Tone Vocabulary Words - Mesa Public Schools



Tone WordsDefinition:? The manner in which an author expresses his or her attitude; the intonation of the voice that expresses meaning.?Tone is identified by adjectives, and the possibilities are nearly endless.? Often a single adjective will not be enough, and tone may change or shift from chapter to chapter or stanza to stanza or even line to line.? Tone is the result of allusion, diction, figurative language, imagery, irony, motif, symbol, syntax, and style.? Very young children can sense a speaker’s attitude in tone. But understanding tone in prose and poetry is an entirely different matter.? The reader does not have voice inflection to carry meaning.? Thus, a student’s appreciation (knowledge) of word choice, details, imagery, and language all contribute to the understanding of tone.? To misinterpret tone is to misinterpret meaning.Atmosphere: the feeling experienced BY THE READER OR AUDIENCE.Tone: the attitude OF THE AUTHOR toward the subject matter of the work.Mood: defined by some critics as synonymous with “atmosphere,” by others as synonymous with “tone”…as a general term, it can be applied to either.-from the Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary TermsTone Vocabulary WordsStudy the list of tone vocabulary words. Thoroughly familiarize yourself with these words. You will need them to complete the exercises in this unit. Tone analysis is also an important element of the literary analysis assignments on the AP English Language and Composition Test. Tone Practice ActivitiesActivity #1 – Language Categorization. Use the tone vocabulary list to categorize the language in the passages. One or more “tone” adjective may apply.Activity #2 – Images and Tone. Use the tone vocabulary list to evaluate the speaker’s attitude based on the images in the passages. One or more “tone” adjective may apply.Tone and Attitude TestTone and Attitude Sentences. Having studied and applied the tone vocabulary, students identify the tone and attitude displayed in the passages, without using notes or the vocabulary list. One or more “tone” adjective may apply. Tone Vocabulary Wordsallusive – intimate, suggest, connoteangry – mad, furious, iratebantering – good-natured teasing, ridicule, jokingbenevolent – magnanimous, generous, nobleburlesque – mockery, sham, spoof, parodycandid – clear, frank, genuine, sincereclinical - direct, detached, scientific, impersonalcolloquial -common – ordinary, vernacularcompassionate – kindly, sympathetic, benevolentcomplimentary – flattering, approving, laudatoryconcerned – touched, affected, influencedcondescending – scornful, contemptuous, disdainfulconfident – positive, certain, assuredcontemptuous – pompous, arrogant, superior, haughtycontentious – argumentative, quarrelsome, pugnaciouscynical – adverse, suspicious, opposed, doubtful, dubiousdetached – separated, severed, apatheticdidactic – pointed, bombastic, pompous, tersediffident – retiring, timid, hesitant, bashfuldisdainful – haughty, arrogant, superciliousdramatic – exciting, moving, sensational, emotionaleffusive – talkative, verbose, profuseelegiac – sad, mournful, plaintive (like an elegy)factious – dissident, rebellious, insubordinatefactual – authentic, genuine, truthfulfanciful – capricious, extravagant, whimsicalflippant – offhand, facetious, frivolousimpartial – equitable, unbiased, dispassionateincisive – cutting, biting, penetratingindignant – angry, irritated, resentfulinflammatory – irritate, arouse, resentfulinformative – acquaint, communicate, discloseinsipid – flat, bland, tedious, banal (commonplace)insolent – insulting, brazen, rude, contemptuousironic – contradictory, implausible, incongruousirreverent – profane, impious, blasphemous, ungodlylearned – skilled, experienced, professionallugubrious – gloomy, dismal, melancholy, sombermaudlin – sentimental, mushy, gushing, insipidmock-heroic – mimicking courage (pretend)mock-serious – mimicking solemnity (pretend)moralistic – virtuous, righteous, blamelessobjective – impartial, detached, impersonalpatronizing – condescending, scornful, disdainfulpedantic – academic, bookish, scholasticpetty – trivial, insignificant, narrow-mindedpretentious – arrogant, boastful, conceitedrestrained – unwilling, hesitant, reluctantsardonic – cutting, biting, penetrating, satiricalsatiric – lampooning, facetiousscornful – bitter, caustic, acrimonious, mordantsentimental – emotional, mushy, maudlin (tearful)somber – serious, gloomy, dismal, shadowysympathetic – supportive, favorable, consideratetaunting – contemptuous, insulting, derisiveterse – concise, succinct, pithy, pointedturgid – pompous, bloated, swollen, distendedurgent – compelling, demanding, imperative, pressingvibrant – resonant, active, resoundingwhimsical – flippant, frivolous, light-hearted, dainty ................
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