GMAS 8th Grade ELA Practice Test

Tone is the writer's attitude toward the subject revealed through language. You can see it in the words the author chooses, how those words are arranged, and what details are emphasized. For example, positive or respectful word choices can create a hopeful or admiring tone, while sharp or sardonic wording can produce a skeptical or biting tone. Denotation is simply the literal dictionary meaning of words, and connotation is the extra ideas or feelings that words evoke beyond their exact definitions. Mood, on the other hand, is the reader’s emotional experience as they read. So while connotation can shape tone and mood reflects the reader, the term that names the writer’s attitude shown through language is tone.