Word choice & tone

A writer's word choice — the exact words they pick.

The feelings and ideas a word carries beyond its plain meaning.

Words chosen to push a strong feeling — ‘slashed’, ‘mob’.

A gentle word used in place of a harsher one — ‘passed away’ for ‘died’.

Same building; ‘home’ carries warmth (connotation), ‘house’ is neutral.

Name the word + the feeling it carries + what it makes the reader think.

To soften or hide a harsh truth — often to play something down.

‘slashed’ / ‘butchered’ — they add violence.

Denotation = the plain dictionary meaning; connotation = the feelings around it.

Saying ‘descriptive language’ without naming the word or its feeling.

How formal or informal a text is — its level of formality.

Full words, no slang, polite and serious phrasing.

Contractions, slang, exclamations, a chatty tone.

It's deliberate — it changes the audience or the effect.

Register is how formal it is; tone is the writer's attitude.

Who the text is for and how it wants to come across.

A contraction (‘you'll’) or slang (‘soz’).

Name it + quote a signal + link it to the audience.

Informal — it adds a chatty, excited feel.

Saying ‘it's formal’ without a signal or a link to the reader.

The writer's attitude to their subject or reader.

The feeling created in the reader by the text.

The distinctive personality of the writing — how the writer sounds.

Tone is the writer's attitude; mood is the reader's feeling.

Mood is the feeling in you; voice is the writer's overall personality on the page.

Through word choice, imagery and sentence style.

Precisely — ‘weary, resigned anger’ beats ‘angry’.

A deliberate move from one attitude to another that carries meaning.

Quote the diction, imagery or syntax that builds it — don't just label it.

Vague labels (‘interesting tone’) with no precise word or evidence.