Tone Words: Naming an Author's Attitude

Build a vocabulary of precise tone words to describe how a writer feels about a subject.

Saying an author's tone is 'happy' or 'sad' is rarely precise enough. Analysis needs sharper tone words. Positive tones include admiring, enthusiastic, hopeful, nostalgic (fondly remembering the past), and reverent (deeply respectful). Negative tones include critical, indignant (angry at unfairness), sarcastic, bitter, and dismissive. Neutral or mixed tones include objective, matter-of-fact, wry (dryly humorous), ambivalent (mixed feelings), and earnest (sincere and serious).

To identify tone, collect the loaded words and details, then choose the tone word that explains them all. Read: 'Once again, the city has promised to fix the playground. Once again, the swings remain broken. Perhaps next year's promise will be the magic one. ' Repetition of 'once again', the broken swings, and the mock-hopeful 'magic one' point to a sarcastic, frustrated tone, not a hopeful one. The more precise your tone vocabulary, the more precisely you can explain what the author is doing.

• 1Precise tone words beat 'happy' or 'sad'.
• 2Collect loaded words and details, then name the tone.
• 3Examples: nostalgic, indignant, wry, ambivalent, earnest.