MESSAGE TONE AND CLARITY RECORD
Message or phrase I am checking:
Literal information it gives:
Tone I intend, or the part I do not understand:
Exact cue and the sentence it applies to:
What the cue is commonly used to signal:
What I still cannot establish from it:
Reader and shared context:
Known communication preference, if any:
Action, deadline or other detail to state:
Plain wording or clarification I will use:
Response or clarification received:

Keep a quoted cue with the words it labels.
Use actual words for essential instructions.
A stated intention does not establish how another person received the message.
Leave another person's feelings unresolved when the message does not establish them.