polite language and avoids any harsh words or criticism.

This writing style should be professional and courteous, as it can help to build good relationships with customers or colleagues.

It can also show humility and appreciation for the other person’s views or experiences.

Respectful tone examples:

• “I appreciate you taking the time to listen to my proposal.”
• “Thank you for your kind words of encouragement.”

15. Persuasive Tone

The persuasive tone is one that attempts to convince or persuade the reader.

It should use logical arguments and evidence to support its claims, as well as emotional language to try to evoke a response from the reader.

This type of writing needs to be carefully crafted, as it can easily come across as aggressive or manipulative if done incorrectly.

Persuasive tone examples:

• “The evidence speaks for itself – this is the right decision to make.”
• “This is the best option for getting what you want.”

16. Casual Tone

This type of tone conveys a sense of familiarity with readers and invites them to engage in an easy-going conversation.

Casual writing often contains words like “you” or “we” to make it more friendly and approachable, as if you’re having a conversation with the reader.

It’s often used for blog posts and social media updates, as it can help build relationships between brands and customers.

Using casual language is an effective way to make customers feel like they are part of something bigger, that they are accepted in the brand’s environment.

Casual tone examples:

• “Hey there! What’s up?”
• “Let’s grab some coffee later – sound good?”

17. Urgent Tone

The urgent tone is one that conveys a sense of urgency or importance. It’s often used to emphasize the need for immediate action and should be used sparingly.

When used in the right context, urgent tone words can be effective in motivating people and helping them understand why they should take action.

However, overusing this type of language can sound overly aggressive and can diminish its impact.

Urgent tone examples:

• “We need to act on this immediately!”
• “This issue has to be addressed now!”

18. Friendly Tone

The friendly tone is one that conveys a sense of warmth and openness. It should be used to create a positive atmosphere and make customers feel valued and welcome.

This type of writing should be informal, but still professional. Use words like “we”, “you”, and “our” to address the others directly.

Examples of tone in a friendly way are most often found with acquaintances or new relationships.

Friendly tone examples:

• “I really appreciate your help with this project.”
• “Thank you for being so understanding!”

19. Empathetic Tone

An empathetic tone helps to make your others feel understood. This type of tone can convey that you truly care about their needs and concerns, making them more likely to build a positive relationship with you.

When using an empathetic tone, use words like “understand” and “feel” to let others know that you are listening.

Empathetic tone examples:

• “I understand how difficult this time must be for you.”
• “My heart goes out to you during this difficult time.”

20. Supportive Tone

The supportive tone is one that conveys a sense of encouragement and understanding.

It should be used to show your support for the reader, even if they don’t agree with you on certain topics or issues.

This type of writing is often used to build relationships and motivate people, as it can help strengthen their resolve and boost their morale.

Supportive tone examples:

• “I’m here to offer you any help I can.”
• “My goal is to provide you with all the support you need.”

21. Confident Tone

The confident tone is one that conveys a sense of assurance and certainty. It should be used to demonstrate authority and give the reader a feeling of security.

This type of writing should include language that instills trust in the reader, such as words like “certain”, “guarantee”, and “assurance”.

Confident tone examples:

• “I can affirm that this is the right decision.”
• “I’m certain we can make this a success!”

22. Assertive Tone

The assertive tone is used to demonstrate authority and assertiveness. It often requires the use of strong language and forceful words.

Assertive writing should be used sparingly, as it can come across as overly aggressive if not handled properly.

Assertive tone examples:

• “This has to be done now, no exceptions.”
• “I expect this to be completed by the end of the day.”

23. Hopeful Tone

The hopeful tone is one that conveys optimism and positivity. It should be used to encourage and motivate the reader to keep striving towards their goals.

This type of writing can help lift people’s spirits and give them the confidence they need to stay on track.

Hopeful tone examples:

• “I have faith that we can make this happen.”
• “We are optimistic that we can find a solution.”

24. Calm Tone

The calm tone is used to bring peace and tranquility to the reader. This tone is used when delivering information, expressing empathy, and creating a relaxed environment.

It’s important to use this tone sparingly since overuse can lead to boredom, confusion, and ultimately disinterest in the message.

When using a calm tone, think about how you would talk to a friend or family member during a difficult time: with sincerity and respect.

Use language that is comforting and soothing, avoid unnecessary details, and focus on common ground between the message sender and receiver.

Calm tone examples:

• “I wish you peace and serenity in this time of challenge.”
• “May all beings find tranquility and harmony within their hearts.”

25. Constructive Tone

Constructive tone emphasizes solutions, constructive actions, and progress.

It should be used when providing feedback or making suggestions that are intended to improve a situation or idea.

When using this tone, it is important to remain respectful and focus on the positive elements of the solution being proposed.

Use language that is positive and actionable rather than negative and destructive.

Constructive tone examples:

• “Let’s think about how we can make this better.”
• “I’m sure we can find a way to move forward with this project.”

26. Surprised Tone

Examples of tone for surprise normally express surprise or shock. This type of writing should be used sparingly and only when appropriate, as it can come across as overly dramatic or aggressive.

When using this tone, use language that conveys the intensity of the situation without sounding incendiary.

Surprised tone examples:

• “That’s quite a surprising development!”
• “I can’t believe this is happening!”

27. Encouraging Tone

Examples of tone for encouragement provide support and motivation to its readers. It uses positive language to encourage readers to take action or be hopeful.

This writing tone is often used to inspire and motivate the reader. It can also be used to boost morale or provide a positive outlook on a difficult situation.

Encouraging tone examples:

• “You have what it takes to make this happen!”
• “Believe in yourself – you can do it!”

How to Identify Tone in Writing

Identifying tone in writing can be tricky, but with practice, it’s possible to identify a wide range of tones used by different authors.

Here are some tips on how to identify tone:

• Read the text carefully and pay attention to the words used, the sentence structure, and even punctuation.
• Pay close attention to adjectives – they can often reveal the tone of an author.
• Look for patterns or recurring themes – these may help you identify a particular tone.
• Use context clues to understand the overall message and determine the writer’s intent.
• Finally, try to think of how you would feel if you were reading the text yourself – this can also help you identify tone in writing.

With practice, you can become a master at recognizing tone and creating pieces with the perfect tone for your audience.

How to Use Tones in Writing

Using the right tone in your writing is a great way to ensure that your message resonates with readers. Here are some tips on how to use different tones in writing:

Know Your Audience

Before you start writing, take the time to understand who you are addressing and what kind of impact you want to have on them.

This will help you pick the right tone for your message. For example, formal tone in the workplace and informal tone with your friends and family.

Choose Your Words Carefully

Every word carries a certain connotation and plays an important role in setting the tone of your writing.

Take the time to pick the words that best communicate what you are trying to convey.

Use Emotional Language

Emotional language helps to drive your point home and increase the impact of your writing.

Try using words that evoke positive or negative emotions (joy, sadness, anger etc.) depending on what you are aiming for.

