Tone & Tone & MoodMood

……to support the authorto support the author’’s purposes purpose

TONETONE

TONE is simply the authorTONE is simply the author’’s attitude s attitude toward the subject. toward the subject.

You can recognize the tone/attitude by the You can recognize the tone/attitude by the language/word choices the author uses. language/word choices the author uses. His language will reveal his His language will reveal his perspective/opinion (that is, whether it is perspective/opinion (that is, whether it is positive/negative) about the subject.positive/negative) about the subject.

Tone Tone must be inferredmust be inferred through the use of through the use of descriptive words.descriptive words.

Tone Example Tone Example    The girls were playing in the pond, splashing The girls were playing in the pond, splashing

each other and trying to catch fish with their hands. each other and trying to catch fish with their hands. They were having fun, but kept looking over their They were having fun, but kept looking over their shoulders at the looming forest. The long grass of shoulders at the looming forest. The long grass of the field kept moving and they sort of felt like they the field kept moving and they sort of felt like they were being watched… About a half hour passed and were being watched… About a half hour passed and still the girls kept checking the field for movements. still the girls kept checking the field for movements. It seemed like a pair of dark eyes was on them. They It seemed like a pair of dark eyes was on them. They even considered going back inside, but that would even considered going back inside, but that would mean homework time. So they continued splashing, mean homework time. So they continued splashing, but with caution now. Their eyes hardly left the field.but with caution now. Their eyes hardly left the field.

The The tonetone of this passage is of this passage is ominousominous, suggesting a , suggesting a little bit of little bit of fear or forebodingfear or foreboding.. Words like "caution, Words like "caution, dark, and loomingdark, and looming““ lead readers to the tone. lead readers to the tone.

TONE EXAMPLETONE EXAMPLE

Finally, one of the girls pointed to the grass and Finally, one of the girls pointed to the grass and giggled. "Meow!" A cat sat on the edge of the giggled. "Meow!" A cat sat on the edge of the field and licked its paw. They did indeed have field and licked its paw. They did indeed have company. The girls ran over to the cat and pet company. The girls ran over to the cat and pet his belly. They laughed and the cat sauntered his belly. They laughed and the cat sauntered back to the field. back to the field.

The The tonetone of this passage is happy/contentment of this passage is happy/contentment as there was a successful, happy resolution to as there was a successful, happy resolution to the problem.the problem.

TONETONE

Identifying the TONE is all about Identifying the TONE is all about knowing the definitions of many knowing the definitions of many descriptive vocabulary words. descriptive vocabulary words. Without this large vocabulary, itWithout this large vocabulary, it’’s s difficult to describe outside of difficult to describe outside of ““goodgood”” and and ““bad.bad.””

TONETONESo, letSo, let’’s s TONETONE our brain muscles our brain muscles

with descriptive vocabulary with descriptive vocabulary exercises!!exercises!!

BitterBitter SeriousSerious WittyWitty PlayfulPlayful TenderTender SympatheticSympathetic HauntingHaunting MysteriousMysterious SuspensefulSuspenseful

Tasteful/distastefulTasteful/distasteful NonchalantNonchalant Angry Angry Attached/Attached/

DetachedDetached InnocentInnocent PoignantPoignant CompassionateCompassionate HumorousHumorous Gore-yGore-y

Tone: Tone: ““A Gift in His ShoesA Gift in His Shoes””Donovan and Larry were early for Donovan and Larry were early for

baseball practice. They decided to run up and baseball practice. They decided to run up and down the bleachers to exercise before the rest down the bleachers to exercise before the rest of the team arrived.of the team arrived.

Larry was first to the top. He whispered Larry was first to the top. He whispered to Donovan, to Donovan, ““Look over there.Look over there.”” He pointed to a He pointed to a man sleeping on the highest, narrow bench of man sleeping on the highest, narrow bench of the bleachers. His pants and shirt were faded, the bleachers. His pants and shirt were faded, worn, and too large for his thin frame. One big worn, and too large for his thin frame. One big toe stuck out of a huge hole in his sock. His toe stuck out of a huge hole in his sock. His scraped-up shoes sat a few feet away.scraped-up shoes sat a few feet away.

Donovan whispered, Donovan whispered, ““We should help him We should help him out. Letout. Let’’s hide something good in his shoes. s hide something good in his shoes. Then, when he wakes up, he will have a nice Then, when he wakes up, he will have a nice surprise.surprise.””

Tone: Tone: ““A Gift in His ShoesA Gift in His Shoes””

How would you describe the tone How would you describe the tone [attitude] of this author?[attitude] of this author?

a.a. AngryAngry

b.b. DetachedDetached

c.c. SympatheticSympathetic

Evidence?Evidence?

Tone: Tone: ““Where Can They Where Can They Stay?Stay?””About three million people have to look About three million people have to look

for a place to sleep at night. Some for a place to sleep at night. Some homeless people have jobs but do not earn homeless people have jobs but do not earn nearly enough money for both food and nearly enough money for both food and shelter. Some become homeless because shelter. Some become homeless because they have an unfortunate accident or lose they have an unfortunate accident or lose their job. They do not have any back-up their job. They do not have any back-up resources to make it through the hard times. resources to make it through the hard times.

The homeless face terrible problems. The homeless face terrible problems. Many become victims of violence. Serious Many become victims of violence. Serious health problems may begin because they health problems may begin because they are exposed to bad weather and unclean are exposed to bad weather and unclean conditions. Homeless children may miss the conditions. Homeless children may miss the chance to go to school. Worst of all, some chance to go to school. Worst of all, some cities pass laws that make it even harder on cities pass laws that make it even harder on the homeless.the homeless.

