Tone analysis

English

Definition

Tone analysis is the skill of identifying and explaining an author's attitude toward their subject, characters, or audience as expressed through word choice, sentence structure, and details. Tone can shift throughout a text and often reveals the author's deeper purpose or perspective.

Examples

  • Identifying Jonathan Swift's satirical tone in 'A Modest Proposal' through his calm, logical discussion of an absurd idea
  • Noticing a shift from hopeful to disillusioned tone in a character's letters as a war progresses
  • Analyzing how a journalist's word choices ('claimed' vs. 'stated') reveal a skeptical tone toward a politician

Related Terms

Tone and mood Word choice Author's purpose Connotation

Study This Concept

Practice tone analysis with free review games in these units:

AP English Language Unit 1: Rhetorical Analysis