Style: tone and register
All texts that are composed have a style. Consider the following examples. The content of each is the same but the style is different.
| Style is an essential aspect for young writers to explore. With a solid understanding of style, a young writer can express his/her opinions and reach his/her intended audiences more effectively. |
Example one
| I reckon style's pretty important for youngsters. If they understood style, they'd be better at expressing themselves to others. |
Example two
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Style is important because:
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Example three
Which of these examples do you think is more appropriate for this web page? Why do you think this is so? There is no correct answer. In fact, arguments can be made for all three:
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The style of example one is more suitable for this website. This is because it has a formal register and uses academic words such as 'essential' and 'effectively' to communicate the content. A student accessing this website needs exposure to formal writing, as it is the most common style of text that they will encounter. |
Response to example one
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The style of example two is more suitable for this website. This is because it has an informal register. It uses colloquial language such as 'I reckon' and 'youngsters'. The tone is conversational. All these factors engage the intended audience as it uses simple language that is easy to understand and makes the students feel comfortable with the material. |
Response to example two
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The style of example three is more suitable for this website. This is because it is very concise and simple. Because it is objective and set out in bullet points, it will be easier for students to remember. |
Response to example three
There are a number of words and techniques that have been used to describe the style of the three examples. Register, tone and language are crucial elements of style. They will be the main focus of this chapter.
Register
Register is an important concept for composing and responding to a text. It is a concept that refers to particular types of language that are used for particular purposes. From above, example one had a formal register while example two had an informal register. Informal and formal registers will be the focus here.
To achieve a formal register a composer needs to use formal language. This means that the composer will use correct grammar and avoid any colloquial language, slang or jargon. The types of texts where you will find a formal register will be in essays, expositions, discussions, letters to the editor (with some exceptions) and newspaper reports. This list is by no means exhaustive.
The best way to determine whether a text that you compose should have a formal register is to consider the audience and the purpose. For example, would you use a formal register when emailing a friend? What if you were applying for a job?
To achieve an informal register, a composer needs to use informal language. This means that the composer does not need to use absolutely correct grammar and can use colloquial language and slang. Remember that spelling is still important and to use slang wisely. Examples where you could use or see texts with an informal register might include journal entries, emails to friends, conversations with friends, when you are writing dialogue in a narrative. Again this list is not exhaustive and you should consider the purpose and audience of the text and think, 'What register would be most effective to reach my audience?'
When analysing texts, register should be one of the first things that you consider. This will help you decide what the purpose of a text is, as well as the intended audience.
Tone
There is sometimes confusion as to the exact meaning of tone in writing. Here are some examples of words that you could use to describe tone (again, this list is not exhaustive):
- Funny, serious, angry, exciting, personal, affecting, informed, knowledgeable, intelligent, interesting, engaging, conversational.
Tone works in texts much in the same way as it does in real life. As a real-life example you might have experienced is sending an email that contained a joke, but the person on the receiving end thought you were serious. In this case the responder did not understand the tone that you used.
When you read, you should be able to identify the tone the composer uses. Think to yourself, 'Are they writing with a cheerful tone? An exciting tone? A serious tone? A sad and depressed tone?' You can tell a lot about how a composer is feeling or what their opinions on different issues are according to their tone.
Refer to the 'Tone and register activity' for practice recognising tone and register.
