mood & tone practice

“Child, watch your tone when speaking

to me” “She sure is in a mood today”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDUhDV-72S0

How many of you have heard this……..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDUhDV-72S0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDUhDV-72S0

Tone is the AUTHOR’S attitude towards the audience, the subject, or the character. Also known as, the way feelings are expressed.

*Tone is shown through Dialogue – “talking” (Fiction or

Imperative statements) Descriptions – diction [word choice]

TONE

Description: Annoyed

My annoying brother likes to drive me crazy.There is no other who is that lazy.

He whines to Mom and Dad night and dayUntil he eventually gets his way.

Dialogue: Welcoming/Friendly“Not a problem ma’am,” replied the young man,

“I would be happy to help.”

Tone

*Mood is the feeling the reader gets from a story.

*Mood is shown through Setting- Time and Place Atmosphere- Character

interactions

MOOD

Setting

Rachel’s house sat alone atop a hill, and she was used to solitude. She liked the peace and quiet of being far away from everything.

AtmosphereA furious teenager is walking toward a bedroom

after being grounded.

Mood

TONE IS NOT MOOD

Tone Tone is how the author feels, while mood is how the

reader feels.The tone could be

serious but the mood could be ridiculous.

Mood

FOR EXAMPLE:

He approached the task with sheer determination. He had studied his plans carefully, spent hours preparing and was sure of his approach. The hours he spent practicing were grueling and exhausting but he was ready. This was the year he

would win the pie eating contest at school.

TONE IS NOT MOOD

FOR EXAMPLE:

He approached the task with sheer determination. He had studied his plans carefully, spent hours preparing and was sure of his approach. The hours he spent practicing were grueling and

exhausting but he was ready. This was the year he would win the pie eating contest at school.

According to the author’s descriptions, what is the tone? Serious, Intense, Formal, Focused

TONE

FOR EXAMPLE:

He approached the task with sheer determination. He had studied his plans carefully, spent hours preparing and was sure of his approach. The hours he spent practicing were grueling and

exhausting but he was ready. This was the year he would win the pie eating contest at school.

According to the setting, what is the mood? Playful, informal, silly, exciting

MOOD

Tone- Author’s Style

Covers entire work Fiction & Nonfiction

Mood- Author’s Purpose changes through story Fiction only

Use Genre (ex: Mystery: Tone= Suspenseful/ Mood=Frightening

atmosphere)

More on Tone

Positive Neutral Negative

Tone EncouragingOptimistic

ObjectiveInformational

CriticalPessimistic

Mood CheerfulWelcoming

DepressedSuspenseful

Tone Mood

On the following slides identify the author’s tone or the reader’s mood and explain how you knew.

Remember: Tone is determined by

DESCRIPTION or DIALOGUE

Mood is determined by SETTING or ATMOSPHERE

You Try!

#1 Botulism, a type of rare, severe food poisoning, has been reported recently in New Jersey. It is believed that the victim, who is in critical condition at a local hospital, was stricken after eating from a jar of incorrectly preserved homegrown green beans. a. Light-heartedb. Scaryc. Tragicd. Optimistic- (positive outlook)

The TONE of the passage is ____________The author’s (DESCRIPTION or DIALOGUE)

relay the tone.

#2 Sure, litterbugs account for a lot of the trash blowing around our city’sstreets, but there are other villains too. What about people who set out their trash days ahead of their scheduled trash pickup time? Worse yet are the stores that pile boxes in back alleys, and restaurants whose mounds of bagged trash draw rodents and roaches.

a. criticalb. humorousc. depressed


relay the tone.

#3 What’s the matter with those idiots in the city council? First they pass new parking regulations saying we can’t park our cars in front of our own houses without a special permit. Now they’ve gone and slapped another tax on gas purchase.a. objectiveb. angryc. surprised


relay the tone.

“Would you be so kind as to help me with

my groceries?” asked the elderly woman.

“Not a problem ma’am,” replied the young man, “I would be happy to help.”

The TONE of the passage is ___________.The (DESCRIPTION or DIALOGUE) relays the TONE.

#4

“The river, reflecting the clear blue of the sky, glistened and sparkled as it flowed noiselessly

on.”

a.Aggravatedb.Nervousc.Peacefuld.Silly

The MOOD of the passage is ______________

The (Setting or Atmosphere) relays the MOOD.

#5

The gym of the high school was brightly decorated.

The red and white streamers covered the walls and heart shapes were scattered all over the floor. Red glitter was thrown on all the tables

and love songs were playing in the background. The Valentine’s dance was about to begin.

a. Embarrassedb. Frustratedc. Peacefuld. Joyous

The MOOD of the passage is ____________ The (Setting or Atmosphere) relays the MOOD.

#6

The night it happened was one we will never

forget. The wind was screeching outside as rain pounded against the window. We had lost

electricity hours ago and had nothing but candles to light the house. The battery

powered radio we had was broadcasting a warning to lock your doors and stay inside;

there was a killer on the loose.