Vary Your Tone

It’s important to be consistent when using tone in writing but don’t be afraid to mix things up once in a while.

Combining different types of tones can make your writing more interesting and engaging for readers.

Remember That They Can’t See You

In writing, particularly online or in email, you are not speaking face to face. No one can see your facial expression or your body language.

Try to convey the same level of emotion as if you were talking to someone in person and avoid using a tone that may be interpreted as overly harsh.

FAQs About Tone

Three examples of tone in writing include the following:

• Encouraging Tone: This tone is often used to inspire and motivate the reader with positive language. Example: “Believe in yourself – you can do it!”
• Calm Tone: A calm tone brings peace and tranquility to the reader with comforting and soothing language. Example: “I wish you peace and serenity in this time of challenge.”
• Surprised Tone: This tone expresses surprise or shock, and should be used sparingly to avoid sounding overly dramatic. Example: “That’s quite a surprising development!”

A tone in a story refers to the author’s attitude or feelings towards the subject matter or the audience. For instance, if a story has a melancholic tone, the author could use somber language and detailed descriptions of gloomy settings or sorrowful events to evoke feelings of sadness and despair in the readers. The tone can greatly impact how readers perceive the narrative, characters, and themes within the story.

A tone sentence example could be: “With a cheerful smile and a twinkle in her eyes, Grandma said, ‘You did a fantastic job, darling!'” This sentence uses an encouraging tone, reflecting positivity and favor towards the reader’s action. The use of an exclamation point, descriptive adjectives, and endearing terms helps convey this tone.

A mood tone in writing refers to the emotional atmosphere that the author creates within the piece to evoke certain feelings or responses from the reader. For example, if a story has a dark and eerie mood tone, it might use descriptive language, settings, and events to induce feelings of fear, suspense, or unease in the readers.

This can be achieved through the use of specific words, sentence structure, or imagery that align with this emotional atmosphere.

Having the right tone in your writing is essential to connecting with readers and conveying your message in the most effective way.

When you’re writing, your audience can’t read your body language – they can only receive your tone in writing. This is why your word choice is so important because it can also dictate the tone of your writing.

Knowing how to change your overall tone in writing will help you create content that resonates with a wide range of audiences.

By understanding your audience, choosing your words carefully, using emotional language, varying the tone, and remembering that people can’t see you, you can ensure that your writing is powerful and effective.

If you’re not sure which tone to use in a particular situation, take some time to think about the overall message you want to convey.

Then use the examples of tone and tips above to find the right balance of tones for your writing. With practice and patience, you’ll be able to master the art of using different tones in writing.

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

Chapter 11: Tone and Style

11.1 Tone and Style

Tone and style, while often confused, are both important in academic writing. Style also involves word choice, coherence, conciseness, and correctness. This chapter contains sections about each of these elements of style.

Definition of Tone and Style

Tone refers to the type of language a writer uses to address their audience. When writing an email to a friend, for example, you may choose to use an informal or colloquial tone, whereas an essay for an English class requires an academic tone. Compare the two examples below:

Example 1 : The city should just start paying for our rides to school so we can use the bus money for other stuff. If this happens, people will actually start caring about how to get there. Example 2 : If the city gave students free access to public transportation, riding to school for free would not only save students money, but it would also promote the use of public transportation.

While both sentences above convey the same idea, Example 1 illustrates an informal tone or register , while Example 2 displays an academic tone. Therefore, if you were writing a persuasive essay arguing for public transportation, Example 2 would be appropriate. Example 1 should be used when an informal tone is usual, such as in an email, a message to a friend, or a dialogue between two friends in a story.

Style , on the other hand, involves more than just formality and informality. It concerns how clearly we write. Some beginning academic writers think that having wordy and complicated sentences equals having a good writing style, but that can make it difficult for readers to grasp the idea of a text. Essays should be well-written and free of errors, but first they should be clear and logical.

Here are a few useful guidelines to help develop your writing style:

• Avoid using abstract and complex terms, since they tend to confuse rather than impress readers.
• Accept that your writing will always seem clearer to yourself than to others; therefore, do not hesitate to get another reader’s opinion.
• Keep your audience in mind while writing.
• Know the expectations of an academic English writing style.
• Understand how readers decode the information they read.

Review Questions: Definition of Tone and Style

• Think about three kinds of writing you do every day. What tones do they represent?
• List three expectations for academic English writing style.

For questions 3–5, determine whether the tone and style of the sentences below are appropriate or inappropriate for a persuasive essay you are writing for your English composition class. Discuss your answers with a partner.

• The overall quality of the food served to students at school needs to improve. Even though school districts require students to spend hours in science classes learning about nutrition and balanced meals, administrators seem to ignore that the best way to teach is by example. The food most schools serve students is neither nutritious nor tasty. There is a great distance between what students learn they should eat and what they really get at school.
• The food served at school sucks. I don’t eat that stuff, and I never will. Schools should walk their talk and serve us grub that is edible, not that junk that can kill you. When we get pizza, the cheese does not even look like cheese. It looks like some weird alien substance …
• Most students and school staff seem to agree that the food served to students in school cafeterias is not good enough. Why still serve it, then? Well, the reality is that it is not that easy to change things in a school district. This fact illustrates the contradiction between what students learn in classes about health and nutrition and what they actually eat.

Word Choice

Most writers’ problems with word choice come from trying to use words they do not know. At times, you may feel the pressure to use vocabulary that is “fancy” or “smart.” However, using words whose meanings you are not sure of may change your ideas radically. Misspelling a word may also confuse readers. Before using a word you are not sure about, ask yourself the following questions:

• Am I sure this is the right word to express my idea?
• To the best of my knowledge, did I spell it correctly?
• Is the word appropriate for this text and my audience?
• If I am not sure about the word I am trying to use, is there another word I can replace it with?

At times, you may also be concerned about reducing the number of mistakes in your writing to obtain a good grade. In such cases, it is best to look up the words you do not know. If you are not allowed to look them up, take a safer approach and replace them with another word you know.

In order to avoid problems with the words you choose, read often. Books, magazines, newspapers, and blogs are among the many useful reading resources that will expose you to new words and help you expand your vocabulary.

The following sections will help you make more informed decisions about choosing words for your work.

Denotation and connotation

Words may carry a denotative (literal) meaning or a connotative (figurative, implied) meaning. For example, when writing a description of the place you live in, you may call it a “home,” a “house,” or a “residence.” These three words denote or indicate the same place. However, their connotative meaning is different. “Home” refers to a warmer place than “house.” “Residence” probably carries very little feeling compared to the other two words.

Connotative meanings of words may be positive, negative, or sometimes neutral, depending on what you are writing and who you are writing for. For example, informal words that may carry a neutral or positive connotation in a letter to a friend may have a negative connotation in an argumentative essay. In this lesson and subsequent practice exercises, assume your audience expects an academic tone.

