http://www.ck12.org Chapter 7. Tone and Style
- Understand how readers decode the information they read.
Style also involves word choice, coherence, conciseness, and correctness. This chapter contains sections about each
of these elements of style.
Review Questions
- Think about things you normally write everyday. What types of styles do they represent?
- List three expectations of the academic English writing style audience.
For questions 3-5, determine whether the tone/style of the sentences below is appropriate or inappropriate for an
argumentative 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.
Points to Consider
- Write two sample paragraphs on any of the suggested topics below. One paragraph should display an appro-
priate tone for an argumentative 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. - Suggested topics:
- 1- Schools should replace books with laptops.
- 2- Discuss your academic background and achievements.
- 3- My recipe for stress management.
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: