- Meaning and Tone
- Tone is the way in which the author addresses a topic. The tone the author uses to present information affects the meaning of the text.
To understand the tone of the passage look for:
Author's purpose — the reason the author wrote the passage affects the tone he or she uses. For example, a passage written to entertain often has a light-hearted tone and a passage written to instruct may have a formal tone.
Author's point of view — the way the author feels about a topic influences the passage's tone. For example, a passage that shows the author's dislike of a topic may have a bitter tone.
Word choice — the words the author chooses to describe or explain a topic help make up the passage's tone. For example, using the words “necessary” and “most importantly” show a sense of urgency.
