1. Today’s Agenda and Objective
Bellringer
Skills Notes on and practice with professional tone
Application with published writing
Exit Slip: writing examples and non-examples of professional tone
I can write using professional tone, identify which tone is appropriate, and identify how the use of diction changes tone.
CCR Write informative and explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.

2. Bell Ringer-I can write using professional tone & identify tone.
Consider the word home.
On your white board, make a T chart with one side listing the definition of the word and one side listing the emotional feelings you have about this word.
How is it different or similar to the word house?

3. Write down these terms in your notes.
Connotation: the associated or secondary meaning of a word or expression in addition to its explicit or primary meaning
Alternate Definition: What you think of when you hear the word, the emotions you have with the word.
Denotation: the dictionary meaning of a word, or the explicit or direct meaning or set of meanings of a word or expression.
Alternate Definition: Dictionary Definitions
Think back to your bell ringer. What is the connotation of home? Denotation?

4. How does connation and denotation affect tone? What is tone?
What effect is created from the different choices in diction?
Hush vs. Shut up
Rock vs. Stone
Snatch vs. grab
Litter vs. spread
Diction is used to convey tone. Which words create a more professional tone? Which create a more casual tone?

5. Review of Tone Words: Elbow Partners
Accusatory
Apologetic
Apprehensive
Bitter
Candid
Condescending
Critical
Cynical
Earnest
Forthright
Frivolous
Grim
Intimate
Jovial
Judgmental
Melancholy
Nostalgic
Objective
Optimistic
Professional
Reflective
Restrained
Sarcastic
Sentimental
Sincere
Solemn
Sympathetic
In pairs, use a tone to say the following sentence. “I want you to come over here” or “Is this your money?”

6. Skills Notes: Professional Tone

7. How can we define professional tone?
Professional – exhibiting courtesy and a business-like demeanor
Tone – a speaker’s attitude toward his or her subject and audience
Professional tone – a courteous and business-like attitude in speaking and writing

8. When should we use professional tone?
In writing situations . . .
In speaking situations . . .
Brainstorm writing and speaking situations that demand the use of professional tone.

9. How can I make sure I maintain professional tone?
Consider the following questions:
Why am I writing or speaking? In other words, what PURPOSE do I want to achieve?
Who am I writing to and what do I want them to understand? In other words, how can I define my AUDIENCE and THEIR NEEDS?
Based on the above answers what type of tone should I use? A professional one?

10. What general guidelines should I follow to maintain professional tone?
1) Be confident – sound self-assured, like you believe what you say
Not: You must agree that I am the best one for the position.
Instead: My qualifications in the areas of accounting and customer service exceed your job requirements.

11. What general guidelines should I follow to maintain professional tone?
2) Be courteous and sincere – use polite language and mean what you say
Not: You didn't call me about an interview.
Instead: I would greatly appreciate a reply concerning an interview.

12. What general guidelines should I follow to maintain professional tone?
3) Use appropriate emphasis – do not overuse exclamation points and focus only on your main ideas
Not: I am so excited to hear back from you, and I hear that working there is really fun!!!
Instead: I am looking forward to speaking with you about the open position.

13. What general guidelines should I follow to maintain professional tone?
4) Remain emotionless (with the exception of showing passion) – do not talk about your feelings
Not: I am so upset to leave my old job, but this new one seems ok.
Instead: I regret leaving my former position, but I look forward to new opportunities at your company.

14. What general guidelines should I follow to maintain professional tone?
5) Use non-discriminatory language – do not use sexist or racist language or slang
Not: I spoke to the girls in your office.
Instead: I spoke with your assistants in the front office.
Not: Dear Gentlemen,
Instead: To Whom It May Concern:

15. What general guidelines should I follow to maintain professional tone?
6) Stress the benefits to the reader/listener – remember that you want your reader to feel like you want to meet his or her needs
Not: I will follow-up with you soon.
Instead: I will contact you in two days to check on the status of my application.

16. What general guidelines should I follow to maintain professional tone?
7) Use an appropriate level of difficulty – use formal language with correct punctuation and sentence structure; you do not want to talk down to your audience
Not: I’d love to hear back from ya’ll, and I’ll call next week if I don’t.
Instead: I look forward to speaking with you, and I will follow-up with you in two days.

17. Practice Identifying Professional Tone
As we watch the following video, list THREE mistakes the potential employees make during their interview. Make sure you focus on how they do or do not use professional tone.
Stepbrothers
(Pam)
(Weaknesses)

18. Practice Identifying Professional Tone
What mistakes did you find?
What should they do differently to correct for professional tone?

19. Practice Identifying Professional Tone
As we watch the following video, list THREE mistakes the employee, Bon Qui Qui, makes during her shift. Make sure you focus on how she does or does not use professional tone. Clip from “MAD TV”

20. Practice Identifying Professional Tone
What mistakes did you find?
What should Bon Qui Qui do differently to correct for professional tone?

21. Practice with Tone
Use your organizer to identify the diction that creates the tone and the appropriate tone.

22. Rewrite the passage using a different tone
Rewrite the passage using a different tone. What words do you need to change to do this?
“Anyway, this poor fella—he was another African student, wasn’t he? Fresh off the boat. This poor kid must’ve been impressed with the way Barack was holding forth with this pipe, ’cause he asked if he could give it a try. Your dad thought about it for a minute, and finally agreed, and as soon as the fella took his first puff, he started coughing up a fit. Coughed so hard that the pipe slipped out of his hand and dropped over the railing, a hundred feet down the face of the cliff.” Gramps stops to take another nip from his flask before continuing. “Well, now, your dad was gracious enough to wait until his friend stopped coughing before he told him to climb over the railing and bring the pipe back. The man took one peek down this ninety- degree incline and told Barack that he’d buy him a replacement—” ---Dreams of My Father—Barack Obama
On handout—

23. Writing Without Using Professional Tone
Write a one-paragraph letter to a friend about what you would like do after you graduate.
Since you are not using professional tone, remember the following:
You can use informal language, including slang and contractions/abbreviations or text language.
You can talk about your feelings and use exclamation points.
Exit: Now, re-write your one- paragraph letter to me, Ms._______, about what you would like do after you graduate.
Correct for professional tone, remembering the following:
Be confident.
Be polite.
Be appropriate.
Be emotionless.
Be non-discriminatory.
Focus on the reader’s needs.

24. Due next class . . .
We will begin work on your ILP soon, so make sure you have a computer/network log-in.
Have AUPs Turned IN!
Tone Worksheet
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