Tone and Mood

Front

What is tone?

Back

the author's attitude toward the story

Front

What is mood?

Back

how the story makes you feel

Front

Which of the following is not a kind of negative tone?

angry

,

cynical

,

harsh

,

excited

Back

excited

Front

Which passage below has the most whimsical tone?

• The creature moved its sharp claws over the strange device, and the noise was loud and distracting.
• The lovely fairy danced her long fingers over the harp, and the music carried us gently into a trance.
• The creature played the instrument, and we listened to the music it made.
• The monster produced a terrifying noise, and we tried hard not to scream and give away our hiding place.

Back

The lovely fairy danced her long fingers over the harp, and the music carried us gently into a trance.

Front

Which passage below has the most critical tone?
Options:
1. On the train, the man slowly clipped his fingernails. He focused on the task, beginning with his pinky finger and finishing with his thumb.
2. On the train, the tired, old man began clipping his fingernails. He was trying to distract himself from his loneliness by focusing on this one small task, moving from pinky to thumb.
3. 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.
4. 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. When he was finished, he put the clippers back into his jacket pocket.

Back

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.

Front

Which words and phrases best show the sentimental tone in the passage: "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."

Back

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

Front

Tone of the sentence: "The stunning poem that opens this lovely collection is rich with imagery and language."

Back

admiring

Front

What word best describes the tone of the passage: "I never wanted to see that movie, but my annoying little sister kept pestering me. Eventually, her whining wore me down, and I gave in. But that waste of a movie really destroyed my Saturday."

Back

bitter

Front

Which words and phrases from the sentence best show the tone? "That waste of a movie really destroyed my Saturday."

Back

"waste" and "destroyed"

Front

What is the tone of this passage:

The team had trained hard, worked hard, and played hard. Now they were earning the attention they deserved. Each player was among the best in the country. These were students who deserved nothing but praise for all of their work.

Back

Proud