Question

name: jazlynn barnett date:____ class:____
guided notes: understanding tone

1. what is tone?

• the authors attitude towards the topic they are writing about is called their ______.
• you can understand the authors tone by examining their ______ and the details they use.
• a careful evaluation of the clues that the author provides will help you determine the ______.

1. connotation vs. denotation

• connotation means the ______ that surrounds or is associated with a particular word.
• denotation means the ______ definition of a word.
• two words can have the same denotation but very different ______.

1. word pairs: connotation

fill in the blanks to identify the connotation of the following words:

• skinny: ______ (positive/negative)
• slender: ______ (positive/negative)
• proud: ______ (positive/negative)
• conceited: ______ (positive/negative)
• odd: ______ (positive/negative)
• unique: ______ (positive/negative)
• easygoing: ______ (positive/negative)

Explanation:

• 1. What is Tone?
• The first blank is "tone" as per the basic definition of tone in writing.
• To understand tone, one examines "words" (as words and details convey tone).
• Evaluating clues helps determine the "tone".
• 2. Connotation vs. Denotation
• Connotation is the "emotion/feeling" associated with a word.
• Denotation is the "dictionary" (literal) definition.
• Two words with same denotation can have different "connotations".
• 3. Word Pairs: Connotation
• "Skinny" often has a negative connotation (implies too thin in an unflattering way).
• "Slender" has a positive connotation (suggests gracefully thin).
• "Proud" can be positive (feeling good about oneself/achievements).
• "Conceited" is negative (excessive pride in a bad way).
• "Odd" is negative (suggests strange in an unappealing sense).
• "Unique" is positive (one - of - a - kind in a good way).
• "Easygoing" is positive (relaxed and pleasant).

Answer:

1.

• tone
• words
• tone

2.

• emotion/feeling
• dictionary
• connotations

3.

• Skinny: Negative
• Slender: Positive
• Proud: Positive
• Conceited: Negative
• Odd: Negative
• Unique: Positive
• Easygoing: Positive