TONE is more than merely an author’s attitude; it includes the stylistic means by which an author conveys his/her attitude.
Tone is an integral part of a work’s meaning because it controls the reader’s response which is essential to fully understanding the text. To misinterpret tone is to misinterpret meaning.
In order to recognize tonal shift and to interpret complexities of tone, the reader must be able to make inferences based on an active reading of the work. The writer's tone is revealed by organization, choice of detail, established mood, and sentence structure, but word choice is probably the strongest indicator of tone.
DIRECTIONS: Learn the denotations and connotations of the following words related to tone. Practice utilizing adjective and adverb forms of each word. For example:
> adjective: Leo uses a mocking tone when he describes Mrs. Bilse as a literary genius.
> adverb: Leo mockingly describes Mrs. Bilse as a literary genius
Whether you’re a teacher or a learner,
Vocabulary.com can put you or your class
on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.