2.2 Tone

In relation to language, tone is the mood or feel of something that is said or written. The formality of language affects the tone. As noted earlier, you usually speak formally and politely when answering the phone, when at work or when talking to someone you don’t know. But being overly formal can become rude in certain situations. Speaking too formally to a friend in the pub would be out of place and might be considered rude.

It’s usually quite easy to tell the difference between formal and informal language. Formal language often uses longer words, like ‘depart’ instead of ‘go’ and ‘commence’ instead of ‘begin’, and sometimes a less friendly tone – ‘We regret we cannot assist you’, not ‘I’m sorry I can’t help’.

Usually it is obvious when language is formal or informal, but when speaking it is easy to slip into slang without really noticing, such as ‘oh my goodness’ rather than ‘that is surprising’.