Consider both denotative and connotative meanings of a word before using it. Some words have a negative connotation and may not be appropriate for your work.

The table below contains words with both positive and negative connotations when used in a persuasive essay. Read and compare them.

Review Questions: Word Choice

Assuming your readers expect an academic tone, replace the words in bold with other words carrying more positive connotations.

• The peeps at my school voted against having makeup classes on Saturday. (Replace “The peeps at my school”)
• When I asked my li’l bro if he was hooked on video games, he went , “Of course I’m not!” (Replace “li’l bro,” “hooked on,” and “he went.”)
• She goes up to this guy and goes, like, “Who are you?” But when they got chatting , she chilled right out . (Replace “goes up to this guy and goes, like, ‘Who are you?,’ “got chatting,” and “chilled right out.”

Misspelling

Misspelling words can also cause you problems, especially if you write a word that looks similar to the one you want but has a different meaning. The best way to avoid misspellings is to become familiar with the words you often use.

You should also double-check the words suggested by the spell check application on your word processor. Although these programs catch common misspellings, they sometimes make wrong suggestions or simply miss misspelled words.

A few hints to help you avoid spelling errors:

• Make flash cards with the words you frequently use in your essays but have problems spelling. Seeing them often will help you memorize them.
• Keep a vocabulary list at the end of your notebook containing both new words and words you have a hard time spelling.

Consider this list of commonly misspelled words:

• acknowledge
• accidentally
• acknowledgment
• independence
• indispensable
• insufficient
• maintenance
• opportunity
• perseverance
• specifically
• temperament

Review Questions: Misspelling

Choose the word with the correct spelling. The words in this practice section may not be in the list provided in the Misspelling section , and you may have to use a dictionary to learn their correct spelling.

• Lack of water and fire extinguishers in the room aggravated/agravated the fire.
• Their analysis/analisis of the problem was accurate.
• My parents say that my curfew is not negociable/negotiable .
• The history teacher was irritated when she talked about the omission/omision of an important fact in the students’ exam responses.
• Lawmakers recomended/recommended the bill be changed before the final vote.

Gender Bias

Writers need to make sure they address readers in a respectful and unbiased manner. One way to do this is by carefully choosing your nouns and pronouns. For example, when you address people in general, readers will interpret the exclusive use of “he,” “him,” and “his” or “she,” “her”,  and “hers” as biased. The suggestions below will help you avoid gender bias in your essays:

• A teacher must consider the background of his students (biased).
• A teacher must consider the students’ backgrounds (unbiased).
• A student knows he must do his homework (biased).
• Students know they have to do their homework (unbiased).
• Teachers must consider the backgrounds of their students (unbiased).
• All salesmen were required to attend the meeting (biased).
• All salespeople were required to attend the meeting (unbiased).
• When a student finished his exam early, he could leave the room (biased).
• When a student finished her or his exam early, she or he could leave the room (unbiased).
• Ali likes basketball. They started playing basketball when they were eight years old.
• When a team member finishes a break, they should proceed directly to the sales floor.

When avoiding gender bias, use the strategies that best fit your personal style, but try not to overuse any one strategy.

Review Questions: Gender Bias

Rewrite the sentences below and eliminate their gender bias. Refer to the strategies given in this section.

• Each doctor will explain her own procedures.
• When you call the technician, tell him the computer broke yesterday.
• According to the guidelines, a writer needs to publish her manuscript in order to be eligible for the grant.
• If I ever meet a congressman, I will tell him how upset I am with politics at the national level.
• When a doctor wants to order gloves, she must speak to the office staff.

Sentence Order

The elements in an English sentence have a standard or canonical position. Writers should understand this order of elements because choosing to adhere to it or break it will draw readers’ attention to different elements of a sentence. The canonical order of elements in an English sentence is demonstrated in Table 11.2.

Generally, the subject is the doer or the main character, and the verb expresses the action, state, or description. Other elements may include people or things affected by the action, adverbials (references to time, place, manner, etc), and so on.

While it is true that English writing favours elements in the canonical order, this does not mean you should only write in this order. It means that this sequence should only be broken when there is a clear reason for doing so (adding emphasis, placing old information first, etc.). The canonical order is a principle and not an absolute rule of writing.

The following lessons will help you determine how to shift the order of sentence elements to write cohesive sentences and add emphasis when needed.

Review Questions: Sentence Order

Rewrite the sentences below and redistribute sentence elements according to the canonical order. (Hint: You should start new sentences with the underlined elements.)

• Finally, in a very apologetic tone, the director spoke to us.
• After running for two hours and exercising for another two at the gym last night, Rachel collapsed.
• With words of encouragement after a long and difficult year, the teacher addressed the students.

Characters and Actions

• The mayor’s analysis of the issue did not convince journalists. (Noun = analysis)
• Bob’s explanation of why he was late frustrated his wife. (Noun = explanation)
• The documentary’s description of the accident shocked viewers. (Noun = description)
• The conclusion the scientists reached was that the problem had no solution. (Noun = conclusion)

When your writing highlights important sentence elements, such as characters and actions , your sentences become clear to your readers and naturally draw their attention. Characters are sentence elements that trigger actions or events. They can be concrete (a person, animal, or thing) or abstract (an issue, a concept). Characters are usually nouns or pronouns. Actions describe what characters do or what events they trigger. Actions are expressed by verbs. These concepts are illustrated in the examples below:

Example 1 : Jack’s refusal to leave the worksite resulted in his boss’s decision to call security. Example 2 : Because Jack refused to leave the worksite, his boss decided to call security.

Consider the following differences between the sentences in Example 1 and Example 2:

• The characters of Example 1, Jack and his boss, are part of the subject, but they do not receive the main focus in the sentence. The foci lie in the words “refusal” and “decision.”
• The characters of Example 2, Jack and his boss, receive focus in the subject of each respective clause, and their actions are expressed by the verbs “refused” and “decided,” instead of in the nouns “refusal” and “decision.” Example 2 characters are aligned with their actions.

Notice that Example 1 draws readers’ attention to the abstract nouns “refusal” and “decision.” Even though it is possible to use abstract nouns as characters when you write about abstract issues, this example shows that it can be a bad decision when you use them in lieu of clear characters and their actions.

The alignment between characters and their actions makes sentences like Example 2 more powerful. It is easy to turn type-1 sentences into type-2 ones. All you need is to play a simple game of verbs and nouns, as shown in Table 11.3 in review question 1 for this section.

Old-before-new

The old-before-new principle guides how writers should sequence information in a sentence. According to this principle, they should use the information readers already know to introduce information they do not know yet. This principle helps direct readers from familiar or old information to new information. Analyze this first set of examples:

Example 1 : The science teacher spoke about environmental challenges yesterday, and she mentioned five big environmental problems countries will face in the upcoming decade. Carbon-dioxide concentration levels in the atmosphere are increasing rapidly [new information], and this was the first problem she described [old information]. Example 2 : The science teacher spoke about environmental challenges yesterday, and she mentioned five big environmental problems countries will face in the upcoming decade. She first talked about [old information] the increasing concentration levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere [new information].

