Tone 1

Identifying tone and mood is a frequent reading task and is very important for understanding the main idea and purpose of a text. Often, paying close attention to details such as the author’s diction (word choice) can help the reader determine tone, the author’s attitude toward the subject, or mood, the feeling or atmosphere perceived by the reader.

Tone is the author’s attitude, stated or implied, toward a subject. An author’s tone can be revealed through word choice and context clues. To determine tone ask: (1) What is the topic? (2) What seems to be the author’s attitude toward the topic?