Readers can sense the author’s tone by noticing the feelings or thoughts they have based on how the author presents the information. To identify 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.