Final answer:
To make your writing sound conversational, you should vary sentence structure and length to create balance and engage the reader. Additionally, considering diction and reading the text aloud can help gauge and adjust the tone to match your audience and purpose. The correct answer is 3) vary sentence structure and length.
Step-by-step explanation:
A conversational tone can indeed make writing more engaging and relatable. To achieve this, one can vary sentence structure and length . This not only makes the text more dynamic but also mirrors natural speech, thereby making it sound more conversational.
Sentences that are closely related can be combined for a richer meaning while short sentences can be used effectively to showcase realistic dialogue or action. Most importantly, balancing the sentence lengths and structures engages the audience in an effective manner.
The tone of writing is another crucial aspect as it represents the author's attitude towards the subject. A conversational tone might use an informal register with everyday language that suggests a friendly, casual interaction between the writer and the reader.
When revising for tone, one should consider word choice, or diction, as it greatly impacts how the tone is perceived. Reading the passage aloud can be a helpful test of whether the words are contributing to the desired tone.
Keep in mind that while the conversational tone can be friendly and accessible, it should still be appropriate for the audience and the purpose of the writing. More formal writing, like academic essays, typically requires a more formal tone. Therefore, the key is to adapt your tone to suit the writing context, ensuring the right balance and appropriateness of language.