Tone, Mood, Diction

Author’s Voice (Tone, Mood)

By Mrs. Jessen

Introduction to Tone

​What is tone?

​Tone is the author’s attitude or feeling about the subject that he/she writes about.

​HOW does the author show you his/her tone?

-Character dialogue

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-​Internal monologue

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​-Diction (word choice)

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​Let's Practice! Read the below passage.

​Why do these things always happen to me? Brad wondered. First, I forget an important meeting, and nobody reminds me until it’s over. Then, my boss dumps a big project on my desk and wants it done by yesterday. And to top everything off, I leave my wallet on the bus.

Poll

Why do these things always happen to me? Brad wondered. First, I forget an important meeting, and nobody reminds me until it’s over. Then, my boss dumps a big project on my desk and wants it done by yesterday. And to top everything off, I leave my wallet on the bus.

How does the author feel about their day?

• It is the best day ever!

• Eh, could be worse.

• Everything that could go wrong, is going wrong.

Open Ended

Why do these things always happen to me? Brad wondered. First, I forget an important meeting, and nobody reminds me until it’s over. Then, my boss dumps a big project on my desk and wants it done by yesterday. And to top everything off, I leave my wallet on the bus.

What helps you understand how the author feels?

​Consider the following..

​"If I could give you one thing in life I would give you the ability to see yourself through my eyes, only then would you realize how special you are to me.”  -Anonymous

Poll

​"If I could give you one thing in life I would give you the ability to see yourself through my eyes, only then would you realize how special you are to me.”  -Anonymous

How does the author FEEL about this subject?

• The author is mad at their significant other.

• The author thinks they are okay.

• The author loves their significant other very much.

Open Ended

When you think of the word HOME, what images and other words come to mind?

​Denotation + Connotation of author’s diction = TONE

​Denotation: the literal meaning of the word

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Connotation: Common associations that people make with words (positive, negative, or neutral) 

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Example Word: Gray

Denotation: Color of any shade between the colors of black and white 

Connotation: Negative (Gloom, Sadness, Old Age)

​Denotation of HOME

​The dictionary defintion is:

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the place where one lives permanently, especially as a member of a family or household.

​Connotation of HOME

An emotional association of HOME could be:

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​Family

​Security

​Love

​Safety

​Comfort

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​Postive, Negative, and Neutral Connotations

​Words can have a positive, neutral, or negative connotation based on personal experiences.

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​Let's look at the word "laugh" for a second.

​The denotation of laugh is: make the spontaneous sounds and movements of the face and body that are the instinctive expressions of lively amusement and sometimes also of contempt or derision.

​Example connotations for LAUGH based on personal experiences.

​POSTIVE:

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​Giggle

​Chortle

​Snort

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​NEGATIVE:

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​​Snicker

​Guffaw

​Cackle

​Crow

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​NEUTRAL:

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Laugh

​Chuckle

​Purpose of Tone

Shows the writer’s attitude: Tone is the author’s attitude toward the subject—like being excited, serious, annoyed, or calm. For example, even a confession scene could be written in a calm, matter-of-fact tone or in a shocked, emotional tone.

Helps readers understand the story: The tone affects how readers think about the characters, events, and themes. For example, a sarcastic tone might show that the author is criticizing something in society.

Creates the emotional feel of the text: Tone helps set the overall feeling of the writing and keeps readers interested by influencing how they react to what’s happening.

Shows character changes:
Tone can change throughout a story. These changes can reveal how a character is feeling or how they are growing and developing.

Strengthens themes and meaning:
Writers use word choice and sentence style to create tone. A strong tone can help communicate big ideas and deeper meanings in a clear and powerful way.

Just to remember... ​

Mood

​What is mood?

• The atmosphere or emotional feeling a writer creates for the reader.

• It refers to the overall emotional response the work evokes, such as tense, joyful, or eerie. 

Mood- What are the Basic Elements?

• Setting: Where and When

• Imagery: look for images that are repeated or described in detail

• Tone: The attitude of the author about the piece of writing

• Diction: Word Choice

• Genre and Plot: The reactions of characters and the outcomes of events also influence the mood of the story

​Purpose of Mood

• Creates feelings for the reader: Mood is the feeling the author wants you to have while reading—like happiness, fear, excitement, or sadness. These feelings make the story more interesting and memorable.

• Helps you connect to the story: When the mood is clear, readers feel more involved with the characters and what’s happening. This makes you want to keep reading to see what happens next.

• Supports understanding: A strong mood can help you better understand the message or theme of the text because it shapes how you see the events and characters.

​Purpose of Mood

• Improves the reading experience: Mood helps build a vivid picture in your mind. For example, a dark and stormy mood can create suspense, while a bright and cheerful one can make the story feel happier or more relaxed.

• Works with tone: Mood and tone are different, but they are connected. Mood is how the story makes you feel, while tone is how the author feels about the topic. Together, they help you understand the full emotional picture of the text.

Mood vs. Tone

What is the difference?

Multiple Choice

What is the relationship between the mood of a piece of writing, and the reader of that piece?

• Mood is the feeling the reader gets from a piece of writing.

• Mood is the knowledge the reader gains from a piece of writing.

• Mood is the relationship the reader develops with the author of a piece of writing.

• Mood is the amount of sympathy the reader feels for the characters within a piece of writing.

Multiple Choice

What might be the setting of a story with a lighthearted, relaxed mood?

• A drafty old castle

• The beach on a sunny day

• A junior high school math class

• An isolated cottage deep in the dark woods

Multiple Choice

A story's mood is often implied, instead of stated outright. What does "implied" mean?

• Declared

• Hinted at

• Denied

• Deceptive

Multiple Choice

Tone is most closely related to :

• Emotion

• Capitalization

• Erudition

• Punctuation

Multiple Choice

What is the tone of the following sentence? "'Here we go again,' he moaned, as he watched the other team score yet another goal."

• Joy

• Fury

• Excitement

• Frustration

Multiple Choice

What do the tone of a piece of writing and a speaker's tone of voice have in common?

• In speech, tone is expressed by volume; in writing, tone is expressed by dialogue.

• In speech, tone is expressed by words; in writing, tone is expressed by punctuation.

• They are similar, but written tone is expressed in the author's vocabulary and syntax.

• They aren't related at all.

Open Ended

What is the difference in the tone and mood of the Toy Story 3 Trailers? Use descriptive words to compare/contrast the trailers. Use examples from the trailers to support your answer.

​Denotation

​Connotation

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Multiple Choice

Diction is the literary term that means

• The connections we have with words

• An author's choice of words

• The definition of words

• The common way of speaking with friends

Multiple Choice

Authors set a TONE or MOOD in literature by conveying an emotion or emotions through _____________.

• pictures
• height
• words
• funny faces

Multiple Choice

What is the "mood" of  a story?

• Emotions audience feels from a given passage.
• The time and place of the story.
• The summary of events of the story.
• The lesson the reader learns from the story.

Multiple Choice

What is the "tone" of a story?

• The feeling the passage evokes from the reader
• The author, narrator, or speaker's attitude toward a subject
• The time and place of the story
• The summary of events in the story

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 did Ling use with her teacher?

• Apologetic
• Sarcastic
• Disrespectful
• uncertain

Multiple Choice

What is the tone of the following text?
"I will not!" she shouted.  "I will not be left at the mercy of our enemies while you run away and hide, you coward!" 

• pleased
• suspicious 
• happy
• angry