National 5 Close Reading
Workshop
Questions on Tone
If you are asked about tone, you are being
asked to think about the attitude of the
writer.
Ask yourself this: what would the writer’s
tone of voice be if she read her article
aloud?
There are lots of different tones
that can be used by an author, but
you have to be able to identify the
correct one.
Sarcastic.
Ironic.
Tongue-in-cheek.
Formal.
Informal.
Humorous.
Persuasive.
Emotive.
Matter of fact.
...etc.
Some popular tones
N.B. These are just examples.
You may be asked about others!
Informal/chatty/colloquial tone
Features to look out for:
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Abbreviations.
Slang.
Dialect.
Sentences without a verb (minor sentences).
The use of first person or second person.
e.g.
And there I was banging on about
my cash problems. Nuff said.
Sign of the times.
Humorous tone (aka “light-hearted”)
Features to look out for:
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Use of exaggeration (hyperbole).
Providing a funny anecdote.
Telling jokes.
Mixing formal and informal language.
The use of irony.
The use of puns.
Anti-climax.
e.g.
The last time I saw legs that thin, there was
a message tied around them. And talking
of pigeons, his chest was so curved that I
fully expected to see feathers on it.
Ironic tone (aka “tongue-in-cheek”)
• This where the author says the opposite of what
she means.
e.g. The concert lasts for four hours with no
interval. How lovely; I can’t wait!
• This tone is used to mock or criticise
something/somebody in a humorous way.
• Often to make an important point about
something serious.
e.g.
I was told to bring three pieces of
identification with me; a letter of
recommendation from my previous
employer; a full CV; and my application
form printed off. You have to admit, they
don’t ask much.
Emotive tone
The author will use lots of emotive language.
The author is trying to stir up emotions in the
reader by using particular words and
phrases.
e.g.
The heartless thieves left the weary
pensioner and the helpless infant terrified
for their lives.
Persuasive tone
The author will use a number of persuasive
features in order to encourage the reader
to agree with their opinion/point of
view/beliefs.
For example,
• Emotive language.
• Rhetorical questions.
• Address the reader directly (you, we, us, our etc...)
• Attitude markers (clearly, obviously, unfortunately etc...)
Formal/serious tone
• Formal language is used.
• Information is given in a neutral and
unemotional manner.
• Absence of humour.
• Often very factual.
Mocking tone
The author is making fun of
and/or ridiculing something.
Some of the features of
humorous and/or informal tone
may be used.
How to answer:
1. State the tone.
2. Provide a quote for evidence.
3. Explain how the author creates the tone in the
quote you have chosen.
Think about Word Choice; Imagery; Sentence
Structure; specific features etc…
N.B.
Sometimes the question will state what the
tone is.
In this instance, you would obviously just
have to do steps 2 and 3.
We also live in a world where a manic mum
calls herself a Tiger Mother and writes a
bestselling book by the same name about
how to produce straight-A, violin-playing,
tennis-champ, superkids, and where pushy,
anxious helicopter parents hover over every
school. A friend reports that when her son
was due to visit the Brecon Beacons on a
school camping trip this summer, three
mothers pulled out their sons because the
weather forecast was “rainy”.
1. Explain how the author uses language to
create a mocking tone (2)
2. Explain how the author uses language to
create a humorous tone (2).
1.
“straight-A, violin-playing, tennis-champ,
superkids”.
The author creates a mocking tone by
listing a variety of different things that
Tiger Mothers expect their children to
achieve, thus making fun of and
ridiculing their unrealistic expectations.
2.
The author creates a humorous tone.
“A friend reports...was “rainy””
He does this by providing an anecdote
regarding how Tiger Mothers are so
overprotective of their children that they
forbid them to go on a school trip because
of something as minor as a bit of rain.