Tone and Register Flashcards
All 12 cards in this deck
What is tone in a non-fiction text?
The writer's attitude to the subject or reader, as it comes through in the language: e.g. affectionate, mocking, angry or awed. Identifying tone shows you understand the writer's viewpoint.
What is register?
How formal or informal the language is, chosen to suit the audience and purpose. A formal register sounds serious and distant; an informal one sounds personal and close.
What is the typical effect of a formal register in non-fiction?
It sounds authoritative and serious, so the reader trusts the writer as knowledgeable. It can also create distance or coldness, e.g. in an official letter.
What is the typical effect of an informal, colloquial register?
It sounds like a real person talking, which makes the writer relatable and draws the reader in. It is often used for humour, honesty or a shared point of view.
What is emotive language, and what does it do?
Words chosen to stir strong feelings, e.g. "abandoned", "heartbreaking". It pushes the reader to feel what the writer feels, which helps persuade them to share the writer's view.
Why should you describe tone with precise adjectives rather than "positive" or "negative"?
"Negative" could mean angry, bitter, sad or sarcastic. A precise word (indignant, wistful, scathing, affectionate) shows exactly how the writer feels and earns more credit. Then support it with evidence.
Why look for a shift in tone in a text?
A change (e.g. from comic to serious) usually marks a turning point in the writer's thinking. Commenting on where and why it shifts shows perceptive reading.
How can register reveal a writer's viewpoint?
Mismatches are telling: grand, formal language about something trivial mocks it (mock-serious), while a casual tone about something serious can show bravery, shock or bitterness.
In "Frankly, the new car park is a concrete insult to everyone who lives here", what is the tone and how is it created?
Scathing and indignant. The blunt opener "Frankly" and the metaphor "concrete insult" make the car park sound like a deliberate offence against residents, so the reader shares the writer's anger.
In "We would like to thank residents for their patience during the works", what is the register and its effect?
Formal and impersonal. The polite, official phrasing ("residents", "the works") sounds courteous but distant, as if from an organisation rather than a person, and avoids admitting any fault.
In "Honestly? Best tenner I've ever spent.", what is the register and its effect?
Informal and enthusiastic. The one-word question, slang ("tenner") and the minor sentence sound like a friend's recommendation, which makes the praise feel genuine.
How can the writer's purpose and audience help you explain language in Paper 2 Question 3?
Link a language choice to who it's for and what it's for. Vivid, comic description in a travel book entertains readers at home who will never see the place; precise, formal detail in a report informs. That explains why the choice works, which lifts an answer above naming features.