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College Composition / Unit 10   CMP 0244 short lesson, about 20 seconds

Words That Shift Tone

Captions available

The idea

A single charged word can shift the tone of an otherwise neutral passage.

In practice

"The council approved the plan" is neutral; "The council finally caved and approved the plan" makes the writer's opinion visible.

Where people slip

In an objective report, such words undercut credibility; in an argument, they must be earned by evidence.

Your place on the trail

Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.

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