Style, Tone and Register in Writing: Key Terms and Vocabulary

Summary

This document explains three key concepts used to analyse writing: style (the characteristic way a person writes), tone (the attitude or emotional feeling toward the subject) and register (the language used in a particular social context). It classifies formal, informal and literary styles, lists tone descriptors, and provides useful vocabulary and phrases for writing essays and describing a text.

Key points

Style is the typical way one person writes, covering word choice, tone, grammar and narrative techniques.
Tone is the general feeling or attitude toward the subject and creates a certain mood.
Register is the choice of words, style and grammar used in a particular social context and often reflects social status.
Formal style uses specialist terms, objectivity, politeness and complete, complex sentences.
Informal style uses colloquial expressions, phrasal verbs, simple sentences, slang and sometimes dialect.
Literary style uses rhetorical devices, rich vocabulary and imagery, and often needs interpretation.

Test yourself

Style: typical way of writing used by one particular person. It can refer to choice of words, tone, grammar, and narrative techniques.

Tone: general feeling or attitude toward the subject expressed in a piece of writing. It rather refers to the emotional or sensual content of a text. It creates a certain mood.

Register: choice of words, style, and grammar used by writers in a particular social context. It often reflects social status of the people. There are rules about what register is appropriate in particular situations.

Style

formal - formal expressions, foreign words, specialist terms, objectivity, detachment, politeness, complete and complex sentences
informal - informal and colloquial expressions, phrasal verbs, simple sentences, subjectivity, can contain slang and even rude or vulgar expressions, incomplete or grammatically wrong sentences and dialect
literary - rhetorical devices, complex, rich vocabulary, use of imagery, not always explicit, often needs interpretation

Register

formal - formal language, wide range of vocabulary
informal - informal language, contractions, colloquial language

Tone

informal / formal - objective / subjective - emotional / neutral - chatty - persuasive - superficial - serious - engaging - exciting - personal - affecting - conversational - knowledgeable - interesting - gripping - academic - sophisticated - intellectual - positive

Vocabulary - to have contrary opinions/attitudes views on... - to disapprove of.../what made it more difficult - to present the argument that/to persuade/to convince - to come to a decision – to compromise/to make a compromise - on condition that.../to be in a dilemma... - different cultural backgrounds - to be determined to/open to.../to be (un)willing to .../to be prepared - to be bound by tradition/customs of... - male dominance/attitude of dominance - to be(financially) (in)dependent on

Introduction - It has often been said that... - Many people seem to think that... - I have to agree with him/her on that… - I am not sure… - First of all…

Main Part - On the one hand… on the other hand... - I object to that… - I am convinced… - It seems to me that… - The next point I want to mention is… - Don’t forget that… - In my opinion… - First of all… - Furthermore… - This becomes clear when… - An example of this is… - The problem is that…

Conclusion - I come to the conclusion that… - After all… - To sum up… - All in all I think…

Describing style, tone and register - To make use of/to incorporate/to combine - to create a certain atmosphere by using… - Everyday/colloquial/informal/vulgar language - Formal/literary/archaic/slang expressions - Eloquent/witty/elevated/sophisticated/academic/concise/objective/impersonal style - Complex/simple sentences – Imagery - Vivid/animated/exaggerated language - Humorous/ironic/serious/critical/friendly/positive tone - Polite/rude/blunt way of addressing somebody

The text is a… - It was written in… by… - The tone is... - The author makes fun of/distances himself/herself from - The description of the... create an atmosphere of - She/he is faced with the dilemma of... - Therefore... there is... - ...is always associated with - On the one/other hand... - At the beginning... - Later she learns, changes... - At the end... - The way... is presented suggest... - The author uses... in order to... - It is striking that... - the reader is turn between/experiences... because...

FAQ

What is the difference between style, tone and register?

Style is the typical way a person writes, including word choice and grammar. Tone is the writer's attitude or emotional feeling toward the subject, creating a mood. Register is the language used in a particular social context and often reflects social status.

What are the characteristics of formal style?

Formal style uses formal expressions, foreign words and specialist terms, and shows objectivity, detachment and politeness. It usually relies on complete and complex sentences.

What features does informal style have?

Informal style uses colloquial expressions, phrasal verbs and simple sentences, and is more subjective. It can include slang, dialect, and incomplete or grammatically incorrect sentences.

What defines literary style?

Literary style uses rhetorical devices, complex and rich vocabulary and imagery. It is not always explicit and often needs interpretation.