AP Lang—Tone and DIFS
Tone word
Definition
allusive
makes many allusions, or references to things that are well-known by many people
(references to the Bible, literature, art, mythology, etc.)
ambiguous
unclear; could be interpreted more than one way
ambivalent
undecided; having both positive and negative feelings towards something
amused
of a playful nature, entertained
antagonistic
extremely unfriendly; almost verbally attacking another person
anxious
worried, uneasy
apathetic
showing no emotion or concern
apologetic
sorry, regretful
apprehensive
fearful, uneasy, anxious, worried that something bad might happen
audacious
really bold or daring; shocking, insolent
bantering
teasing, joking
belligerent
eager to fight or argue, hostile, aggressive
benevolent
kind
bewildered
confused
biting
words that emotionally “sting” the other person
blunt
insensitive; “telling it like it is” without caring whether or not you offend someone
bombastic
high-sounding, pretentious, inflated
brisk
quick, energetic (speaking quickly without pausing for chit-chat or friendly conversation)
candid
to be honest, open, outspoken
celebratory
full of a desire to celebrate/party about something that is joyful
ceremonial
formal, ritualistic
clinical
unemotional, scientific
compassionate feeling sadness for another person’s bad situation and wanting to relieve that person’s pain
condescending to talk “down” to someone as if that person is beneath you or of less quality (as if you are
superior), patronizing, arrogant
contemptuous
to be full of hatred towards someone
detached
to remove all your emotions from a situation; to be sort of numb; aloof, impartial
diabolical
having the qualities of the devil
didactic
teaching, instructive
disappointed
deceived, crestfallen, let down
disdainful
arrogant, lordly, superior, unsympathetic
dreary
dull, boring, sad
elegiac
lamenting, poignant, funereal
earnest
full of seriousness, effort, and focus
empathetic
trying to understand what another person is going through even if you have not experienced
it yourself
erudite
educated, knowledgeable; wise, sapient
explanatory
serving to explain
facetious
joking around, usually at an inappropriate time; being sarcastic
factual
fanciful
ghoulish
giddy
gleeful
grave
gushy
haughty
holier-than-thou
horrific
hostile
impartial
incredulous
indifferent
indignant
inflammatory
informatory
intimate
irreverent
ironic
malicious
mock-heroic
mordant
morose
mournful
nostalgic
objective
obsequious
ominous
optimistic
patronizing
pedantic
persuasive
pessimistic
petulant
poignant
pretentious
provocative
querulous
certain, absolute, irrefutable, unbiased
imaginary, unreal
ghost-like, but even more grotesque or monstrous
to be light-headed or ditzy with joy
full of joy
very serious
to be overly complimentary (to the point of seeming insincere)
arrogant; looking down on people
acting like you are so religious that you are better than everyone else; being judgmental
appalling, shocking, gruesome
unfriendly; treating someone like an enemy
not taking sides
unbelieving
not caring what happens
to be insulted; to be angry at something that is unfair, righteous anger
provocative, rabble-rousing, inciting, stirring, angering, incendiary, troublesome,
subversive, rebellious
to inform
affectionate, devoted, fond
disrespectful, especially being disrespectful towards something that is holy
coincidental, unexpected
malevolent, spiteful, vicious
ridiculing a “hero”; giving “everyday” people the heroic treatment
biting, caustic, sharp, cutting
sullenly ill-humored, gloomy
full of sadness and grief
happily remembering the past, especially remembering the past as a better time than the
present
not taking sides; fair
showing servile complaisance; fawning
fateful, ill-boding, foreboding, dire
to have a positive outlook on life, to think good things will happen
to talk down to someone, to treat a person almost as if he or she is your child
scholarly, making a show of knowledge
written to convince or win over
to have a negative outlook on life, to think bad things will happen
unreasonably irritable or ill-tempered
something that moves you emotionally
“putting on airs”; trying to act showy or flashy
to spark an interest in something (especially a controversial topic or sex)
peevish, complaining,
AP Lang—Tone and DIFS
rational
calm, reasonable, sensible
reflective
contemplative, meditative, introspective
regretful
penitent, contrite, rueful
restrained
to hold back
reverent
venerating, worshipping
ribald
vulgar, irreverent, scurrilous
sanguine
cheerfully optimistic, hopeful, confident
sarcastic
snide or mocking; tough-edged but not mean-spirited
sardonic
derisively mocking; mean in intent
satiric
ironic, mocking, or farcical—Juvenalian or Horatian (notes later)
seductive
sexual, trying to seduce someone
sentimental
remembering the past, placing special attachment on certain times, things
simpering
overly happy, gushy, can be “fake” happy or joy
skeptical
to be doubtful, to think something is probably not true
sly
sneaky
solemn
serious, quiet, respectful
somber
serious, dark, depressing, bleak, dismal
sober
quiet, sedate, serious, solemn
staid
fixed, permanent, settled
strident
harsh, loud, irritating
sympathetic
trying to experience another person’s feelings/emotions, compassionate, sensitive
taunting
teasing; to mock someone to try to challenge him/her
tender
kind, gentle, lovingly
threatening
menacing, intimidating
tranquil
peaceful, calm, relaxing
understated
to lessen the importance of something, to make it seem like it’s not a big deal (when really
it IS)
urgent
imperative, critical, intensely necessary
vexed
to be extremely bothered or irritated
vibrant
to be full of life
whimsical
capricious, fantastic, lighthearted fun
wistful
to fondly remember the past
zealous
to be eager, passionate, almost obsessed
DIFS: The Key to TONE
Diction - the connotation of the word choice
What words does the author choose? Consider his/her word choice compared to another. Why did
the author choose that particular word? What are the connotations of that word choice?
