Tone/Mood

Tone VS Mood

What’s the difference?

Tone is the AUTHOR’S attitude
towards the audience, the
subject, or the character.

Mood is the READER’S
feeling they get from a
story.

Tone

Mood

Tone is shown through

● Dialogue

● Descriptions –

author’s diction
[word choice]

Mood is shown through

● Setting

● Atmosphere

Tone is NOT Mood.

Tone = Author’s Attitude

According to the author’s
descriptions, what is the
tone?

The author’s tone in this
passage can be
described as serious and
focused because his word
choice included words
like “determination” and
“preparing.”

Tone & Mood | Example

He approached the task
with sheer determination.
He had studied his plans
carefully, spent hours
preparing and was sure
of his approach. The
hours he spent
practicing were grueling
and exhausting, but he
was ready. This was the
year he would win the
pie eating contest at
school.

Mood = Reader’s Feelings

According to the setting,
what is the mood?

The mood according to
the setting is playful and
exciting because the “pie
eating contests” are fun.

Tone is NOT

Mood.

Multiple Choice

What is tone?

• When and where a story takes place.

• The author's purpose for writing a story.

• The author's attitude in a text.

• How the story makes readers feel

Multiple Choice

What is mood?

• Where and when the story takes place.

• The author's attitude in a text.

• The author's purpose for writing a text.

• How the text makes the reader feel.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is not a kind of negative tone?

• angry

• cynical

• harsh

• excited

Multiple Choice

Which passage below has the most whimsical tone?

• The creature moved its sharp claws over the strange device, and the noise was loud and distracting.

• The lovely fairy danced her long fingers over the harp, and the music carried us gently into a trance.

• The creature played the instrument, and we listened to the music it made.

• The monster produced a terrifying noise, and we tried hard not to scream and give away our hiding place.

Multiple Choice

Which passage below has the most critical tone?

• On the train, the man slowly clipped his fingernails. He focused on the task, beginning with his pinky finger and finishing with his thumb.

• On the train, the tired, old man began clipping his fingernails. He was trying to distract himself from his loneliness by focusing on this one small task, moving from pinky to thumb.

• The man—right in the middle of the crowded train—began to clip his long, yellow fingernails. He did it slowly, as if he didn't even care that a dozen other people could see and hear him.

• The man on the train clipped his fingernails. It took him 2 minutes and 8 seconds. He started on his pinky and finished with his thumb. When he was finished, he put the clippers back into his jacket pocket.

Multiple Choice

Which words and phrases best show the sentimental tone in the passage below?

I got out of the old car and took a few halting steps up the driveway. A cloud of warmth drifted out of the window and embraced me like a comforting hug. I knew that smell: fresh bread that Papa had just taken from the oven. I heard the familiar pitch of his whistle as he slowly stirred tomato soup on the stovetop. I ran to open the screen door because, now, I knew where I was. I was home.

• "warmth," "comforting hug" and "home"

• "car," "tomato soup" and "door"

• "old," "halting" and "out the window"

• "driveway," "screen door" and "slowly stirred"

Multiple Choice

Lana was bursting with excitement. She paced up and down, and every few minutes, headed to the window to check for the mail carrier. When he finally showed up, she ran down the path and stretched out her hand for the mail. She took a deep breath and, hands shaking, ripped open the envelope.

What word would you use to describe the tone of this passage?

• Humorous

• Persuasive

• Anxious

• Cheerful

Multiple Choice

Ling was chewing the gum. When her teacher told her to spit it out and throw it in the trash, she talked back.

What tone do you think Ling used with her teacher?

• Apologetic

• Sarcastic

• Disrespectful

• Uncertain

Multiple Choice

What is the tone of the following passage?

The alarm buzzed. Jordan smashed her fist down on it. . . hard. It flew off the nightstand and bounced off her cat, Armstrong. The cat yowled indignantly and rocketed out of the room.

• Eerie

• Sarcastic

• Passionate

• Humorous

Multiple Choice

Read the following passage:

"Class, today is going to be a busy day. This is a list of tasks that must be completed before lunch time: math worksheet, silent reading, and writing project."

What is the TONE of the passage?

• Serious

• Funny

• Scary

• Cautious

Multiple Choice

Read the following passage:

"I feel like throwing something! I was typing my paper and was almost finished. Then the power went out. Now my paper is lost! I almost threw the keyboard on the dolor when I saw that my paper was gone. I also yelled at my mom when she came into the room. Now I am in trouble and I have to start the paper all over again. This is a horrible night."

What is the TONE of the passage?

• Excited

• Angry

• Serious

• Scary

Mood

The atmosphere of the story. Through the author's use of words and descriptions, how does the story make the reader feel?

Poll

Pick the passage that best describes the mood SURPRISED:

• "The weather will be warm today. There is a chance of rain tonight. Tomorrow will be warmer. It will be sunny."

• "This weekend I went into my kitchen and sat down. Suddenly, there was a loud noise and many people ran into the room. They shouted, "Happy birthday!"I did not know what to say."

Poll

Pick the passage that best describes the mood PESSIMISTIC:

(pessimistic definition - believing the worst will happen)

• "I wish I was going to my old school. I have to go to a new school this year. I will not know anyone. This school even has classes after school gets out. I might have to waste my time in a cooking class."

• "This is going to be a great school year! I am starting at a new school. I am so excited to make some new friends. I will also get to take fun classes, such as cooking."

Multiple Choice

The tone of a passage, poem, or song is...

• how you feel after you read or listen to the piece

• the author's attitude toward their work

Multiple Choice

The mood of a passage, book, or song is...

• the author's attitude

• how you feel after reading or listening 

Multiple Choice

Which words and phrases from the sentence below best shows you the tone?

That waste of a movie really destroyed my Saturday.

• "waste" and "destroyed"

• "movie" and "of a"

• "that" and "my"

• "really" and "Saturday"

Multiple Choice

City Autumn By Joseph Moncure March
   The air breathes frost. A thin wind beats
Old dust and papers down gray streets
And blows brown leaves with curled-up edges
At frightened sparrows on window ledges.
What is the mood?

• joyful

• annoyed

• gloomy

• puzzled

Multiple Choice

A stories mood is often IMPLIED, not just stated outright... what do we think implied means?

• sarcasm

• denied

• Hinted at

• stated

Poll

"I didn't need her to be happy, but she was my best friend. I don't understand why she is so mean to me when I am so nice to her. All I do is try to make her happy but it's never enough"

What is the MOOD? Hint, What does the author make you to feel?

• excited for her

• sad and upset for her

• happy for her

• confused for her

Multiple Choice

"I didn't need her to be happy, but she was my best friend. I don't understand why she is so mean to me when I am so nice to her. All I do is try to make her happy but it's never enough"

What is the authors Tone? Hint, What is the authors attitude

• devastated

• excited

• happy

• confused and hurt