What are audience, tone, and style?
When you write, you’re not just sharing ideas — you’re also choosing how to say them, and you’re choosing who will read them. That’s where tone, style, and audience come in. These three elements help shape your writing and ensure it fits the situation and the readers.
Audience – Who are you writing for?
Your audience is the person (or group) who will read your writing. Knowing your audience helps you decide what words, examples, and explanations to use.
| Audience | Example Approach |
|---|---|
| Teachers | Formal, clear, well-organized writing with citations |
| Classmates | Slightly more casual, but still clear and respectful |
| Children | Simple words, short sentences, fun examples |
| Experts | Formal vocabulary, technical language, specialized examples |
Tone – What feeling or attitude are you expressing?
Tone is the emotion or attitude behind your words.
In academic writing, tone is usually:
- Formal (not casual or conversational)
- Objective (not emotional or personal)
- Confident (without exaggerating)
Tone can vary significantly in other types of writing. For example, when writing an opinion essay for a newspaper, the writer may choose words and grammar that communicate deep anger or frustration. And famously, office workers send too many first-draft emails without moderating the tone.
Style – What kind of language and structure are you using?
Style refers to the overall way your writing is crafted — your sentence structure, word choice, and grammar.
In academic writing, good style means:
- Using complete sentences
- Avoiding slang or contractions (write do not, not don’t)
- Choosing precise vocabulary
- Staying focused and organized
Before you write, always ask yourself:
Who will read this? (Audience)
What feeling should my writing give? (Tone)
What kind of language and structure should I use? (Style)
Compare Examples: