Use your observations to answer the following
questions.
1. The tone of letter A is best classified as
a. sincere.
b. complimentary.
c. indifferent.
Choice
c, indifferent, best describes the tone of
letter A. There is no indication that the writers of let-
ter A have actually read their client’s letter, so there’s no
indication that they plan to take the client’s suggestion
seriously. They are indifferent to it. Also, the sentence
structure indicates that the writers have not put much
thought into writing this letter; as a result, the sentences
sound abrupt and even unappreciative.
2. The tone of letter B is best classified as
a. cheerful.
b. sincere.
c. apologetic.
In contrast to letter A, the writers of letter B are
b, sincere. They know exactly what their customer
wrote about—there’s the importance of specific details
again! They’ve also taken the time to individualize the
letter; and they’ve added words that show they value
their customer and their customer’s feedback.
Varieties of Tone
Just as there are endless varieties of tone when we
speak, there are endless varieties of tone in writing.
Here’s a short list of some of the more common
words used to describe a writer’s tone:
If any of these terms are unfamiliar to you, please
look them up in a dictionary now.
Practice
Now look at several sentences and paragraphs to see if
you can correctly identify their tone. As you read them,
think of how the paragraphs sound. You may even
want to read them out loud. With what kind of voice do
you read? What’s your tone? Use your instincts, as well
as your observations, to choose the correct tone for
each paragraph. Answers and explanations come
immediately after the practice paragraphs.
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