What term describes the manner in which an author expresses his or her attitude; the intonation of the voice that expresses meaning?

What term describes the manner in which an author expresses his or her attitude; the intonation of the voice that expresses meaning?

• A. Style
• B. Structure
• C. Tone
• D. Theme

Answer: (C)

Tone is the author’s attitude toward the subject or audience, conveyed through the voice and its implied intonation. It shows how the writer feels—whether serious, skeptical, humorous, or ironic—and guides how readers interpret meaning beyond the literal words. This comes from cues like word choice, sentence length and rhythm, punctuation, and figurative language, all of which shape the mood and attitude. By contrast, style refers to the overall manner of writing, structure to how the text is organized, and theme to the underlying message or insight. So the description fits tone: the attitude expressed through voice and intonation.

Tone is the author’s attitude toward the subject or audience, conveyed through the voice and its implied intonation. It shows how the writer feels—whether serious, skeptical, humorous, or ironic—and guides how readers interpret meaning beyond the literal words. This comes from cues like word choice, sentence length and rhythm, punctuation, and figurative language, all of which shape the mood and attitude. By contrast, style refers to the overall manner of writing, structure to how the text is organized, and theme to the underlying message or insight. So the description fits tone: the attitude expressed through voice and intonation.