Don’t Take That Tone With Me!

Tone: a guide to the literary element

Tone Sweet Tone

Tone: not THIS literary element again!

Tone, you already know it!

Tone It’s not WHAT we say, it’s how we say it!

From Netmatters.com (a blog about all thing Internet savvy) When it comes to your s you don’t have the tone of your voice — so those on the other side of the screen will read tone into your based on the efforts you make, the formatting you integrate and the words you choose to use.

Real Life Example: A job candidate came into town to interview for a faculty position. The faculty member responsible for organizing a meet-and-greet dinner sent around an invitation that read "talking to the candidate is not required; just don't embarrass us.”

Here’s Another Betty, hi, I haven't been successful reaching you by phone, so I'll try instead.

Let’s Do It! Fold your paper like a hotdog and then like a hamburger so you create quadrants on your page Open up the quadrants and pick 4 tone words from your list (the more different they are, the better). Put the one tone word at the top of each quadrant. CausticReflective CompassionateWorried

Be Dear Abby! In each of the quadrants you are going to reply to a Dear Abby question. Take on the tone of that quadrant, giving advice to the exact same answer, but with a different tone

EXAMPLE Dear Abby/Andy, I’m trying to decide what elective to take in high school. My parents think I should do Spanish because it will be useful, but I really want to do art because I like it. We’ve agreed to go with whatever decision you make. So what do you think? - electing to do with your decision

Caustic, Reflective, Compassionate, or Worried? Dear Elect, I remember when I was your age, I too had a passion, a dream I wished to follow. My parents wanted me to join band, but my heart lay in the world of theater. How I wished to grace the stage! To this day, playing the tuba has never satisfied me. I say follow your dreams and become an artist! Your dramatically, Abby

Caustic, Reflective, Compassionate, or Worried? Dear Elect, You do realize there are children starving in the Africa, right? Get over your boo hooing and just pick the foreign language so that way you can learn to whine in 23 other countries. Adios, Abby

Caustic, Reflective, Compassionate, or Worried? Dear Elect, I know high school decision making can be very stressful, and I hope you end up being happy no matter what you do! Your parents have put you in a tight spot, but they only want what is best for you. Before you pull out your hair, I would suggest writing out a four year “game plan” with art as your elective. If you can show your parents there will be plenty of room in your schedule for Spanish later, I’m sure they will see your choice is a reasonable one. Yours planningly, Abby

Now you try! Dear Abby/Andy, My best friend in the whole world is going to a different high school next year. She says we’ll be BFFs, but I’m afraid not seeing her every day will make our friendship fade. How to I prevent this from happening? -Missing my friend already

Now see how good you are! Get into groups of three. Read one of your quadrants. See if your group members can figure out the tone (tone words that are synonyms count! Ex. If your tone word is “enraged” and a group member says “angry” they get a point!) If they can’t figure it out, tell them the four tone words you used. Take turns rotating who read a quadrant. Scoring: 1 point if you guess the tone of the response. 1 point if someone can figure out your tone without needing the four tone words.