The sentence in Example 2 gradually guides the writer from old to new information. Since information is logically displayed in the sentence, readers are not only able to understand it better, but they will also remember it more easily.

Here are some additional examples:

Example 3 : Yesterday, lawmakers finally approved a bill that introduces new rules and regulations to financial markets in Canada. The increase of the government’s regulatory powers [new information] was by far the most controversial of the new measures [old information]. Example 4 : Yesterday, lawmakers finally approved a bill that introduces new rules and regulations to financial markets in Canada. The most controversial measure by far [old information] was the increase of the government’s regulatory powers [new information].

Review Questions: Old-before-new

Rewrite the sentences below and apply the old-before-new principle to make them more cohesive.

• The syllabus the instructor gave students yesterday did not include dates for turning in papers or for taking exams. Although all assignments were described in detail, as well as the content for each test, the syllabus did not include when they were due.
• In her email, the principal emphasized that new attendance rules would be in place. She also told us that teachers have found it difficult to maintain lines at the cafeteria during recess, after saying the school would start notifying parents immediately every time a teacher declared a student absent.

Short-to-long

The short-to-long principle applies to how writers coordinate elements in a sentence. It suggests you list coordinated elements from short to long, as the sentences below illustrate:

Example 1 : Participants in the study noticed no differences between the first slide scientists projected on the white wall [long element] and the real painting [short element]. Example 2 : Participants in the study noticed no differences between the real painting [short element] and the first slide scientists projected on the white wall [long element].

The short-to-long principle helps you write sentences that are fluid and easy to read.

Review Questions: Short-to-long

Select the sentences below that illustrate a good use of the short-to-long principle.

• A group of five students resolved the test without any assistance, quickly and accurately.
• A group of five students resolved the test quickly, accurately, and without any assistance.
• The upset instructor decided to punish all the students. She did not distinguish between the students who had completed the assignment late and the ones who had not turned in the assignment.
• The upset instructor decided to punish all the students. He did not distinguish between the students who had not turned in the assignment and the ones who had completed the assignment late.
• Parents have not been attending the evening meetings because some work late and others cannot come to school three nights in a row.
• Parents have not been attending the evening meetings because some cannot come to school three nights in a row and others work late.

In English composition, coherence or cohesion describes how harmoniously different parts of a text connect to one another. Writers show coherence when they make sense of their ideas as a whole. They need to be cohesive on two different levels: the paragraph level and the text level.

Paragraph-level coherence

To achieve paragraph-level coherence, define your topic clearly. The topic is what you write about in a paragraph. You may have learned that the introduction of every paragraph should contain a topic sentence . If you are able to make the sentence topic about the subject , it will be easier for readers to grasp it. Whenever topic and subject align in a sentence, readers will understand what it is about more easily; as a result, your sentence will be more coherent. Compare examples 1 and 2 below:

Example 1 : The ability to learn from mistakes is not exclusively human, and it has been found by scientists in many other animal species . This ability has been detected, for example, in dogs, cats, and other domesticated species . Topic : the ability to learn from mistakes is not only human Characters : dogs, cats, and other domesticated animals

Although the sentence in Example 1 is understandable, its topic and its characters are not aligned. When they are aligned, notice how much more readable the sentence becomes:

Example 2 : Dogs, cats, and other domesticated animals can learn from mistakes, as we humans do [topic and characters]. The discovery of this behaviour in animals has led scientists to conclude it is not exclusively human.

Writers sometimes take a while to get to the topic of their sentences or paragraphs by inserting information that could easily come afterward, or even not appear at all. Consider Example 3:

Example 3 : It is important to note that, after years of discrimination and unheard appeals for justice, politicians finally recognized minority groups needed to have their basic rights written as law .

The introductory clause “it is important to note that” is unnecessary. The writer would not have included the main information if it were not important. Also, the time adverbial “after years of discrimination and unheard appeals for justice” could be placed after the main clause, if it is not needed beforehand as a transition or for emphasis. In the following example, we assume it is not needed as such.

Example 4 : Politicians finally recognized minority groups needed to have their basic rights written as law after years of discrimination and unheard appeals for justice.

In Example 4, both topic and character come first, and the supporting or secondary information comes after. This strategy creates a more readable and coherent sentence.

Text-level coherence

Coherence also depends on how writers organize their ideas. To keep ideas organized, the thesis statement should function as a map highlighting the organizational pattern of the essay. However, this pattern will affect elements beyond the thesis statement, such as the introduction and body paragraphs. For this reason, you should choose the pattern that works best for your essay as a whole. Take a look at some of the different organizational patterns you may use and what they are good for:

• Chronological order : explaining a step-by-step process, narrating a story, narrating an incident or anecdote from earlier to later
• Cause and effect : explaining a historical event, explaining a scientific finding or process
• Coordinate : explaining the several reasons for a fact or state of affairs

After you have decided on the best organizational pattern for your essay, and your thesis statement is ready, you should ask the following questions:

• Does my thesis statement provide the reader with a map of the essay? That is, upon reading my thesis statement, does the reader understand what I am writing about and what my main points are?
• In each paragraph, do the examples, facts, or illustrations I use relate to and support the topic?
• Does the topic of each paragraph detail one of the points or reasons I included in my thesis statement?

Review Questions: Coherence

Rewrite the following paragraph in order to make it coherent. Some sentences require further correction.

• I believe that technology can help people more in their lives. Nowadays, automation has become very popular in many areas, including agriculture. Vietnam is still an agricultural country, but it is not helped much by high technology, especially the poor farmers. I hope that, in the future, the farmers will enjoy the benefits of automation for a suitable price. The farmers can use a remote control to run a machine that can help them a lot in farming.

(Hint: First, identify the topic of the paragraph and then make it a topic sentence. Then find the characters. After that, decide which information should come after.)

The paragraphs below illustrate the organization pattern of the essays from which they were extracted. Read them and determine which of the three patterns—chronological, cause and effect, and coordinate—they exemplify. After you identify the pattern, write a new paragraph using the same pattern.

• Paragraph 1 : In the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey , a group of apes were gathered when something unusual happened: A black monolith emerged from the ground. Some of the apes were shocked, and they did not know how to react, while others decided to investigate the strange object. From this incident, the apes learned to throw and to hit with objects. They used this new skill to fight other animals and get food. This was the beginning of humankind.
• Paragraph 2 : The “American dream” means many different things to many different people. For some, it means religious freedom or the freedom to worship in any way they like without feeling threatened. For others, it is becoming your own boss, a pursuit that just isn’t possible in many countries. For a third group, it is knowing that their hard work will allow their children and grandchildren to have a much better life than they had.
• Paragraph 3 : Many problems could result from climate change. One of the most serious is the rise of sea levels, which could result in the flooding of low-lying coastal areas in countries such as Egypt and the Netherlands. Another negative effect of climate change is its effect on weather patterns. The changing weather has caused a surge in hurricanes, floods, and other natural disasters in many areas of the world. A final issue associated with climate change is how it affects biodiversity. Fish populations, for example, could be impacted by changes in water temperature, while some insects that carry disease might become more common throughout the world.

