education,literature

1. Style, Tone,
and Mood
…to support the author’s purpose

2. What is STYLE ?
 Every author has his or her own style –
that is, each author uses literary devices,
tone, and mood in a particular way that
makes his or her writing recognizable.
 When you read several books by the same
author, you become accustomed to the
author’s style of writing and sometimes
you look for authors with a similar style.

3. STYLE
STYLE is the way the author uses words, phrases,
and sentences.
The author’s
1) personal word choice/vocabulary,
2) types of sentences,
3) point of view from which the text is told,
4) organization of the text.
These 4 components will reveal his/her style.

4. STYLE
So, when analyzing an author’s style, we need to
consider:
 point-of-view,
 formal or informal writing,
 organization/structure of text,
 level of complexity in the writing, and
 overall tone.
By using these features in writing, different
meanings of the content (what the story/text
is about) are shown to the audience.

5. Style: Which Point of View?
First person: (I, me, my)
I went to the store today. When I was in the cereal aisle, I bumped into an
old friend and had a nice conversation.
Second person: (you; instructions/directions)
You should work on getting your room cleaned. First, pick up the clothes on
the floor. Then, you need to run a vacuum and dust the tables.
Third person – limited: (he/she/it/they/them told thru 1 character)
He could tell from the expression on her face that what he had said upset
her. If only he knew, though, what she was really thinking.
Third-person Omniscient (‘all knowing’):
(he/she/it/they/them told by the author; all characters’
feelings/thoughts are revealed)
She refused to look at Jamie again and instead stared at the statue.
“Come on!” exclaimed Jamie impatiently. “It’s time to go.”
Sara ignored Jamie and continued to gaze upon the statue wishing
she, too, could be so still and at peace.
.

6. Formal vs. Informal
These are the two major categories of style.
Formal
Vocabulary: high-level;
business-like
Organization of text:
very structured;
perhaps with
subtopics
Audience – usually 3rd-
omnisicient (except
for business letters)
Sentences: structure
varies (s/cd/cx)
 Informal
Vocabulary – low-level;
perhaps slang;
dialogue
Organization of text –
more so narrative or
note-like
Audience – usually
personal (more first
or third-limited)
Sentences – don’t vary as
much in structure; mostly
simple or compound
sentences

7. Style: Formal vs. Informal
Formal:
Dear Sir,
After examining your job description, I feel I am an
excellent candidate. I have many years of experience
performing these specific duties. My résumé is attached.
Please read it over at your convenience and contact me if
you have questions.
Sincerely,
Andrew Meyer
Informal:
Hey, Sara! What's going on tonight? Call me before
you guys leave, okay?
--Beth

8. STYLE: Organization of Text
Writing is organized in various ways,
depending upon the author’s purpose:
-To inform
-To entertain
-To Describe
-To persuade
(Remember these?)

9. STYLE: Organization of Text
Text usually falls within one of these types of organizational
patterns:
1. Cause - Effect
2. Problem – Solution
3. Chronological (sequencing the order of events)
4. Compare/Contrast
5. Inductive (specific to general)
6. Deductive (general to specific)
7. Division into categories
8. Ranking (i.e., “most __” to “least ___”)
Can you predict which would be writing patterns for giving
information? For entertaining? For expressing an opinion?
For persuading someone to believe as you do?
** We’ll discuss these styles more in depth next six weeks; for now, just know they exist.

10. Style: Level of Complexity
 Does the author use mostly simple sentence structure or varies the sentence
structures (simple, compound, complex sentences)?
 Is it simple vocabulary or higher-level word choices?
 What types of writing devices does the author use? Does the author use
dialogue? Figurative Language (similes, metaphors, onomatopoeia,
personification, symbolism, hyperbole, idiom)? Flashbacks?
Foreshadowing? Irony?
 What about the level of detail? Is the writing very descriptive (in describing
characters, settings, actions/events)? Does it become TOO detailed? TOO
‘wordy?’ Too ‘flowery?’ So many events in the plot that the story becomes
TOO confusing or “convoluted?” Or, is the level of detail – as Baby Bear
would say, “Just right” -- to visualize the images, to understand the
concepts, to build suspense???