The MOOD of the passage is ______________

The(Setting or Atmosphere) relays the MOOD.# 7

And the trees all died. I don’t know why they died, they just died. Something wrong with the soil possibly or maybe the stuff we got from the nursery wasn’t the best. We complained about it. So we’ve got thirty kids there, each kid had his or her own little tree to plant and now we’ve got these thirty dead trees. All these kids looking at these little brown sticks, it was depressing.a.Aggravatedb.Nervousc.Peacefuld.Silly

The TONE of the passage is ____________The author’s (DESCRIPTION or DIALOGUE) relay the

tone.# 8

Lola sat on the old, lumpy couch crying. She could let it all out here, alone in her mother’s small, quiet apartment in Galesburg, Illinois. The familiar walls were covered in rose pink wallpaper. Goldie, her mother’s eleventh fish, seemed to stare sympathetically at Lola through the fishbowl sitting on the counter. The smell of her mother’s vanilla candles comforted her aching heart.

a. Depressedb. Nervousc. Cheerfuld. Silly

The TONE of the passage is ______________The author’s (DESCRIPTION or DIALOGUE) relay the tone.# 9

There is no one

That can be betterBecause you are brilliant.

There is nothingThat you cannot do

Because you are unbeatable.There is no place

That you cannot goBecause you are always welcomed.

There is no personThat can hold you back

Because you are unstoppable

The TONE of the passage is _____________The (DESCRIPTION or DIALOGUE) relays the TONE.

# 10

a. Pessimisticb. Depressingc. Motivationald. Negative

We received your request for a refund for

your recent purchase of a telescope for your son. Please accept our sincere apologies that the product did not

function as advertised. We will process the refund in as timely a manner as possible. In the meantime, if we can

help you in any other way, please ask.

The TONE of the passage is ____________The author’s (DESCRIPTION or DIALOGUE) relay

the tone.# 11

The wind howled like a banshee, the thunder rolled, and the lightning drew zigzag lines across the sky. With the sights and sounds of the thunderstorm cloaking his room, Charlie awoke from his night’s sleep. As he peeked out from under the covers, a dark, shifting shadow appeared on the wall of his room. For the reader, the selection creates a mood of ____________.

peacefearsafetyhumor

The MOOD of the passage is ______________.The (Setting or Atmosphere) relays the mood.

# 12

The pioneer family members piled into the wagon and left behind the safety and security in the East. They had cut the lifeline that connected them to all the things that were near and dear. As they traveled to the new land out west, Grandfather held the family together. He hunted when they were hungry, found water when they were thirst, and protected them against the dangers that lurked all around them. Everyone in the family agreed. Grandfather was a rock. For the reader, the selection creates a mood of ________________.

confidenceinsecurityfailuredistrust


# 13

beneath the underpass

pushing against his back sprayed steadily against his cheek

seeping into his sneakers. the snow didn't seem like sugar anymore

apartment buildings loomed up discarded Christmas trees

tinsel trapped in tree needles no cave to crawl in now


# 14

He rolled in his bed, twisting the sheets, grappling with a problem years too big for

him, awake in the night like a single sentinel on picket. And sometime after midnight, he

slept, too, and then only the wind was awake, prying at the hotel and hooting in its gables under the bright gimlet gaze of the stars.


# 15Extra Practice

We’re contacting you today to let you know about the Special Olympics annual fund drive.

You have been kind enough to support us generously in the past, and we’d like to ask for your help again, as we send our athletes with

special needs to compete at the national level. Please fill out the form below and return it in the enclosed envelope with your donation. It

will make a child’s day if you do.

The TONE of the passage is ____________The author’s (DESCRIPTION or DIALOGUE) relay

the tone.# 16

We are seriously failing our nation’s teenagers when it comes to education concerning AIDS. Somehow we must convince them, without delay, that this terrible illness can happen to them, not just too isolated groups in big cities. Let’s give them the information they need to protect themselves—before it’s too late.a. sincereb. mockingc. ironic


tone.

# 17

There was a delay in the start of the project, attributable to circumstances beyond the control of all relevant parties. Progress came to a standstill, and no one was prepared to undertake the assessment of the problem and determination of the solution.


tone.

# 18

It was very late and everyone had left the cafe except an old man who sat in the shadow the leaves of the tree made against the electric light. In the day time the street was dusty, but at night the dew settled the dust and the old man liked to sit late because he was deaf and now at night it was quiet and he felt the difference.


tone.

# 19

Lola sat on the old, lumpy couch crying. She could let it all out here, alone in her mother’s small, quiet apartment in Galesburg, Illinois. The familiar walls were covered in rose pink wallpaper. Goldie, her mother’s eleventh fish,

seemed to stare sympathetically at Lola through the fishbowl sitting on the counter.

The smell of her mother’s vanilla candles comforted her aching heart.


# 20

For the moon never beams, without bringing me

dreamsOf the beautiful Annabel Lee;

And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyesOf the beautiful Annabel Lee;

And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the sideOf my darling—my darling—my life and my bride,

In her catacomb there by the sea—In her tomb by the sounding sea.


# 21 Edgar Allen Poe

Passage from Catch 22

They’re trying to kill me,” Yossarian told him calmly.“No one’s trying to kill you,” Clevinger cried.“Then why are they shooting at me?” Yossarian asked.“They’re shooting at everyone,” Clevinger answered. “They’re trying to kill everyone.”“And what difference does that make?”


# 22

mood & tone practice

Education