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TONE IN WRITING<br><br>When we write, we convey the tone through:<br><br>our choice of words <br>the length and structure of sentences <br>the length and structure of paragraphs <br>the punctuation <br>the order of ideas presented <br>the format we choose to communicate our ideas <br>Whatever you're writing, the first thing you MUST do is decide on the tone you want to convey.<br><br>What impression are you trying to give? Here are some of the many possibilities:<br><br>CASUAL<br><br>use short sentences and paragraphs <br>include plenty of colloquial expressions <br>ask questions of your reader <br>use contractions e.g. you're, don't, I'll <br>use personal pronouns e.g. I, you, we, us <br>choose shorter, rather than longer words e.g. "he's a quiet chap" rather than, "he is a taciturn fellow" <br>use the active, rather than passive voice e.g. "you must remember to ...." instead of "it must be remembered that...." <br>vary your use of punctuation - dashes (-), ellipses (...), exclamation marks <br>A casual style is friendly, relaxed and intimate - you feel that the writer is speaking directly to you.<br><br>FORMAL<br><br>sentences and paragraphs are longer and more complex in structure <br>vocabulary is also more complex and specialised (according to the subject matter) <br>punctuation is more formal (no place for dots and dashes here) <br>passive voice can be used (but don't overdo it - it can be too impersonal) <br>personal pronouns are usually avoided in favour of "it", "one" and "they" <br>A formal style is business-like, no-nonsense, no time to waste writing. It is designed to inspire confidence in the ability of<br><br>the writer to get on with the job.<br><br>PERSUASIVE<br><br>makes great use of emotive words - consider your response to these pairs of words: home & hovel; confusion & shambles; unemployed & dole bludger. By choosing the appropriate word, it's possible to sway your reader's feelings to your way of thinking. <br>sentences and paragraphs are usually short <br>ideas are organised very simply - in chronological or reverse chronological order <br>content is carefully selected to present one particular point of view <br>personal pronouns are used, especially "us" and "them" <br>Persuasive writing can be used by advertisers trying to convince us to buy a particular brand of toilet paper or by governments<br><br>trying to get us to rush out and enlist!<br><br>Tone makes all the difference to the effect your words have on the reader and you should always be conscious of the tone of everything you write.<br><br>Here's another of those Immutable Laws (this one from Malcolm Thomas):<br><br>The Thomas Law of Getting Green Traffic Lights: Have something on the passenger seat you want to read.<br><br>Last week's quiz<br>