11. STYLE
 When analyzing style, you must look
at a piece of writing FROM the
overall structure of the text TO
the small details and word choices.
Be an editor, a critic, to answer the
question: how would I describe this
author’s writing style?

12. Style: “A Gift in His Shoes”
Donovan and Larry were early for baseball
practice. They decided to run up and down the
bleachers to exercise before the rest of the team
arrived.
Larry was first to the top. He whispered to
Donovan, “Look over there.” He pointed to a man
sleeping on the highest, narrow bench of the
bleachers. His pants and shirt were faded, worn,
and too large for his thin frame. One big toe stuck
out of a huge hole in his sock. His scraped-up shoes
sat a few feet away.
Donovan whispered, “We should help him out.
Let’s hide something good in his shoes. Then, when
he wakes up, he will have a nice surprise.”

13. Style: “A Gift in His Shoes”
How would you describe the writing style of this
author?
a. Formal
b. Conversational
c. Businesslike
Evidence?
Point of View: third-omnisicient
Word choices: “scraped-up,” “one big toe stuck out”
Use of dialogue between characters

14. Style: “Where Can They Stay?”
About three million people have to look for a
place to sleep at night. Some homeless people
have jobs but do not earn nearly enough money
for both food and shelter. Some become
homeless because they have an unfortunate
accident or lose their job. They do not have any
back-up resources to make it through the hard
times.
The homeless face terrible problems. Many
become victims of violence. Serious health
problems may begin because they are exposed to
bad weather and unclean conditions. Homeless
children may miss the chance to go to school.
Worst of all, some cities pass laws that make it
even harder on the homeless.

15. Style: “Where Can They Stay”
How would you describe the writing style of this
author?
a. Formal
b. Conversational
c. Businesslike
Evidence?
Point of View: 3rd – omnisicient
Organizational structure: cause-effect
Word choices: “unfortunate,” “resources”

16. Style
 There may be as many styles as
there are writers. Think about your
favorite authors? Why do you like
their books? Is it because of their
style of writing? . . . And so, how
would you describe their style of
writing?

17. Style
 Descriptive?
 Thoroughly-developed?
 Academic?
 Formal?
 Informal?
 Business-like?
 Personal?

18. Tone and Mood
 Tone and mood both deal with the
emotions centered around a piece of
writing. Though they seem similar and can
in fact be related causally, they are in fact
quite different.

19. TONE
TONE is simply the author’s attitude toward
the subject.
You can recognize the tone/attitude by the
language/word choices the author uses. His
language will reveal his perspective/opinion
(that is, whether it is positive/negative)
about the subject.
Tone must be inferred through the use of
descriptive words.

20. Tone Example
The girls were playing in the pond, splashing each other
and trying to catch fish with their hands. They were having
fun, but kept looking over their shoulders at the looming
forest. The long grass of the field kept moving and they sort
of felt like they were being watched… About a half hour
passed and still the girls kept checking the field for
movements. It seemed like a pair of dark eyes was on
them. They even considered going back inside, but that
would mean homework time. So they continued splashing,
but with caution now. Their eyes hardly left the field.
The tone of this passage is ominous, suggesting a little bit of
fear or foreboding. Words like "caution, dark, and
looming“ lead readers to the tone.

21. TONE EXAMPLE
Finally, one of the girls pointed to the grass and
giggled. "Meow!" A cat sat on the edge of the field
and licked its paw. They did indeed have company.
The girls ran over to the cat and pet his belly. They
laughed and the cat sauntered back to the field.
The tone of this passage is happy/contentment as
there was a successful, happy resolution to the
problem.

