Tone

• “Tone” refers to the attitudes or feelings expressed by the writer through their choice of words and style of writing.
• Identifying the tone in a text is crucial for understanding the author’s purpose and audience.
• The tone can be formal, informal, serious, lighthearted, sarcastic, upset, or humorous among many others. One piece of text might have a single consistent tone or it might vary in different parts.
• One way to identify the tone is to look at the choice of words (diction). Words have connotations or additional implied meanings that can hint at the tone.
• Another way to determine the tone is through the mood of the text, which is the emotional effect it has on the reader. Although similar, tone and mood are not the same. The tone is the writer’s attitude, while mood is how the reader feels when reading.
• Look for figurative language like metaphors, similes, personification, and others, as they can be used to establish the tone. For example, a metaphor like ‘the world is a stage’ suggests a dramatic or theatrical tone.
• Syntax or sentence structure can also imply the tone. Long, complex sentences might suggest a more formal or serious tone, while shorter, simpler sentences might suggest a more casual or urgent tone.
• Punctuation can affect the tone as well. Excitement, for instance, could be conveyed through the use of exclamation points, while questions could indicate confusion or curiosity.
• Ultimately, to decipher the tone, question what the author’s intention may have been and how they want the reader to feel.
• Be prepared to provide evidence for your analysis of the tone. This could be phrases, individual words, punctuation, or features of syntax that you find indicative of a certain tone.