Download Tone

Tone and
Mood
“Boy, watch your tone when
speaking to me”
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Tone: The writer’s attitude towards the subject
of the piece, the audience, and self. Also
known as, the way feelings are expressed.
Conveyed through the use of:
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Diction (the words that the author uses in his/her
writing)
Point of View (the author’s view and how it
affects his/her writing)
Syntax (the arrangement of words to create
sentences)
And, the author’s level of formality (how formal
or informal is the piece?)
“Don’t you use that tone of
voice with me!”
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Has anyone ever said to you, "Don't use
that tone of voice with me?" Your tone can
change the meaning of what you say.
Tone can turn a statement like, " You're a
big help!" into a genuine compliment or a
cruel sarcastic remark. It depends on the
context of the story.
Important Tone Words
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Accusatory: charging of wrong doing
Bitter: exhibiting strong animosity as a result of pain or grief
Critical: finding fault
Earnest: intense, a sincere state of mind
Intimate: very familiar
Matter-of-fact: accepting of conditions; not fanciful or
emotional
Optimistic: hopeful, cheerful
Reverent: treating a subject with honor and respect
Reflective: illustrating innermost thoughts and emotions
Sarcastic: sneering, caustic
Sincere: without deceit or pretense; genuine
Solemn: deeply earnest, tending toward sad reflection
“Girl, you’re in a mood!”
 Mood:
emotion evoked by a text.
 Writers use many devices to create the
mood in a text:
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Dialogue (language between the
characters)
Setting (where/when the story takes place,
who the characters are, etc.)
Plot (the rise and fall of action and events
throughout the piece)
Important Mood Words
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The following are examples of moods that a text can
cause the reader to feel:
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Suspense
Lonely
Happy
Angry
Anxious
Tense
Suspicious
Excited
Depressed
Scared
Disgusted
BEWARE!!
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Tone and mood can very easily be confused!
Tone simply refers to how the author feels
towards the subject, or towards something.
You will know what the author’s tone is
implying by the words he uses.
While ‘mood’, refers to the feeling of the
atmosphere the author is describing. It is what
the author makes you feel when you read his
writings. You can read a sentence, and feel
sad, happy or angry.
Examples of Tone
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I’d rather stay here and wait, than go into that
dark room.
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The sun is shining brightly in the meadow, let’s go
out and play!
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The sentence above imposes that the person is
scared.
The sentence above imposes that the person is
happy or excited.
I called my friend at their house, her brother said
she’s not home, but I heard her voice come over
the line.
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The sentence imposes that the person is suspicious.
Examples of Mood
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The night was dark and stormy.
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The man kicked and threw the poor cat out
of his house.
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The sentence gives you a scary ‘mood’ (or
feeling).
The sentence gives you a feeling of anger, or
pity towards the cat.
There was plenty of food, and the music was
playing. Everybody was having a good time.
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The sentence gives you a mood (or feeling) of
happiness and fun.