Details - facts that are included or those that are omitted
What details are does the author choose to include? What do they imply? What does the author
choose to exclude? What are the connotations of their choice of details? PLEASE NOTE: Details are
facts or fact-lets. They differ from images in that they don't have a strong sensory appeal.
Images - vivid appeals to understanding through the senses - concrete language
What images does the author use? What does he/she focus on in a sensory (sight, touch, taste,
smell, etc.) way? The kinds of images the author puts in or leaves out reflect his/her style? Are
they vibrant? Prominent? Plain? NOTE: Images differ from detail in the degree to which they appeal
to the senses.
Figurative Language - the overall use of language, such as formal, clinical, jargon
What is the overall impression of the language the author uses? Does it reflect education? A
particular profession? Intelligence? Is it plain? Ornate? Simple? Clear? Figurative? Poetic? Make
sure you don't skip this step.
Sentence Structure - how structure affects the reader's attitude
What are the sentences like? Are they simple with one or two clauses? Do they have multiple
phrases? Are they choppy? Flowing? Sinuous like a snake? Is there antithesis, chiasmus, parallel
construction? What emotional impression do they leave? If we are talking about poetry, what is the
meter? Is there a rhyme scheme?
DICTION:
Laugh: guffaw, chuckle, titter, giggle, cackle, snicker, roar
Self-confident: proud, conceited, egotistical, stuck-up, haughty, smug, condescending
House: home, hut, shack, mansion, cabin, home, residence
Old: mature, experienced, antique, relic, senior, ancient
Fat: obese, plump, corpulent, portly, porky, burly, husky, full-figured
DETAILS:
Details are most commonly the facts given by the author or speaker as support for the attitude or
tone.
The speaker's perspective shapes what details are given and which are not.
AP Lang—Tone and DIFS
IMAGES:
The use of vivid descriptions or figures of speech that appeal to sensory experiences helps to
create the author's tone.
My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun. (restrained)
An old, mad, blind, despised, and dying king. (somber, candid)
He clasps the crag with crooked hands. (dramatic)
Love sets you going like a fat gold watch. (fanciful)
Smiling, the boy fell dead. (shocking)
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE:
Like word choice, the language of a passage has control over tone.
Consider language to be the entire body of words used in a text, not simply isolated bits of diction.
For example, an invitation to a wedding might use formal language, while a biology text would use
scientific and clinical language.
• When I told Dad that I had goofed the exam, he blew his top. (slang)
• I had him on the ropes in the fourth and if one of my short rights had connected, he'd have gone
down for the count. (jargon [language reserved for a specific discipline])
• A close examination and correlation of the most reliable current economic indexes justifies the
conclusion that the next year will witness a continuation of the present, upward market trend.
(turgid, pedantic [dry and academic])
SENTENCE STRUCTURE:
How a sentence is constructed affects what the audience understands.
Parallel syntax (similarly styled phrases and sentences) creates interconnected emotions, feelings
and ideas.
Short sentences are punchy and intense. Long sentences are distancing, reflective and more
abstract.
The inverted order of an interrogative sentence cues the reader to a question and creates tension
between speaker and listener.
Short sentences are often emphatic, passionate or flippant, whereas longer sentences suggest
greater thought.
Sentence structure affects tone and can signal a tonal shift—the author’s changing attitude about
the subject.
Voice Lesson Tone #1
Directions- Answer the following in the space provided. Make sure you
answer/address each and every part of what the prompt asks.
Consider: But that is Cooper’s way; frequently he will explain and justify little things
that do not need it and then make up for this by as frequently failing to explain important
ones that do need it. For instance he allowed that astute and cautious person, DeerslayerHawkeye, to throw his rifle heedlessly down and leave it lying on the ground where some
hostile Indians would presently be sure to find it—a rifle prized by that person above all
things else in the earth—and the reader gets no word of explanation of that strange act.
There was a reason, but it wouldn’t bear exposure. Cooper meant to get a fine dramatic
effect out of the finding of the rifle by the Indians, and he accomplished this at the happy
time; but all the same, Hawkeye could have hidden the rifle in a quarter of a minute
where the Indians could not have found it. Cooper couldn’t think of any way to explain
why Hawkeye didn’t do that, so he just shirked the difficulty and did not explain at all.
--Mark Twain, “Cooper’s Prose Style,” Letters from the Earth
Discuss:
1. What is Twain’s tone in this passage?
2. What is central to the tone of this passage: the attitude toward the speaker (a), the
subject (b), and the reader(c)?
3. How does Twain create the tone? (Must give 5 specific strategies used based on
notes re: diction, syntax, and detail). In other words, I EXPECT at least 5
specific pieces of textual evidence.