The voice of a verb determines which elements in the sentence will or will not be in focus. In English, the two types of verb voices are active and passive .

When we use active voice:

• the source of the action (agent) appears as the subject
• the receiver of the action (goal) appears as the object

Example : The government [agent] has extended benefits [goal] for the unemployed.

When we use passive voice:

• the receiver of the action (goal) becomes the subject
• the source of the action (agent) may or may not appear

Example : Benefits [goal] for the unemployed have been extended ( by the government ) [agent].

Passive voice is very useful to describe actions whose agents are obvious, not known, or not important. However, in an argumentative essay, passive voice may place your characters at the end of sentences, and this may not be a strong argumentative strategy. In this case, active voice should be used, especially when actions derive from visible characters.

Passive and active voices coexist because each has a distinct function. They allow writers to describe the same phenomenon from two different viewpoints. Writers need to understand the uses of each in order to make informed decisions about when to use either active or passive voice.

Here are a few hints to help you determine which voice may be appropriate in a sentence or description:

Example : The CIA should disclose torture documents to the public.

Example : Very expensive jewellery should not be kept at home.

Example : Students must choose if they want makeup classes either right after school or in the evening. The popular football game schedule and not the academic one [new information] may influence their choice more strongly [old information].

The underlined sentence above is in active voice, and it contains the new piece of information before the old one. In this case, passive voice is a better choice. It will place old information first and increase sentence flow, as the following example shows.

Example : Students must choose if they want makeup classes either right after school or in the evening. Their choice may be more strongly influenced by the popular football game schedule than by the academic one .

Review Questions: Voice

The verbs in the sentences below are in passive voice. Rewrite the sentences and change the verbs to active voice. Make any other changes as needed.

• New skills are learned by students when they are given opportunities by their teachers to take risks.
• In Brown’s article, it is argued that the secret prisons project was carried out by the Secret Service to allow high-risk criminals to be questioned without respect to international law.
• According to the local newspaper, it is believed that the discussion is polarized by citizens’ beliefs about how much the government should intervene in the economy.

Nominalization

In this chapter’s section on sentence order , we learned how to turn nouns into verbs as a strategy to place characters in focus and increase their agency. What we did was an exercise of de-nominalizing : we were turning nouns into actions. A nominalization is just the opposite, and it occurs when we turn a verb or an adjective into a noun.

Example 1 : Bob’s intention was to speak to Kate. Example 2 : Our presentation was about a new plan. Example 3 : We did a survey of 30 people for our study. Example 4 : Jack got the job because of his proficiency in English.

Using nominalization in the wrong context may remove the attention and focus you need for your characters and verbs. Sentences containing too many nominalizations can also end up being too wordy. In order to correct a nominalization, turn a noun back into a verb as per the example above.

Example 1 : Bob intended to speak to Kate.

Review Questions: Nominalization

Rewrite examples 2–4 in this section, correcting their nominalizations.

Points to Consider

• Write two sample paragraphs on any of the suggested topics below. One paragraph should display an appropriate tone for a persuasive essay. The other paragraph should display an informal or colloquial tone.
• In pairs, exchange paragraphs with a partner. Read your partner’s paragraphs and identify which one was written in an academic tone and which was not.
• Schools should replace books with laptops.
• Discuss your academic background and achievements.
• My recipe for stress management.
• When you are not sure about the meaning of a word you want to use, how can you figure out whether or not to use it?
• What is the difference between denotative and connotative meanings?
• Name and provide examples of three different strategies to avoid gender bias.
• When sentences emphasize clear characters and actions, what difference does it make to readers?
• How can you tell if the characters and actions in your sentences have been properly emphasized?
• How does the old-before-new principle help readers?
• How does this principle help connect ideas and sentences to one another?
• Explain paragraph-level coherence.
• Describe two organizational patterns you can use to plan and write a paragraph.
• When is it appropriate to use passive voice?
• When is it not appropriate to use passive voice?

Building Blocks of Academic Writing Copyright © 2020 by Carellin Brooks is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Tone in Writing: A Simple Guide for Authors

Guest blog by Tami Nantz

If you’re confused about the difference between “ voice ” and “tone” in writing, you aren’t alone. Many writers conflate the two. 

Whether you’re writing a novel , a blog post, an article, or a poem, it’s important to know the difference so you can communicate with readers in a way that resonates. 

Your writing voice reflects who you are, your unique personality and character that should flavor everything you write.

Tone is the attitude with which you write it. 

So, voice is what you say, and tone is how you say it. 

That sounds simple, so let’s dig deeper. 

• What is Tone in Writing?

We communicate tone when we speak (whether we’re aware of it or not). 

Imagine you and I have an appointment and you get caught in traffic and show up half an hour late. 

“ You always this punctual? ” I say with a grin. 

My smile sends a clear message—I’m not upset, I’m being sarcastic. That’s tone. 

Communicating tone in writing is no different. 

Avoid the mistake of telling your reader what to feel . Instead, convey your attitude or emotion with carefully chosen words that create the perfect tone for your story .

• Types of Tone in Writing

The list is nearly endless—show me a human emotion, I’ll show you a tone—

but here are the basic ones: 

• Pessimistic
• Hypocritical

While tones can vary with every character and scene , the overall tone of your story must remain consistent to keep from confusing your reader and hindering your message.

• Examples of Tone in Literature 

Robert Frost begins his poem The Road Not Taken with a hopeful, contemplative tone.

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

By the end, he’s switched to reflection and positivity. 

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

In The Old Man and the Sea , his  final published work, Ernest Hemingway effects a tone of loneliness, sadness, defeat, and discouragement (at least on the part of the boy).

But, you can also read into what’s not said and detect a tone of courage or expectation on the part of the old man. Who continues to fish day after day when they’ve caught nothing? 

He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish. In the first forty days a boy had been with him. But after forty days without a fish the boy’s parents had told him that the old man was now definitely and finally salao, which is the worst form of unlucky, and the boy had gone at their orders in another boat which caught three good fish the first week.

It made the boy sad to see the old man come in each day with his skiff empty and he always went down to help him carry either the coiled lines or the gaff and harpoon and the sail that was furled around the mast. The sail was patched with flour sacks and, furled, it looked like the flag of permanent defeat.

In The Horse and His Boy, C.S. Lewis writes this passage with a clear tone of self-pity and sadness that shifts to fear. 

‘I do think,’ said Shasta, ‘that I must be the most unfortunate boy that ever lived in the whole world. Everything goes right for everyone except me…I was left behind…I was the one who was sent on…I got left out.’ And being very tired and having nothing inside him, he felt so sorry for himself that the tears rolled down his cheeks.

