What is Tone?
In writing, tone is the author's attitude toward the subject and the audience. It's conveyed through word choice (diction), sentence structure (syntax), and overall style. Just as you would change your tone of voice when speaking to your principal versus your best friend, a good writer must adapt their tone to suit their purpose and audience. The two most common tones are formal and informal. Mastering the difference is essential for effective communication in any context.
Formal vs. Informal Tone
Formal Tone 🧐 (Whaikōrero)
Purpose: To inform, persuade, or present a serious argument. Used in academic essays, official reports, and professional emails. The language of the marae during a pōwhiri is an example of a highly formal tone.
- Uses complex sentences.
- Avoids slang and contractions (e.g., "do not" instead of "don't").
- Maintains an objective, third-person perspective (avoids "I" or "you").
- Features precise, technical vocabulary.
Informal Tone 😎 (Kōrero noa iho)
Purpose: To entertain, connect personally, or express excitement. Used in friendly emails, blog posts, and everyday conversation. The relaxed chat in the wharekai (dining hall) is an example of an informal tone.
- Uses simpler, shorter sentences.
- May include slang, contractions, and colloquialisms.
- Often uses a first-person ("I") or second-person ("you") perspective.
- Features everyday, conversational language.
Deconstruction & Application
1. Deconstruction: Read the two sentences below. Which one has a formal tone and which has an informal tone? Explain your reasoning.
A) "It's a pretty big deal that the research showed the new medicine works."
B) "The research findings indicate that the new medication is highly effective."
2. Application: Rewrite the following informal sentence into a formal one. Focus on changing the word choice and sentence structure.
"I reckon we should get on with the project soon or we're gonna run out of time."
3. (Critical Thinking) Imagine you are writing an email to your local MP to persuade them to fund a new skatepark. Which tone would be more effective? Why?
Self-Assessment & Challenge
Success Criteria Checklist
- I have avoided using slang and contractions.
- I have used more sophisticated vocabulary.
- My sentence structure is more complex.
- My rewritten sentence sounds more professional.
Challenge Task 🚀
Take a formal piece of writing (e.g., a paragraph from a school notice or a news website) and rewrite it in an informal tone, as if you were explaining it to a friend in a text message. What key things did you have to change?
Curriculum alignment
- Language Studies — Practices: Planning and developing ideas Creating a visual text, using language, structural, and stylistic features for a selected audience and purposeEvaluating and revising the content…
- Language Studies — Practices: Presentations take many different forms and are crafted for different purposes, including to inform, to entertain, and to persuade.Presenting an individual presentation requir…
📋 Teacher Planning Snapshot
Ngā Whāinga Ako — Learning Intentions
Students will engage with this resource to develop literacy, critical thinking, and writing skills, with connections to Te Ao Māori and real-world New Zealand contexts.
Ngā Paearu Angitū — Success Criteria
- ✅ Students can apply the key skill or concept from this resource in their own writing or analysis.
- ✅ Students can explain the learning using their own words and connect it to a real-world context.
Differentiation & Inclusion
Scaffold: Provide sentence starters, graphic organisers, and entry-level tasks. Offer extension challenges for capable learners to address a range of readiness levels.
ELL / ESOL: Pre-teach key vocabulary before the lesson. Provide bilingual glossaries and allow first-language drafting.
Inclusion: Neurodiverse learners benefit from chunked instructions and visual supports. Ensure accessible formats throughout.
Te ao Māori enriches this learning area. Whakapapa (thinking in relationships), tikanga (purposeful protocols), and manaakitanga (caring for all learners) are frameworks that apply as much to literacy and writing as to any other domain. Centre these alongside Western frameworks to honour the full range of students' knowledge systems.