NBT Academic Literacy: Tone, Register and Author's Attitude Flashcards

A letter of complaint reads: 'I am writing to express my profound dissatisfaction with the service I received on 3 May. The conduct of your staff was, to say the least, unacceptable.' The register is:

Answer: Formal written complaint

Formal salutation, third-person reference, controlled vocabulary ('profound dissatisfaction', 'conduct'), and measured understatement ('to say the least') identify a formal written complaint.

Read: 'The poet does not describe war heroically; instead she strips it of glory, presenting it as a squalid and futile exercise in human self-destruction.' The critic's attitude toward the poet's approach is:

Answer: Appreciative — the critic approves of the honest, unglamourised portrayal

'Strips it of glory' and 'honest' framing suggest the critic values the poet's unflinching, honest approach — an appreciative attitude.

Which of the following sentences demonstrates a formal academic tone?

Answer: Empirical evidence consistently indicates that early childhood intervention yields measurable long-term benefits.

Technical vocabulary ('empirical evidence', 'intervention', 'yields measurable long-term benefits') and objective phrasing mark formal academic tone.

An essay concludes: 'This analysis has demonstrated that language is never a neutral tool; it is always already a site of power.' The phrase 'always already' suggests the author believes:

Answer: Language has inherently always been entangled with power — this is not a new development

'Always already' is a theoretical phrase indicating the condition is foundational and inescapable — not contingent on time or context.

A charity appeal reads: 'For just R5 a day — less than the price of a coffee — you can change a child's life forever. Will you act today?' The dominant tone is:

Answer: Emotionally appealing and action-orientated

The comparison ('price of a coffee'), emotive stakes ('change a child's life'), and direct question all deploy emotional appeal and a call to action.

Read: 'The committee noted, with some concern, an increase in student absenteeism.' The phrase 'with some concern' is an example of:

Answer: Hedged formal expression of mild disapproval

'With some concern' hedges the emotional response — acknowledging concern without overstating it, typical of formal institutional discourse.

A columnist writes: 'I confess I find it mildly entertaining that those who once dismissed social media as trivial now use it to run their election campaigns.' The tone is:

Answer: Wryly amused — noting the irony of those who dismissed social media now using it

'Mildly entertaining' and the ironic reversal (dismissers become users) signal wry amusement at the hypocrisy of the situation.