WRITING TIPS LESSON
APTS Lesson Introduction: Audience, Purpose, Tone, and Style
The first step for learning about types of writing and writing styles is to begin using the vocabulary of writing. Let me explain why we need a few specialty words. Let's begin by thinking about two common occurrences. Have you ever looked at a sentence and said to yourself, "that is just wrong," but been unable to say what was wrong or why it was wrong? That happens to a lot of people. Or have you had teachers send back papers with notations that commas don't belong where you put them or do belong where you didn't? That happens to a lot of people, too. These two common scenarios share a characteristic: the person did not know the terminology of writing. When you know words and their meaning, you hold the power of them in your hand. They no longer hover over you waiting to pounce. No matter what your career, knowing the terminology gives you power. The same is true of writing.
As students gain mastery over the lower order concerns such as grammar, punctuation, APA style, etc., they will acquire several terms that will give them power over commas and other matters that may have bothered them in the past. Those are covered in other lessons.
For this lesson, you will acquire four terms that deal with the higher order concerns. These are terms that, as a student, you will see in your readings, future lectures, assignment instructions, and grading criteria. Therefore, you will find these terms important:: audience, purpose, tone, and style (APTS).
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Copyright Ida L. Rodgers, 2004
Updated January 16, 2012
Updated January 16, 2012