What is tone?

When you’re thinking about the use of persuasive language in an article, it’s also
useful to consider the tone. The word ‘tone’ refers to the overall feeling of a piece
of writing. Here are some common words that you could use to describe tone:

Angry
Aggrieved, bitter, exasperated, incensed, hostile.
Concerned
Worried, troubled, bothered, upset, anxious
Disappointed
Despondent, discouraged, disenchanted, disheartened,
disillusioned, dismayed, dispirited, downcast,
downhearted, saddened, upset.
Humorous
Amusing, funny, entertaining, comical, witty, light-
hearted, tongue-in-cheek, wry, droll.
Logical
Reasoned, well-reasoned, rational, cogent.
Negative
Bleak, cynical, dejected, demoralized, depressed, despairing,
despondent, gloomy, hopeless, melancholic, negative.

Emotional
Emotive, heart-breaking, impassioned, moving, Sarcastic
poignant, touching. Sharp, sardonic, satirical, scathing, cutting, razor-edged,
caustic, harsh, severe, devastating, abrasive, vitriolic,
spiteful, vicious, malicious.
Excited
Exhilarated, exuberant, enthusiastic, lively.
Sympathetic
Compassionate, caring, concerned, solicitous,
Hopeful empathetic, kind-hearted, warm-hearted, understanding,
Buoyant, cheerful, optimistic, positive. sensitive.

Neutral Keep in mind that these words and phrases are not an
Impartial, balanced, objective, unbiased. exhaustive list. When identifying the tone of a piece of
writing, think about how it sounds, then use your dictionary
or thesaurus to find the right word to describe its tone.

Creative Content Australia Persuasive Page 10 www.creativecontentaustralia.org.au

Language
When you’re presented with a piece of persuasive writing, it’s useful to think about how tone helps to persuade the audie
humorous article, for example, might persuade by gently poking fun at the people who support a particular idea. A logical article
persuade by presenting a well-organised case supported by evidence.
In your analysis, always identify the tone of the article and explain how it helps to persuade the audience.