Tone

A reasonable tone is generally the most effective. Tone indicates a writer's attitude towards the topic and towards the audience. Some attitudes include showing negative emotions, such as anger, hate, irony, sarcasm, and pessimism; positive emotions include respect, sincerity, hope, nostalgia, optimism, or pleading a "poor me" role; a cool, uninvolved distance may affect readers positively or negatively. Careful: do not duplicate your Point and/or evidence in a paragraph on credibility!

Diction

The author's word choice may be formal or informal, depending upon the audience, the topic, and the occasion, but should reveal a natural, not an artificial vocabulary. Careful: do not duplicate your Point and/or evidence in a paragraph on language!

Clarity

The most important aspect is clarity, so nothing is misunderstood.

Voice

An author's voice can be seen in word choices: repetitions for a cumulative effect, slang to connect to a particular audience, jargon to establish authority, and repetitive sounds to create musical pictures.

Sentence Structure

An author's style can be seen in sentence structures, including length, complexity, and incompleteness. Often, a sentence structure that is easy to comprehend is said to be reader friendly.

Grouping of Information

Short blocks of information in paragraphs may work effectively to pile up so much information that the reader ceases to evaluate each piece of evidence; moreover, the overload can push the reader towards a hasty conclusion to side with the author's argument. Indented blocks of information may call attention to themselves. Effective grouping of information can be especially helpful for a reader if the subject or argument is complicated.

Format

The format can influence readers. Subheadings may lend artificial organization to the essay or may clarify issues. Even punctuation contributes to style: common words in "quotation marks" may appear as doubtful; words in italics may look unnecessarily emphasized; an excess of exclamation marks can make the author sound hysterical; an excess of question marks may make the author sound uncertain.

Title

The title may offer clues to a writer's style. Is it clever? Comprehensive? Does it predict the subject matter? Alienate readers? Betray an agenda?

The Introduction and Conclusion

The writer's introduction can provide a "hook" (something to entice the reader) or establish what the essay/argument is about (provide a summary; establish a thesis). The writer's conclusion can definitely affect a reading experience. Does the conclusion impact the reader with a powerful emotional plea? Does it ignite controversy? Is it a plea for some action? What feeling is the reader left with?

Be careful not to duplicate your points and/or evidence with these aspects of style under other rhetorical elements in other paragraphs