Managing the tone of your essay is a really difficult task because it requires you to have a very good understanding of the language. However, if you learn how to control the tone of your writing, you will certainly notice the difference in your marks. The tone is important not only in writing but also in all the other aspects of communication. For example, you may make the same phrase sound completely different depending on the tone. If you say “I’m glad to see you,” your tone may make it sound sincere, sarcastic, or indifferent. Although managing the tone of your writing may be challenging, it’s a possible task. Writers-House decided to help you learn more about controlling the tone of your essay, but first, let’s think of what tone actually is.
What Is Tone?
Tone absorbs certain features of your personality because it allows you to share your feelings. Since nobody hears your voice when you’re writing, the only way to manage your tone is by choosing the right words. The main secret of controlling your tone is understanding the nuances of the use of synonyms and similar concepts, making your readers feel certain emotions.
It will be easier for you to understand this concept if you look at examples. For instance, Scott Westerfeld compares the color of the summer sky to cat vomit in his book Uglies. When you think of the summer sky, cat vomit is likely the last thing you may compare it to so such a comparison immediately creates a cynical tone, demonstrating the author’s bad mood.
When describing the color of the sky, you may also use another metaphor to create a completely opposite impression. For example, you may compare it to an artist’s pastels, making your tone admiring and excited. As you can see, the key to controlling the tone is choosing the right words.
What Is the Right Tone for an Essay
If you’re writing a formal essay, you certainly should avoid being sarcastic, funny, or frustrated. In this case, your instructor likely expects you to stick with a scholarly style, being informative and focusing on research.
We also suggest that you avoid such expressions as “like,” “you know,” and other informal phrases from the spoken language. When writing formal papers, you should also avoid contractions (“can’t,” “won’t”) and colloquialisms (“super good,” etc.) because they make your paper unprofessional and too informal.
You shouldn’t also use the second-person perspective. For instance, the previous sentence can be rewritten as “one should not use the second-person perspective.” Your academic papers should be informative, impersonal, and professional.
There is also another common mistake among students: many of them think that using long and complicated words can make their writing more scholarly. This is a common misconception, in fact, unnecessarily complicated terms can only ruin the tone of your essay and the overall impression of it. First, the abundance of complex terms makes your text hard to read. It gets too wordy and may even look ridiculous, as it evokes associations with a student writing every sentence with a thesaurus. The main purpose of your essay is not to impress the readers with your vocabulary but to deliver a clear message.
Academic Doesn’t Mean Boring
You, as an author, still have certain freedom when writing your essay, and you don’t have to be strictly academic all the time. You may also add a little bit of creativity or a subtle joke, just make sure you stick with the academiс tone most of the time. However, if you’re writing a narrative or personal essay, the academic tone will certainly be a bad option, making your essay boring and annoying.
We suggest that you choose the tone depending on the type of your paper and your story. For example, if you’re writing about some sad or tragic events, you shouldn’t try to include a joke. It will be easier to choose the right tone if you just focus on the emotional aspect of what you’re writing about.
Still Cannot Figure Out the Right Tone for Your Essay?
Writers at Writers-House.com know everything about tone in writing. We also have a team of professional editors who will help you turn your essay into a great paper that meets all the requirements. Don’t hesitate to contact us anytime you need professional writing help!
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