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Bonus: Tone marks
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The gap
Tone gets lost in text. You're the worst could be a joke or a fight, and the reader has to guess. A tone mark says how you mean it.
The marks
| Mark | Meaning |
|---|---|
% | joking, teasing |
; | warm, affectionate |
& | contrast: this one, not another |
? | unsure about this word |
! | strong feeling (the words say which) |
Double a mark for more: !! is stronger still, ?? is very unsure. Stack different marks to mix tones, in any order: ?! is surprised and doubtful, %; is teasing but fond. Two of a kind is the most.
Write the mark before what it colors, so the reader sees the tone before reading the words. Attach it to a word to color that word. Put it at the start of the sentence to color the whole sentence. A ! at the end of a sentence is still ordinary English punctuation.
Examples
%You're the worst.
;Call me when you land.
We went &Tuesday.
He brought a ?casserole.
!We shipped it.
%;You and your spreadsheets.
We went &Tuesday means Tuesday and not another day. He brought a ?casserole means you're not sure casserole is the right word for it.
Practice
Add a tone mark so the sentence says what the note asks for.
1. I love Mondays. (you're joking)
Show answer
%I love Mondays.
2. Sleep well. (warmly)
Show answer
;Sleep well.
3. I asked for the blue one. (the blue one, not another)
Show answer
I asked for the &blue one.
4. She's moving to Iceland. (you're surprised and doubtful)
Show answer
?!She's moving to Iceland.