1. Mini Lesson: Tone & Diction 8 th Grade Language Arts

2. TONE AUTHOR ’ S Tone is the AUTHOR ’ S attitude towards the audience, the subject, or the character. Tone is shown through *Tone is shown through 1. Dialogue - talking DICTION 2. Descriptions – author’s DICTION [word choice]

3. Words that describe TONE  Amused  Angry  Cheerful  Critical  Clear  Formal  Gloomy  Humorous  Informal  Ironic  Light  Matter-of-fact  Mocking  Resigned  Optimistic  Pessimistic  Playful  Pompous  Sad  Serious  Sincere  Suspicious  Quizzical  Witty

4. TONE  FOR EXAMPLE: He approached the task with sheer determination. He had studied his plans carefully, spent hours preparing and was sure of his approach. The hours he spent practicing were grueling and exhausting but he was ready. This was the year he would win the pie eating contest at school. According to the author’s descriptions, what is the tone? Serious, Intense, Formal, Focused

5. DICTION CHOICE OF WORDS  An author’s CHOICE OF WORDS, especially with regard to correctness, clearness, or effectiveness  Levels of Diction: 1. Formal 2. Neutral 3. Informal o Maybe correct in a particular context but incorrect in another or when mixed unintentionally. Here’s Some Help: Most ideas have a number of alternate words that the writer can select to suit his or her purposes. “Children,” “kids,” “youngsters,” “youths,” and “brats,” for example, all have different suggestive values.

6. LEVEL OF FORMALITY When assessing diction, first consider: LEVEL OF FORMALITY  High or formal  High or formal diction: dignified, elevated, with elaborate or sophisticated vocabulary.  Middle or neutral  Middle or neutral diction: grammatically accurate language using common, unexceptional vocabulary; easy to understand.  Low or informal  Low or informal diction: plain, everyday language, possibly including slang.

7. Considerations for Analyzing Diction: 1. Does the author choose concrete or abstract expression? 2. Do the words have clearly negative, positive, or other definitions? 3. Is the wording formal or slang? 4. What can the reader gather about the speaker or the speaker’s attitude from the word choice? 5. Is the language intended to sound pleasing, or harsh?

8. Diction as a means of establishing Tone: Remember that tone refers to the author’s rather than the speaker’s attitude—however, assessing the speaker’s attitude is a first step in drawing conclusions about the author’s. 1. What seems to be the speaker’s attitude in the passage? 2. Does the passage have a noticeable emotional mood or atmosphere?

9. Let’s Try! On the following slide identify the author’s tone and explain how you knew. Remember: Tone Tone is determined by DESCRIPTION DIALOGUE DESCRIPTION or DIALOGUE

10. The TONE of the passage is _________ The author’s ______________ relays the tone. My annoying brother likes to drive me crazy. There is no other who is that lazy. He whines to Mom and Dad night and day Until he eventually gets his way. What is a sister to do When he screams 'til he's blue? There is no way to win, For he gets under your skin. He does his best to kill all joy. Oh, how my brother does annoy!

11. FRUSTRATED DESCRIPTIONS The TONE of the passage is FRUSTRATED The author’s DESCRIPTIONS relay the tone. My annoying brother likes to drive me crazy. There is no other who is that lazy. He whines to Mom and Dad night and day Until he eventually gets his way. What is a sister to do When he screams 'til he's blue? There is no way to win, For he gets under your skin. He does his best to kill all joy. Oh, how my brother does annoy!

12. YOU Try! On the following slide identify the author’s tone and explain how you knew. Remember: Tone Tone is determined by DESCRIPTION DIALOGUE DESCRIPTION or DIALOGUE

13. The TONE of the passage is _____________ The author’s _______________ relays the tone. There is no one That can be better Because you are brilliant. There is nothing That you cannot you do Because you are unbeatable. There is no place That you cannot go Because you are always welcomed. There is no person That can hold you back Because you are unstoppable

14. INSPIRING DESCRIPTIONS The TONE of the passage is INSPIRING The author’s DESCRIPTIONS relay the tone. There is no one That can be better Because you are brilliant. There is nothing That you cannot you do Because you are unbeatable. There is no place That you cannot go Because you are always welcomed. There is no person That can hold you back Because you are unstoppable

15. How to assess Diction & Tone 1.Always use an adjective when describing both diction and tone. 2.Remember that the adjective you apply to the tone needs to be a word that can describe an attitude. 3.When in doubt, use a formula such as this one: “___ diction contributes to the ___ tone.” Or, in somewhat greater detail: “In [name of work], [author] writes in a [level of formality] style. Their use of [description] and [level of formality] language [achieves this specific purpose].”

16. ON YOUR OWN: Lightning Thief Chapter 17 Using Chapter 17, write 3 specific statements about the Diction & Tone of the chapter. Use this formula: Use this formula: – “In [name of work], [author] writes in a [level of formality – Formal, Informal, Neutral?] style. Their use of [select an adjective from the passage] and [recopy level of formality] language creates a [what kind of TONE] tone.”

17. HOMEWORK Finish Reading Chapter 17 in Lightning Thief