Tone & Mood

What is the "tone" of a story?

• The feeling the passage evokes from the reader

• The author, narrator, or speaker's attitude toward the subject

• The time and place of the story

• The summary of events in the story

Which tone is represented in the following passage?

"Wow! With a top speed of one hundred fifty miles per hour, that car can almost fly!"

• Annoying

• Excited

• Calm

• Scary

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

Just when I thought things could not get more ridiculous, Rebecca's little terrier, all dressed up in its knitted blue "winter outfit," poked its head out of the pink polka dot doggy tote! The outfit was an odd sweater-and-hood number. Perhaps Rebecca though it flattered Fluffy's eyes. Fluffy looked around blankly, as if to ask what was so amusing.

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

• Bitter

• Respectful

• Objective

• Humorous

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

It was the first football game for the Gators. The coach asked if everyone was ready. The players jumped and replied, "Yes!"

In what tone did the Gators's reply?

• Calm

• Serious

• Happy

• Enthusiastic

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

What is mood?

• Where and when a story takes place

• The author's reason for writing a story

• The author's attitude toward the story

• How the story makes you feel

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"

Tags

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

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"

Tags

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.6.4