Tone

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.

"We have some important news for you, Mr. President. We have discovered a terrorist plot against the United States," said the CIA agent. The President closed the book, set it on the desk, and leaned forward, his eyes fixed straight ahead. "Tell me everything you know."

What is the tone of the dialogue?

• informal

• happy

• serious

• optimistic

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

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 combination. Perhaps Rebecca thought 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

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 

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

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!

• calm

• annoyed

• scary

• excited

Dear Chloe,

I really miss you! I wish my family would move back to Springfield. I don't like it here in Alaska. There isn't much sunlight at this time of the year. I haven't made many friends at my new school, and there is never anything to do. Do you miss me, too?

- Erin

Which word best describes the TONE of this note?

• cold

• hopeful

• depressed

• lively

My annoying brother likes to drive me crazy. There is no other who is that lazy. He whines to Mom and Dad night and day, until he eventually gets his way. What is a sister to do, when he screams 'til he's blue? There is no way to win, for he gets under your skin. He does his best to kill all joy. Oh, how my brother does annoy! What is the TONE of the poem?

• frustrated

• humorous

• depressed

• happy

Perhaps because bats are nocturnal in habit, a wealth of thoroughly unreliable legend has grown up about them, and men have made of the harmless, even beneficial little beasts a means of expressing their unreasonable fears.  Bats were the standard paraphernalia for witches, the females half of humanity stood in terror that bats would become entangled in their hair.  Phrases crept into the language expressing man’s revulsion or ignorance—“Bat’s in the Belfry,” “Batty,” “Blind as a Bat.”

• creepy
• scary
• informational
• exciting