{"id":13314,"date":"2014-02-07T21:10:57","date_gmt":"2014-02-07T21:10:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/?page_id=13314"},"modified":"2026-03-26T13:04:38","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T18:04:38","slug":"style-tone-and-mood","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/style-tone-and-mood\/","title":{"rendered":"Style, Tone, and Mood"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\t\t<div id=\"mmDeferVideoEncompass_uxgmKh00WfY\" style=\"position: relative;\">\n\t\t\t<picture>\n\t\t\t\t<source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/circle-play-duotone.webp\" type=\"image\/webp\">\n\t\t\t\t<source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/circle-play-duotone.png\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> \n\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"eager\" id=\"videoThumbnailImage_uxgmKh00WfY\" data-source-videoID=\"uxgmKh00WfY\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/circle-play-duotone.png\" alt=\"Style, Tone, and Mood Video\" height=\"464\" width=\"825\" class=\"size-full\" data-matomo-title = \"Style, Tone, and Mood\">\n\t\t\t<\/picture>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<style>img#videoThumbnailImage_uxgmKh00WfY:hover {cursor:pointer;} img#videoThumbnailImage_uxgmKh00WfY {background-size:contain;background-image:url(\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/updated-style-tone-and-mood-64c020de57044-4.webp\");}<\/style>\n\t\t\t<script defer>\n\t\t\t  jQuery(\"img#videoThumbnailImage_uxgmKh00WfY\").click(function() {\n\t\t\t\tlet videoId = jQuery(this).attr(\"data-source-videoID\");\n\t\t\t\tlet helpTag = '<div id=\"mmDeferVideoYTMessage_uxgmKh00WfY\" style=\"display: none;position: absolute;top: -24px;width: 100%;text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-style: italic;font-size: small;border-top: 1px solid #fc0;\">Having trouble? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v='+videoId+'\" target=\"_blank\">Click here to watch on YouTube.<\/a><\/span><\/div>';\n\t\t\t\tlet tag = document.createElement(\"iframe\");\n\t\t\t\ttag.id = \"yt\" + videoId;\n\t\t\t\ttag.src = \"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/\" + videoId + \"?autoplay=1&controls=1&wmode=opaque&rel=0&egm=0&iv_load_policy=3&hd=0&enablejsapi=1\";\n\t\t\t\ttag.frameborder = 0;\n\t\t\t\ttag.allow = \"autoplay; fullscreen\";\n\t\t\t\ttag.width = this.width;\n\t\t\t\ttag.height = this.height;\n\t\t\t\ttag.setAttribute(\"data-matomo-title\",\"Style, Tone, and Mood\");\n\t\t\t\tjQuery(\"div#mmDeferVideoEncompass_uxgmKh00WfY\").html(tag);\n\t\t\t\tjQuery(\"div#mmDeferVideoEncompass_uxgmKh00WfY\").prepend(helpTag);\n\t\t\t\tsetTimeout(function(){jQuery(\"div#mmDeferVideoYTMessage_uxgmKh00WfY\").css(\"display\", \"block\");}, 2000);\n\t\t\t  });\n\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t<\/script>\n\t\t\n<p><script>\nfunction l08_Function() {\n  var x = document.getElementById(\"l08\");\n  if (x.style.display === \"none\") {\n    x.style.display = \"block\";\n  } else {\n    x.style.display = \"none\";\n  }\n}\n<\/script><\/p>\n<div class=\"moc-toc hide-on-desktop hide-on-tablet\">\n<div><button onclick=\"l08_Function()\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/toc2.svg\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"show or hide table of contents\"><\/button><\/p>\n<p>On this page<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<nav id=\"l08\" style=\"display:none;\">\n<ul>\n<li class=\"toc-h2\"><a href=\"#Tone\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">Tone<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"toc-h2\"><a href=\"#Mood\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">Mood<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"toc-h2\"><a href=\"#Review\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/nav>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"accordion\"><input id=\"transcript\" type=\"checkbox\" class=\"spoiler_button\" \/><label for=\"transcript\">Transcript<\/label>\n<div class=\"spoiler\" id=\"transcript-spoiler\">\n<p>Hi, and welcome to this video on mood and tone!<\/p>\n<p>The way authors describe things, people, places, or events in their writing contributes to the overall mood or tone of a piece. In this video, we\u2019ll go over what mood and tone are in writing, how to use them, and go over some examples.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s get started!<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Tone\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Tone<\/h2>\n<p>\nFirst, let\u2019s talk about tone. If you think back to your childhood, you may recall being told to \u201cwatch your tone of voice\u201d when speaking to someone. Tone is just as important in real life as it is in writing. In writing, instead of using our literal voices, we convey tone with the words we choose. Have you ever sent a long paragraph to someone only to get \u201cK\u201d as a reply? You might think, \u201cThis person is upset, because they are being short with me!\u201d This is an example of tone. Even with this one letter, their tone seems dismissive and angry because they are so terse.<\/p>\n<p>Often, the tone you naturally write with is pretty neutral, which may make your writing come across as uninteresting. Here\u2019s an example of <strong>neutral tone<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<div class=\"transcriptcallout\" style=\"text-align: left;\">I went on a date last weekend. We went to get ice cream and we stayed out until 9 pm.<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nNow, there\u2019s nothing really wrong with this, but the tone is very neutral and objective, told by someone who\u2019s simply giving the facts. What if we used language that gave it a more positive tone?<\/p>\n<div class=\"transcriptcallout\" style=\"text-align: left;\">I finally went on a date last weekend. We went to get my <strong>favorite<\/strong> ice cream and we <strong>stayed out all night<\/strong>.<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nWith just a few word changes, the tone makes the speaker sound much more excited. They sound eager to talk about their date. It also sounds like it went well since they stayed out late.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s look at another example. Listen to this excerpt from <em>Winnie the Pooh<\/em> and see what kind of tone you pick up.