Part II, Chapter 6: Tone and Style

Tone refers to the methods by which writers and speakers reveal attitudes or feelings—toward the material, toward their readers, and toward the general situation they are describing or analyzing.

Style refers to the ways in which writers assemble words to tell the story, to develop the argument, to dramatize the play, or to compose the poem.

The essential aspect of style is diction, the writer's selection of words.

Formal or high diction bestows major importance to the characters and actions being described. It consists of standard and also "elegant" words (frequently polysyllabic), correct word order, and the absence of contractions.

Neutral or middle diction is ordinary, everyday standard vocabulary, shunning longer words and using contractions when necessary.

Informal or low diction may range from colloquial—the language of relaxed, common activities—to the level of substandard or slang expressions.

Specific language refers to words that bring to mind images from the real world. "My dog Teddie is barking" is specific.

General language refers to broad classes, such as "All people like pets" and "Dogs make good pets."

Concrete diction describes qualities of immediate perception.

Abstract diction refers to broader and less concrete qualities; the words may therefore apply to many separate things.

Denotation is a limiting term, referring to what a word means, and connotation is a broader word, referring to what the word suggests.

Denotation is a limiting term, referring to what a word means, and connotation is a broader word, referring to what the word suggests.

The word irony, specifically verbal irony, describes such contradictory statements, in which one thing is said and the opposite is meant.

The word irony, specifically verbal irony, describes such contradictory statements, in which one thing is said and the opposite is meant.

In understatement the expression does not fully describe the importance of a situation, and therefore makes its point by implication.

By contrast, in hyperbole or overstatement, the words are far in excess of the situation, and readers or listeners therefore understand that the true meaning is considerably less than what is said.

By contrast, in hyperbole or overstatement, the words are far in excess of the situation, and readers or listeners therefore understand that the true meaning is considerably less than what is said.

Often verbal irony is ambiguous, having double meaning or double entendre.