Category: Tone

Help with the tone of your e-mail, from new tool ToneCheck

12/8/2011

In our classes on e-mail, we regularly discuss "tone". Tone can mean two related issues when writing:

the level of formality given by the words we use (casual, neutral, formal)
the emotions given by the words we use (happy, angry, sarcastic etc.)

I just read a blog post about a new tool called ToneCheck that can help us with getting the right tone when writing an e-mail.

Use Tone Check To Keep Your Emails Friendly & Free of Rudeness by Dave LeClair, MakeUseOf.com

In short, it helps you (as you write your e-mail) to avoid words & phrases that might give the wrong tone and might accidentally offend or insult the reader.

ToneCheck is offered in the freemium business model: the basic version is free, but if you want more features then you have to pay.

Website: ToneCheck.com

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Funny Video on Writing E-Mail

12/8/2010

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Update 2017-01-22: Added V.QQ.com clip and links.
Update 2011-05-12: I'm sorry, I just realized/remembered that of course Youtube is blocked in China. I will research some way to upload this video to a video site accessible in China.

I'm teaching a course on writing e-mails for business, with the first class focusing on tone: formal, neutral or casual.

I've also just started watching a British comedy series called The IT Crowd, which has a funny scene directly related to this issue.

Here's the clip (or click here to see it bigger on Youtube):

For people in China, I have found the clip on V.QQ.com and have embedded it below. The part about e-mail starts at 1'54".

In fact, V.QQ.com offers viewers in China the chance to watch the whole series:

V.QQ.com - The It Crowd

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Help with the tone of your e-mail, from new tool ToneCheck

Funny Video on Writing E-Mail

G.A.L.E.S.L. / joe3

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