What put a stop to all this was a sudden fright. Shasta discovered that someone or somebody was walking beside him. It was pitch dark and he could hardly hear any footfalls. What he could hear was breathing. His invisible companion seemed to breathe on a very large scale, and Shasta got the impression that it was a very large creature. And he had come to notice this breathing so gradually that he had really no idea how long it had been there. It was a horrible shock.

• How to Develop Your Writing Tone

Have you ever written something you realized later fell flat? Here’s how to avoid this:

1. Remember your audience. 

Every reader matters. Write in a straightforward, friendly manner as if having a conversation. Be real and avoid words that require a dictionary.

2. Layer in details.

Convey tone through descriptions that trigger the theater of your reader’s mind rather than being so specific that you leave nothing to his imagination.

3. Conflict is your friend.

Avoid a story that falls flat by creating what Bridget McNulty calls “ an ebb and flow of tension”. 

Plunge your main character into terrible trouble from the get-go and spend the rest of your story having him try to remedy the situation. 

Tone can serve as one of the most important elements in writing because it gives life to a story.

Tami Nantz is a freelance writer. She lives with her family near Washington, D.C. More of her work can be found on her website . 

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What Is Tone In Writing?

Learn More With This Glossary of Grammatical and Rhetorical Terms

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• An Introduction to Punctuation
• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

In composition , tone is the expression of a writer's attitude toward subject , audience , and self.

Tone is primarily conveyed in writing through diction , point of view , syntax , and level of formality.

Etymology : From the Latin, "string, a stretching"

"In Writing: A Manual for the Digital Age," David Blakesley and Jeffrey L. Hoogeveen make a simple distinction between style and tone: " Style refers to the overall flavor and texture created by the writer's word choices and sentence structures . Tone is an attitude toward the events of the story—humorous, ironic, cynical, and so on." In practice, there's a close connection between style and tone.

Tone and Persona

In Thomas S. Kane's "The New Oxford Guide to Writing," "If persona is the complex personality implicit in the writing, tone is a web of feelings stretched throughout an essay , feelings from which our sense of the persona emerges. Tone has three main strands: the writer's attitude toward subject, reader , and self.

"Each of these determinants of tone is important, and each has many variations. Writers may be angry about a subject or amused by it or discuss it dispassionately. They may treat readers as intellectual inferiors to be lectured (usually a poor tactic) or as friends with whom they are talking. Themselves they may regard very seriously or with an ironic or an amused detachment (to suggest only three of numerous possibilities). Given all these variables, the possibilities of tone are almost endless.

"Tone, like persona, is unavoidable. You imply it in the words you select and in how you arrange them."

Tone and Diction

According to W. Ross Winterowd In his book, "The Contemporary Writer," "The main factor in tone is diction , the words that the writer chooses. For one kind of writing, an author may choose one type of vocabulary, perhaps slang , and for another, the same writer may choose an entirely different set of words... "Even such small matters as contractions make a difference in tone, the contracted verbs being less formal:

It is strange that the professor had not assigned any papers for three weeks. It's strange that the professor hadn't assigned any papers for three weeks."

Tone in Business Writing

Philip C. Kolin reminds us of how important it is to get the tone just right in business correspondence in "Successful Writing at Work." He says, " Tone in writing...can range from formal and impersonal (a scientific report) to informal and personal (an email to a friend or a how-to article for consumers). Your tone can be unprofessionally sarcastic or diplomatically agreeable.

"Tone, like style , is indicated in part by the words you choose...

"The tone of your writing is especially important in occupational writing because it reflects the image you project to your readers and thus determines how they will respond to you, your work, and your company. Depending on your tone, you can appear sincere and intelligent or angry and uninformed... The wrong tone in a letter or a proposal might cost you a customer."

Sentence Sounds

The following examples are from Dona Hickey's book, "Developing a Written Voice" where she quotes Lawrence Roger Thompson who was quoting Robert Frost. "Robert Frost believed sentence tones (which he called 'sound of sense') are 'already there—living in the cave of the mouth.' He considered them 'real cave things: they were before words were' (Thompson 191). To write a 'vital sentence,' he believed, 'we must write with the ear on the speaking voice' (Thompson 159). 'The ear is the only true writer and the only true reader. Eye readers miss the best part. The sentence sound often says more than the words' (Thompson 113). According to Frost:

Only when we are making sentences so shaped [by spoken sentence tones] are we truly writing. A sentence must convey a meaning by tone of voice and it must be the particular meaning the writer intended. The reader must have no choice in the matter. The tone of voice, and its meaning must be in black and white on the page (Thompson 204).

"In writing, we can't indicate body language , but we can control how sentences are heard. And it is through our arrangement of words into sentences, one after another, that we can approximate some of the intonation in speech that tells our readers not only information about the world but also how we feel about it, who we are in relationship to it, and who we think our readers are in relationship to us and the message we want to deliver."

Novelist Samuel Butler once said, "We are not won by arguments that we can analyze but by the tone and temper, by the manner which is the man himself."

Blakesley, David and Jeffrey L. Hoogeveen. Writing: A Manual for the Digital Age. Cengage, 2011.

Hickey, Dona. Developing a Written Voice . Mayfield, 1992.

Kane, Thomas S. The New Oxford Guide to Writing . Oxford University Press, 1988.

Kolin, Philip C. Successful Writing at Work, Concise Edition . 4th ed., Cengage, 2015.

Winterowd, W. Ross. The Contemporary Writer: A Practical Rhetoric. 2nd ed., Harcourt, 1981.

• grand style (rhetoric)
• What Is a Synopsis and How Do You Write One?
• Definition and Examples of Anticlimax in Rhetoric
• Conceptual Meaning: Definition and Examples
• Stipulative Definitions in English
• What Is Attribution in Writing?
• What Is Composition? Definition, Types, and Examples
• Advisor vs. Adviser: How to Choose the Right Word
• Word Choice in English Composition and Literature
• An Introduction to Academic Writing
• Mood in Composition and Literature
• Definition and Examples of Rhetorical Stance
• sentence fragment
• What Is Eye Dialect?
• Definition and Examples of Science Writing
• Paragraph Length in Compositions and Reports

Style, Diction, Tone, and Voice

Style is the way in which something is written, as opposed to the meaning of what is written. In writing, however, the two are very closely linked. As the package for the meaning of the text, style influences the reader’s impression of the information itself. Style includes diction and tone. The main goal in considering style is to present your information in a manner appropriate for both the audience and the purpose of the writing. Consistency is vital. Switching styles can distract the reader and diminish the believability of the paper’s argument.

Diction is word choice. When writing, use vocabulary suited for the type of assignment. Words that have almost the same denotation (dictionary meaning) can have very different connotations (implied meanings). 

Besides the level of formality, also consider positive or negative connotations of the words chosen.

Some types of diction are almost never advisable in writing. Avoid clichés, vagueness (language that has more than one equally probable meaning), wordiness, and unnecessarily complex language.

