Concept 4
Maintain an appropriate style and tone for an argumentative essay.
A strong ACT essay sounds formal, measured, and credible rather than casual or sarcastic.
Core Idea
ACT essays should sound formal, measured, and credible. The tone can be confident, but it should not sound casual, sarcastic, or exaggerated.
Understanding
Formal tone does not mean stiff or inflated. It means the essay sounds controlled enough that the reader trusts the writer's judgment.
- Too casual: slang, filler, or chatty phrasing.
- Too aggressive: mocking the other side instead of answering it.
- Strong tone: direct, measured language that disagrees firmly without sounding personal or theatrical.
- Revision move: if a sentence sounds like something you would say in an argument with a friend, rewrite it as something you would submit to a reader who is scoring your reasoning.
A calm, credible tone makes even a strong disagreement sound more persuasive.
Misconceptions
- Equating formal tone with exaggerated vocabulary or grand statements.
- Assuming sarcasm or ridicule makes the argument sound stronger.
Question
Worked Example
Which sentence maintains the most appropriate argumentative tone in an essay about school dress codes?
Select an answer to see the explanation