Tone vs Mood

Tone – The author or narrator’s view of a subject

Mood – The emotions created within the audience while reading

PositiveTONE Words

admiring
adoring
affectionate
appreciative
approving
calm
casual
celebratory / cheerful
comforting
comic
compassionate
complimentary
confident
contented
delightful / ecstatic
elated
empathetic
encouraging
euphoric
excited
exhilarated / friendly
funny
gleeful
gushy
happy
hilarious
hopeful / humorous
interested
introspective
joyful
lively
modest
nostalgic / optimistic
passionate
playful
proud
reassuring
reflective
relaxed / respectful
romantic
scholarly
self-assured
sentimental
serene
silly / sprightly
sympathetic
tender
tranquil
whimsical
wistful
zealous

NegativeTONE Words

angry
annoyed
antagonistic
anxious
apathetic
apprehensive
belligerent
bewildered
biting
bitter
blunt
bossy / cold
conceited
condemned
confused
contemptuous
cynical
demanding
depressed
derogatory
desolate
despairing
desperate / detached
disappointed
disliking
disrespectful
doubtful
embarrassed
enraged
evasive
fearful
forceful
frantic
frightened / frustrated
furious
gloomy
grave
greedy
grim
harsh
haughty
holier-than-thou
hopeless
hostile
impatient / indifferent
insecure
lethargic
melancholy
mischievous
miserable
mocking
mournful
nervous
ominous
outraged
paranoid / pathetic
patronizing
pessimistic
psychotic
resigned
sarcastic
scornful
selfish
serious
severe
sinister
skeptical / sly
solemn
somber
stern
stressful
strident
suspicious
tense
threatening
tragic
uncertain
uneasy / unfriendly
unsympathetic
upset
violent
wry

HIGHLIGHT THE WORDS FROM THE PASSAGE THAT REVEAL THE AUTHOR’S TONE IN THIS PASSAGE

I had a momentary glimpse of a young upturned face, a man no more than a couple of years older than me, his eyes cold and bored beneath a gray peaked cap. Then we were off again, moving down a city street that was in much better condition than the highway

The next time the bus stopped was on a street lined with factories and warehouses. A gray street. Gray buildings. A gray and drizzling sky. Not a tree or a blade of grass. Something darted out of the shadows of an alley. I couldn’t tell whether it was a very skinny cat or a large and well-fed rat.

The driver stood up and began to call names. Nobody I knew well. Ten kids moved to the front of the bus. The driver handed each of them a card. Wordlessly he opened the door to let them off, slammed it almost on the heels of the last, and started up again. I had a glimpse of them standing huddled together on the gray pavement. Their faces looked as hopeless as if they had been condemned to death.

We drove along shabby gray streets for about half an hour before the bus stopped again. The names he called were those of my friends. Scylla. Karen. Trent. Alden. Katie. Paul. And Brad. I realized with a sinking feeling in my stomachthat I’d never see Brad again.

How would you describe the author’s tone in the reading selection?

Identify the mood created by the author’s use of wording

Positive MOOD Words

amused
awed
bouncy
calm
cheerful
chipper
confident
contemplative
content
determined / dignified
dreamy
ecstatic
empowered
energetic
enlightened
enthralled
excited
exhilarated / flirty
giddy
grateful
harmonious
hopeful
hyper
idyllic
joyous
jubilant / liberating
light-hearted
loving
mellow
nostalgic
optimistic
passionate
peaceful
playful / pleased
refreshed
rejuvenated
relaxed
relieved
satiated
satisfied
sentimental
silly / surprised
sympathetic
thankful
thoughtful
touched
trustful
vivacious
warm
welcoming

Negative MOOD Words

aggravated
annoyed
anxious
apathetic
apprehensive
barren
brooding
cold
confining
confused
cranky
crushed / cynical
depressed
desolate
disappointed
discontented
distressed
drained
dreary
embarrassed
enraged
envious
exhausted / fatalistic
foreboding
frustrated
futile
gloomy
grumpy
haunting
heartbroken
hopeless
hostile
indifferent
infuriated / insidious
intimidated
irate
irritated
jealous
lethargic
lonely
melancholic
merciless
moody
morose
nauseated / nervous
nightmarish
numb
overwhelmed
painful
pensive
pessimistic
predatory
rejected
restless
scared
serious / sick
somber
stressed
suspenseful
tense
terrifying
threatening
uncomfortable
vengeful
violent
worried

HIGHLIGHT THE WORDS FROM THE PASSAGE THAT REVEAL THE AUTHOR’S TONE IN THIS PASSAGE

There were small streams, gravel bottomed with sweet cool water to drink and splash on our faces. We followed one of them downhill to a small waterfall and from there to a bigger river, where the water ran so white that we christened it Milk River at once.

There was an echoing splash downstream as a large fish leapt form the water and fell back. If we had fishing poles and lines, I thought idly…Katie rubbed her clay-whitened hands on her coveralls and we walked on until about an hour later, we came out on a sandy bank. Below it, the river spilled into a wide water meadow, lavishly sprinkled with flowers—yellow, white, and blood red. The river spread out in meanders and marshes and then, presumably, fell away to the lower ground beyond. We could see no more. Beyond the water meadow was only tree-tangled mist.

We collapsed on the ground, falling back onto the sweet-smelling turf, letting the sun and soft wind play over our city-whitened bodies. I shut my eyes and breathed the flower-laden air. I ran my hands over the soft grass. Beside me, Benta turned her face and I saw in its shining that she was happy again.

How would you describe the author’s tone in the reading selection?

Identify the mood created by the author’s use of wording

In your own words explain the difference between tone and mood?