Author's Craft

Which passage 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 small task.

• 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. Then, he put the clippers back in his pocket.

Tags

CCSS.RL.3.4

CCSS.RL.4.4

CCSS.RL.5.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

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.

• "car", "tomato soup", and "door"

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

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

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

Tags

CCSS.RL.3.4

CCSS.RL.4.4

CCSS.RL.5.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

Read the passage & then answer the question below.

The house isn't perfect, but it's where my babies grew up. I know it all by heart. I know every stain on the carpet, every creaking floorboard and every paint chip on the windowsills. Each corner of this small space is filled with memories that relive when I walk through the narrow hallways.

What words best describe the author's tone in the passage above?

• hopeless and afraid

• sentimental and tender

• angry and violent

• romantic and passionate

Tags

CCSS.RL.3.4

CCSS.RL.4.4

CCSS.RL.5.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

Read the following passage & then answer the question below.

Some people might see my cat George soaking up a sunny spot in my living room or sleeping for 20 hours each day and think, "What a lazy cat!" But "lazy" is the wrong word for George. George the Cat is calm, and he is wise. The other night there was a terrible storm with crashing thunder and bright flashes of lightning that lasted 2 hours. Another cat might have darted from the room, frantic, thumping into walls and diving off countertops. But George just work up from his perch and quietly analyzed the situation, watching me closely for cues on how to react.

Which words from the passage have a positive connotation?

• "frantic" and "hyper"

• "crashing" and "wise"

• "sleeping" and "thundering"

• "calm" and "wise"

Tags

CCSS.RL.3.4

CCSS.RL.4.4

CCSS.RL.5.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

Which of the following passages has the most objective tone?

• In 1925, people were sick and planes couldn't land in Nome, Alaska. Teams of dogs delivered the medicine.

• The people of Nome, Alaska were in big trouble in 1925. It was up to the dogs to save them.

• Do you know about the brave dogs in Nome, Alaska, who saved the town in 1925?

• The hero dogs in Nome, Alaska, did what no pilot could do:they brought medicine to the town.

Tags

CCSS.RL.3.4

CCSS.RL.4.4

CCSS.RL.5.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

Which of the following would most likely have an objective tone?

• a letter to a friend

• a movie review

• a political speech

• an encyclopedia entry

Tags

CCSS.RL.3.4

CCSS.RL.4.4

CCSS.RL.5.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

In which of the following passages does repetition help establish a bitter tone?

• The brave girl beat the dangerous dragon, got through the dangerous jungle and survived the dangerous journey.

• There will be peace in our community, peace in our town, peace in our homes, and peace on Earth.

• The spoiled child was not easily satisfied, he was not quick to laugh and he did not enjoy simple pleasures.

• My mom told me what happened and I cried until my tears filled up the car and nearly drowned in them.

Tags

CCSS.RL.3.4

CCSS.RL.4.4

CCSS.RL.5.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

Read the following passage & then answer the question.

The school was dark and cold, the hallways were empty. I walked by rows of blue-gray locker doors, dented and bent into strange shapes until I reached it: Room 209. It was here that I was a freshman in high school, new to the town and without a friend in the world. All those years ago, I had sat in a desk in this room, surrounded by strangers who could not pronounce my name and did not bother to ask me.

Which detail from the passage best creates a gloomy, lonely mood?

• "The school was dark and cold, and the hallways were empty."

• "All those years ago, I had sat in a desk in this room..."

• "It was here that I was a freshman in high school..."

• "I walked by rows of blue-gray locker doors..."

Tags

CCSS.RL.3.4

CCSS.RL.4.4

CCSS.RL.5.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

Read the following passage & then answer the question below.

We are contacting you today because you are one of the most generous contributors. In the past, your donations have helped us find good homes for abandoned animals. Thank you for your kindness. We'd like to ask you for your help once again as we begin planning for our next adoption drive. Please consider filling out the donation form and returning it in the enclosed envelope. We could not do what we do without generosity from people like you.

Which words best describe the tone of this passage?

• biting and sarcastic

• enthusiastic and energetic

• casual and informal

• formal and polite

Tags

CCSS.RL.3.4

CCSS.RL.4.4

CCSS.RL.5.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

Which sentence uses words and phrases that give off a scary effect to the reader? (THINK MOOD)

• The old house seems to laugh along with the young children playing in the bright yard.

• The old house creaks and moans like a bat slowly dying at the hands of a hungry spider.

• The old house sags behind the drooping and dried out hydrangea bushes and hollies.

• The old house delights the eyes with bright yellow siding and merry red shutters.

Tags

CCSS.RL.3.4

CCSS.RL.4.4

CCSS.RL.5.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4