<\/p>\n<div class=\"transcriptcallout\" style=\"text-align: left;\">If the person you are talking to doesn\u2019t appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear.<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nThe person speaking here is giving advice, asking you to be patient with people. They seem to be speaking a bit formally, though they give a funny reason as to why you should be patient with people who don\u2019t seem to listen. <\/p>\n<p>Obviously, this advice is from the perspective of a stuffed animal. Knowing all this, you could say the tone is understanding, kind, and perhaps even childish. <\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Mood\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Mood<\/h2>\n<p>\nThe other element we\u2019re going to talk about here is mood, which you need tone in order to create. When we describe our mood in everyday life, we may say we are happy or sad or anything in between. When we are reading a piece of text, the words used, including the tone, can convey a mood that the reader can pick up.<\/p>\n<p>For example, a Dr. Seuss book will probably convey a joyful or playful mood to the reader, while a <em>Harry Potter<\/em> book might give off a mysterious or adventurous mood. Mood in writing is how the author\u2019s words create an atmosphere or overall feeling of what is happening in the text.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s look at an example from &#8220;The Raven&#8221; by Edgar Allen Poe.<\/p>\n<div class=\"transcriptcallout\" style=\"text-align: left;\">Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December;<br \/>\nAnd each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.<br \/>\nEagerly I wished the morrow;\u2014vainly I had sought to borrow<br \/>\nFrom my books surcease of sorrow\u2014sorrow for the lost Lenore\u2014<br \/>\nFor the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore\u2014<br \/>\nNameless here for evermore.<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nFrom just this stanza of the poem, what do you think the mood of this piece is? Poe used the word bleak to describe the cold month of December and used <em>ghosts<\/em> to describe embers casting smoke and soot as they burn out. The author also shares that they are in \u201csorrow for the lost Lenore.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s probably safe to say the language in this poem evokes a dark and mysterious mood by describing a somber and frightening experience.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2><span id=\"Review\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Review<\/h2>\n<p>\nOkay, before we go, let\u2019s go over a couple of quick review questions.<\/p>\n<p>1. Which of the following best describes the tone of this sentence?<\/p>\n<div class=\"transcriptcallout\" style=\"text-align: left;\">The man stormed out of the restaurant, enraged that the service was taking so long.<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ol style=\"list-style: upper-alpha;\">\n<li>Casual<\/li>\n<li>Optimistic<\/li>\n<li>Nervous<\/li>\n<li>Angry<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div style=\"text-align: center; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><button class=\"buttontranscript\" onClick=\"toggle('Answer1')\">Show Answer<\/button><\/div>\n<div id=\"Answer1\" style=\"display:none; box-shadow: 1.5px 1.5px 5px grey; background-color:#E0E0E0; padding: 30px; padding-bottom: 15px; width: 60%; margin: auto; text-align: center;\">\n<strong>The correct answer is D.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">We can tell pretty quickly by the words stormed and enraged that this sentence has an angry tone. If we were to neutralize the tone of this sentence it would sound like this: \u201cThe man left the restaurant because the service was taking longer than expected.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n2. Which of the following sets of words would an author use to create a gloomy mood?<\/p>\n<ol style=\"list-style: upper-alpha;\">\n<li>bounce, run, play<\/li>\n<li>smirk, jest, grin<\/li>\n<li>dark, cold, rainy<\/li>\n<li>bold, bright, brisk<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div style=\"text-align: center; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><button class=\"buttontranscript\" onClick=\"toggle('Answer2')\">Show Answer<\/button><\/div>\n<div id=\"Answer2\" style=\"display:none; box-shadow: 1.5px 1.5px 5px grey; background-color:#E0E0E0; padding: 30px; padding-bottom: 15px; width: 60%; margin: auto; text-align: center;\">\n<strong>The correct answer is C.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nThat\u2019s all for this review! Thanks for watching, and happy studying!<\/p>\n<ul class=\"citelist\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/bookriot.com\/winnie-the-pooh-quotes\/\"target=\"_blank\">Krug, Kate. 2019. \u201c35 Winnie the Pooh Quotes for Every Facet of Life.\u201d BOOK RIOT.<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.poetryfoundation.org\/poems\/48860\/the-raven\"target=\"_blank\">Poe, Edgar Allan. 1845. \u201cThe Raven.\u201d Poetry Foundation<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"home-buttons\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/writing\/\">Return to Writing Videos<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\nfunction toggle(obj) {\n          var obj=document.getElementById(obj);\n          if (obj.style.display == \"block\") obj.style.display = \"none\";\n          else obj.style.display = \"block\";\n}\n<\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Return to Writing Videos<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":186851,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-13314","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"page_category-video-pages-for-study-course-sidebar-ad","7":"page_category-writing-videos","8":"page_type-video","9":"subject_matter-english"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13314","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13314"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13314\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":280439,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13314\/revisions\/280439"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/186851"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13314"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}