Aside from individual word choice, the overall tone, or attitude, of a piece of writing should be appropriate to the audience and purpose. The tone may be objective or subjective, logical or emotional, intimate or distant, serious or humorous. It can consist mostly of long, intricate sentences, of short, simple ones, or of something in between. (Good writers frequently vary the length of their sentences.)

One way to achieve proper tone is to imagine a situation in which to say the words being written. A journal might be like a conversation with a close friend where there is the freedom to use slang or other casual forms of speech. A column for a newspaper may be more like a high-school graduation speech: it can be more formal, but it can still be funny or familiar. An academic paper is like a formal speech at a conference: being interesting is desirable, but there is no room for personal digressions or familiar usage of slang words. 

In all of these cases, there is some freedom of self-expression while adapting to the audience. In the same way, writing should change to suit the occasion. 

Tone vs. Voice

Anything you write should still have your voice: something that makes your writing sound uniquely like you. A personal conversation with a friend differs from a speech given to a large group of strangers. Just as you speak to different people in different ways yet remain yourself, so the tone of your writing can vary with the situation while the voice -- the essential, individual thoughts and expression -- is still your own. 

“Don’t play what’s there; play what’s not there.”       - Miles Davis “The notes I handle no better than many pianists. But the pauses between the notes—ah, that is where the art resides.”       - Artur Schnabel (1882–1951), German-born U.S. pianist.

These two musicians expressed the same thought in their own unique voices.

Reference: Strunk, William Jr., and E. B. White. The Elements of Style . 4th ed., Allyn and Bacon, 2000.

Copyright © 2009 Wheaton College Writing Center

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How to Identify Tone in an Essay

In order to identify the tone, the reader should try to identify emotional meaning of the essay. Tone is the writer or the speaker's implied attitude toward his or her subject and/or the reader or audience (see Reference 1). Writers convey their attitudes in the words they choose and in the style in which they write, in turn creating the atmosphere or mood of the essay.

Identifying Tone

The reader should approach identifying the tone in an essay in much the same way that he would identify the tone of a speaker. A mother’s tone with her son might be stern, angry or disapproving if he comes home with a bad report card, and jovial, ecstatic or nonchalant if he comes home with a great report card. Similarly, the tone of a persuasive essay might be serious and formal, while the tone of a travelogue might be humorous and satirical. In general, the tone of an essay may be described as serious, ironic, formal, informal, angry, funny or any other adjective that appropriately defines the implied attitude of the writer or the speaker.

Function of Tone

In order to identify tone, the reader should understand its function. The main function of tone is to create a particular atmosphere or mood in the mind of the reader (see Reference 1). In the above example, the different tones that the mother uses with her son will evoke different feelings in the son, thus creating different moods in the home at the time of the conversation. The tone in an essay serves the same function. It evokes certain feelings in the reader, establishing the atmosphere or mood of the essay.

In order to identify both the tone of the essay and the mood that it evokes, the reader should examine the style in which the essay is written. More specifically, in order to identify the tone, the reader should analyze the essay’s diction. The writer creates the essay using particular words. The writer’s choice of words is called diction (see References 1 and 2). The use, the arrangement and the meaning of these words creates the essay’s tone (see Reference 2).

Effect of Diction on Tone

In identifying tone, the reader should consider the effect that certain types of diction have on the tone of the essay. For instance, certain types of diction, like hyperbole and litotes, say a lot about the writer’s implied attitude (see Reference 2). Hyperbole is an overstatement or an exaggeration, in which the writer says more than he really means. An essay that employs a lot of hyperbole may have a tone of sarcasm, revealing a superior attitude toward his subject or the audience. Litotes is an understatement, in which the writer says less than he really means. This type of language is an underrating of a subject. An essay that uses a lot of understatements may have a mocking tone.

• Humboldt State University: Elements of Fiction: Tone; Tracy Duckart

Kate Prudchenko has been a writer and editor for five years, publishing peer-reviewed articles, essays, and book chapters in a variety of publications including Immersive Environments: Future Trends in Education and Contemporary Literary Review India. She has a BA and MS in Mathematics, MA in English/Writing, and is completing a PhD in Education.

155 Words To Describe An Author’s Tone

Writers Write is a comprehensive writing resource. We have defined tone and put together this list of 155 words to help you describe an author’s tone .

What is tone?

Tone refers to an author’s use of words and writing style to convey their attitude towards a topic.

What the author feels about the subject is often defined as the tone . What the reader feels is known as the mood .

[Suggested reading: 140 Words To Describe Mood In Fiction ]

Tip:  Don’t confuse tone with voice . Voice can be explained as the author’s personality expressed in writing.

• Tone = Attitude.
• Voice = Personality.

Tone (attitude) and voice (personality) create a writing style .

You may not be able to alter your personality but you can adjust your attitude. This gives you ways to create writing that affects your audience’s mood. (Click here for examples of tone in a story.)

The mechanics of tone

Tone is conveyed through diction (choice and use of words and phrases), viewpoint , syntax (grammar; how you put words and phrases together), and level of formality. It is the way you express yourself in speech or writing.

How do you find the correct tone ?

You can usually find a tone by asking these three questions:

• Why am I writing this?
• Who is my intended audience?
• What do I want the reader to learn, understand, or think about?

In formal writing , your tone should be clear, concise, confident, and courteous. The writing level should be sophisticated, but not pretentious.

In creative writing, your tone is more subjective, but you should always aim to communicate clearly. Genre sometimes determines the tone.

155 Words To Describe An Author’s Tone

Helpful Tip:   Finding the correct tone is a matter of practice. Try to write for different audiences. Even if you only want to write novels, it is an apprenticeship of sorts. Write press releases. Write opinion pieces. Write interviews. Write copy. Write a business plan.

The more you write, the better you will become at infusing your work with the nuances needed to create the perfect book.

Top Tip : Find out more about our workbooks and online courses in our shop .

© Amanda Patterson

If you enjoyed this article, read:

• 350 Character Traits – A Fabulous Resource For Writers
• The 4 Main Characters As Literary Devices
• 106 Ways To Describe Sounds
• 15 Questions Authors Should Ask Characters
• The 7 Critical Elements Of A Great Book
• 6 Sub-Plots That Add Style To Your Story
• 7 Choices That Affect A Writer’s Style
• Cheat Sheets for Writing Body Language
• Punctuation For Beginners
• 9 Literary Terms You Need To Know

• Style , Tone , Writing Tips from Amanda Patterson

23 thoughts on “155 Words To Describe An Author’s Tone”

Wow you got a good thing going very evolved module for writers thank you

Thanks for all the wonderful tones this really made my class understanding way easier when we write in class. Thanks for your help.

Thank you, Matti. We’re glad this helped.

Thank you for this list! Although I think you misspelled skeptical as sceptical.

No, we spelt it correctly. We use British English in South Africa.