Tone: Tone: ““Where Can They StaWhere Can They Stayy ””

How would you describe the tone How would you describe the tone [attitude] of this author?[attitude] of this author?

a.a. DisgruntledDisgruntled

b.b. NonchalantNonchalant

c.c. SeriousSerious

Evidence?Evidence?

MOODMOOD

MOOD is the overall feelings or MOOD is the overall feelings or emotions that are created IN THE emotions that are created IN THE READER. READER.

Authors Authors ““movemove”” their readers their readers’’ moods moods through their choice of words and through their choice of words and level of detail.level of detail.

MOOD EXAMPLEMOOD EXAMPLE  

During the holidays, my mother's house glittered During the holidays, my mother's house glittered with decorations and hummed with with decorations and hummed with preparations. We ate cookies and drank cider preparations. We ate cookies and drank cider while we helped her wrap bright packages and while we helped her wrap bright packages and trim the tree. We felt warm and excited, listening trim the tree. We felt warm and excited, listening to Christmas carols and even singing along to Christmas carols and even singing along sometimes. We would tease each other about sometimes. We would tease each other about our terrible voices and then sing even louder. our terrible voices and then sing even louder.

Mood:Mood: Content, happy. How do we know? Words Content, happy. How do we know? Words like "warm, excited, glitteredlike "warm, excited, glittered”” are used by the are used by the author.author.

MOOD EXAMPLEMOOD EXAMPLE

After New Year's the time came to put all the After New Year's the time came to put all the decorations away and settle in for the long, cold decorations away and settle in for the long, cold winter. The house seemed to sigh as we boxed winter. The house seemed to sigh as we boxed up its finery. The tree was dry and brittle, and up its finery. The tree was dry and brittle, and now waited forlornly by the side of the road to now waited forlornly by the side of the road to be picked up. be picked up.

Mood:Mood: Dreary, depressed. How do we know? Dreary, depressed. How do we know? "cold, sigh, brittle, forlornly""cold, sigh, brittle, forlornly"

MOODMOOD

Again, identifying the mood of a piece Again, identifying the mood of a piece of writing will depend on the number of writing will depend on the number of descriptive words you know to of descriptive words you know to answer the question: How did this answer the question: How did this paragraph, this passage, this story paragraph, this passage, this story make the character or make you make the character or make you feel?feel?

MOODMOODBrain Muscle Work-out, Volume Brain Muscle Work-out, Volume

II!II! CheerfulCheerful RelievedRelieved GloomyGloomy BleakBleak UncertainUncertain BittersweetBittersweet Relaxed Relaxed LazyLazy HopelessHopeless TenseTense

FuriousFurious DisappointedDisappointed Dreamy, foggyDreamy, foggy ContentContent SatisfiedSatisfied AngryAngry MotivatedMotivated InspiredInspired ConfidentConfident EerieEerie

Mood: Mood: ““A Gift in His ShoesA Gift in His Shoes””Donovan and Larry were early for Donovan and Larry were early for

baseball practice. They decided to run up and baseball practice. They decided to run up and down the bleachers to exercise before the rest down the bleachers to exercise before the rest of the team arrived.of the team arrived.

Larry was first to the top. He whispered Larry was first to the top. He whispered to Donovan, to Donovan, ““Look over there.Look over there.”” He pointed to He pointed to a man sleeping on the highest, narrow bench a man sleeping on the highest, narrow bench of the bleachers. His pants and shirt were of the bleachers. His pants and shirt were faded, worn, and too large for his thin frame. faded, worn, and too large for his thin frame. One big toe stuck out of a huge hole in his One big toe stuck out of a huge hole in his sock. His scraped-up shoes sat a few feet sock. His scraped-up shoes sat a few feet away.away.

Donovan whispered, Donovan whispered, ““We should help him We should help him out. Letout. Let’’s hide something good in his shoes. s hide something good in his shoes. Then, when he wakes up, he will have a nice Then, when he wakes up, he will have a nice surprise.surprise.””

Mood: Mood: ““A Gift in His ShoesA Gift in His Shoes””

How would you describe the mood of How would you describe the mood of this passage?this passage?

a.a. AngryAngry

b.b. DetachedDetached

c.c. SympatheticSympathetic

Evidence?Evidence?

Mood: Mood: ““Where Can They Where Can They Stay?Stay?””About three million people have to look About three million people have to look

for a place to sleep at night. Some for a place to sleep at night. Some homeless people have jobs but do not earn homeless people have jobs but do not earn nearly enough money for both food and nearly enough money for both food and shelter. Some become homeless because shelter. Some become homeless because they have an unfortunate accident or lose they have an unfortunate accident or lose their job. They do not have any back-up their job. They do not have any back-up resources to make it through the hard times. resources to make it through the hard times.

The homeless face terrible problems. The homeless face terrible problems. Many become victims of violence. Serious Many become victims of violence. Serious health problems may begin because they health problems may begin because they are exposed to bad weather and unclean are exposed to bad weather and unclean conditions. Homeless children may miss the conditions. Homeless children may miss the chance to go to school. Worst of all, some chance to go to school. Worst of all, some cities pass laws that make it even harder on cities pass laws that make it even harder on the homeless.the homeless.

Mood: Mood: ““Where Can They Where Can They Stay?Stay?””

How would you describe the mood of How would you describe the mood of this passage? CAN you describe the this passage? CAN you describe the mood of this passage?mood of this passage?

In non-fiction, expository (report-like) In non-fiction, expository (report-like) pieces of writing, there is usually not pieces of writing, there is usually not enough enough ‘‘hintshints’’ to produce a mood for to produce a mood for the reader. Itthe reader. It’’s just factual s just factual information. information. (Of course, this doesn(Of course, this doesn ’’t mean it inhibits t mean it inhibits you to think about it! Again, you to think about it! Again, ““the power of pen has moved the power of pen has moved mountains.mountains.””))