Your explanation is really helpful. Now I can clearly explain the topic to my students. Thanks a lot

Even though philosophers have constantly argued that perfection cannot be reached.This is perfect.

Very helpful , thank you.

May I distribute this list to my 10th grade English students, as long as I give you credit for it?

Really helpful when looking forward to character sketches!!

Excellent resource! The book my class is using talks about tone and style but without providing a vocabulary. This site and its companion on style are excellent; I’ve recommended them to my classmates.

The topic on tone was amazing.Kindly can you give the same on attitude and mood

How To write a tone analysis essay Tone refers to the attitude of a writer toward the subject he is writing about. A writer can convey his attitude directly, by stating his opinion, or indirectly, through his choice of vocabulary and stylistic elements. As an essay writer, your job consists of investigating the purpose or significance of the author’s tone.

Regards to this site, it is so fantastic. This list of tone words helps me ever so graciously in my Pre-AP Honors class. Thank you to the genius owner of this site.

this is lit *dab inserted here*

Thank you for the feedback, everyone. We’re happy that you find the list useful.

Thnx fo list very helpful

Thanks for the great info U share daily. I’m a Communication Specialist and these “Toneful” examples are very helpful.

Thank you! I needed to find some good tone words and some good definitions. This is what i was looking for!

Thank you! My students really loved your list! (7/8th graders in San Carlos CA)

Thank you, Inga. We appreciate the feedback.

This was really helpful for my essay! Thanks guys!

Comments are closed.

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How to Pick a College Essay Topic, According to an Admission Expert

The personal essay is one of the most crucial parts of a college application. While your transcripts and test scores highlight your achievement, they’re ultimately just stats and figures.

That’s where the college essay comes in: It helps colleges determine who you are. You can let your personality shine through and also show off your biggest wins — and explain away any potential shortcomings.

Of course, not everyone loves to write. And even if you do, it’s not always easy to figure out what to say. After all, most college essay prompts are quite vague. Where do you even start?

We spoke with Dan Phan, the academic program manager for USC Bovard Scholars , to learn how to pick the perfect college essay topic.

What Should a College Essay Focus On?

First things first: You need to determine what your dream school is asking for. Some will ask for just one essay, which is in response to several possible prompts. Usually, these prompts have to do with your background, your ambitions, challenging or formative times in your life or your personal beliefs. Other schools, however, will require you to write a personal statement, in addition to answering several shorter supplementary essay questions.

So, different universities have different application requirements. However, the essay’s goal remains the same, regardless of the prompt or format.

“The main personal statement should be introspective and shed light on the student’s core values, experiences that shaped them and aspirations for the future. Who is this student? Where have they been

Where do they hope to go?” Phan said.

What are Some Examples of College Essay Themes?

Many people use the college essay to reflect on hurdles in their lives. These difficulties could be related to academics or personal struggles. The idea is to show how you handle adversity. Essays can also focus on a personal turning point, to illustrate your personal growth or how you adapt to change.

Other applicants focus on topics related to identity and diversity, diving into their cultural background or family history to explore how their heritage and upbringing have shaped them into who they are today.

Some students write about their passions, hobbies or community involvement, showing what they have to offer besides good grades. It’s also a way to paint a picture of how they could participate in campus culture. After all, the goal is for the university to want you to be there and bring your personal touch to campus!

Phan’s favorite college essay themes?

“I love reading stories about the movers and shakers of the world, young adults that I can envision in the college setting, wherever that may be, and making a big difference once there,” she said.

And while Phan sees plenty of stories about family, culture, personal obstacles and achievements, she’s also read some “beautifully written essays” that she “remembers vividly to this day.”

The topics of these essays were wide-ranging and, often, highly personal.

“Playing music with symbrachydactyly (a hand anomaly characterized by missing fingers),” Phan recalled. “Visiting the neighborhood wig shop after school to chat with cancer patients. Defying gender stereotypes. Living close to the state prison and getting involved in prison-to-school pipeline programs. Car rides listening to NPR. Peach dumplings. Natural hair. Treasure maps.”

So, don’t be afraid to get creative. While your college essay should express who you are, there are many different ways to do so.

How Do You Choose a College Essay Topic?

When faced with vague prompts and open-ended suggestions, it can be hard to think of one story that summarizes who you are. Unfortunately, you can’t write about everything that makes you unique. Instead, narrow it down to a specific thesis.

Phan recommends that students think about the top four things a stranger would need to know to get acquainted with them.

“I encourage students to be vulnerable, to build connections and to think about some of their most formative or meaningful experiences, whether that involves family, identity, culture, extracurricular activities or interests,” Phan said.

Ask yourself what your strengths are. What are the skills and qualities that separate you from others? Then, consider the stories in your life that illustrate these traits.

Maybe you’re proud of your resilience. What’s a time in your life that it was tested? Or perhaps you have a passion for improving your community. What led you to that? What are some times you’ve demonstrated that dedication?

Once you consider what you want the essay to reveal about you, it’s easier to determine what examples in your life illustrate that.

“The most compelling essays are not only well written but have rich details that humanize the student’s experiences,” Phan said.

What Not to Write in Your College Essay

While you have plenty of options for your college essay, there are also some topics you don’t want to write about. For example, Phan advises applicants to avoid writing about grades or academic performance. Your transcript already covers that.

Another common pitfall? Not writing about yourself.

“Sometimes, students make the mistake of bringing in another person like a family member, friend or leader they admire, and the essay ceases to be about the student but rather about how incredible the other person is — which completely misses the point,” Phan explained.

Similarly, keep in mind that you’re writing about yourself now. That means you should be discussing who you are as a prospective college student, not who you were in kindergarten. While stories from your youth may help explain who you’ve become, the focus should always be on personal growth and development.

Some essay topics are so overused that they’ve become clichéd, such as teenage heartbreak, mission trip experiences or winning a sports game, Phan said: “Considering how admissions committees may be reading tens of thousands of applications each application cycle, admissions readers want to read unique college essays with fresh perspectives and angularity.”

Should Someone Proofread Your College Essay?

Applying for college is a process with many steps, and most students ask for help confirming they’ve done each part correctly. The same goes for your college essay!

Once you’ve selected the topic, it’s normal to ask for feedback to ensure you’re on the right track. Your college counselor or a teacher would be the right people to ask.

Similarly, it’s a good idea to ask them for help refining the essay once it’s done. They can help you deliver your thesis in the most compelling way possible. Remember, even the most talented writers need a copy editor to check that their work is free of misspellings and grammatical errors.

However, don’t have too many people read your essay.

“I’ve seen essays become so disjointed because there were too many voices in the essays,” Phan said. “Additionally, working with multiple people can pull students in different directions, resulting in a bit of Frankenstein of an essay and the student’s original voice being completely lost.”

So, trust your gut! With enough preparation, hard work and proofreading, you can write a solid college essay that makes you stand out to potential schools.

Learn more about USC Summer and Online Pre-College Programs today.

Author: Becca van Sambeck