22. TONE
Identifying the TONE is all about knowing
the definitions of many descriptive
vocabulary words. Without this large
vocabulary, it’s difficult to describe
outside of “good” and “bad.”

23. TONE
So, let’s TONE our brain muscles with
descriptive vocabulary exercises!!
 Bitter
 Serious
 Witty
 Playful
 Tender
 Sympathetic
 Haunting
 Mysterious
 Suspenseful
 Tasteful/distasteful
 Nonchalant
 Angry
 Attached/Detached
 Innocent
 Poignant
 Compassionate
 Humorous
 Gore-y

24. Tone: “A Gift in His Shoes”
Donovan and Larry were early for baseball
practice. They decided to run up and down the
bleachers to exercise before the rest of the team
arrived.
Larry was first to the top. He whispered to
Donovan, “Look over there.” He pointed to a man
sleeping on the highest, narrow bench of the
bleachers. His pants and shirt were faded, worn,
and too large for his thin frame. One big toe stuck
out of a huge hole in his sock. His scraped-up
shoes sat a few feet away.
Donovan whispered, “We should help him out.
Let’s hide something good in his shoes. Then,
when he wakes up, he will have a nice surprise.”

25. Tone: “A Gift in His Shoes”
How would you describe the tone [attitude]
of this author?
a. Angry
b. Detached
c. Sympathetic
Evidence?

26. Tone: “Where Can They Stay?”
About three million people have to look for a
place to sleep at night. Some homeless people
have jobs but do not earn nearly enough money
for both food and shelter. Some become
homeless because they have an unfortunate
accident or lose their job. They do not have any
back-up resources to make it through the hard
times.
The homeless face terrible problems. Many
become victims of violence. Serious health
problems may begin because they are exposed to
bad weather and unclean conditions. Homeless
children may miss the chance to go to school.
Worst of all, some cities pass laws that make it
even harder on the homeless.

27. Tone: “Where Can They Stay”
How would you describe the tone [attitude]
of this author?
a. Disgruntled
b. Nonchalant
c. Serious
Evidence?

28. MOOD
MOOD is the overall feelings or emotions
that are created IN THE READER. In other
words, the emotions the selection arouses
in a reader.
The “power of the pen” can move
mountains.
Authors “move” their readers’ moods
through their choice of words and level of
detail.

29. MOOD EXAMPLE
During the holidays, my mother's house glittered with
decorations and hummed with preparations. We ate
cookies and drank cider while we helped her wrap
bright packages and trim the tree. We felt warm and
excited, listening to Christmas carols and even singing
along sometimes. We would tease each other about
our terrible voices and then sing even louder.
Mood: Content, happy. How do we know? Words like
"warm, excited, glittered” are used by the author.

30. MOOD EXAMPLE
After New Year's the time came to put all the
decorations away and settle in for the long, cold
winter. The house seemed to sigh as we boxed up its
finery. The tree was dry and brittle, and now waited
forlornly by the side of the road to be picked up.
Mood: Dreary, depressed. How do we know? "cold,
sigh, brittle, forlornly"

31. MOOD
Again, identifying the mood of a piece of
writing will depend on the number of
descriptive words you know to answer the
question: How did this paragraph, this
passage, this story make the character or
make you feel?

32. MOOD
Brain Muscle Work-out, Volume II!
 Cheerful
 Relieved
 Gloomy
 Bleak
 Uncertain
 Bittersweet
 Relaxed
 Lazy
 Hopeless
 Tense
 Furious
 Disappointed
 Dreamy, foggy
 Content
 Satisfied
 Angry
 Motivated
 Inspired
 Confident
 Eerie

33. Mood: “A Gift in His Shoes”
Donovan and Larry were early for baseball
practice. They decided to run up and down the
bleachers to exercise before the rest of the team
arrived.
Larry was first to the top. He whispered to
Donovan, “Look over there.” He pointed to a man
sleeping on the highest, narrow bench of the
bleachers. His pants and shirt were faded, worn,
and too large for his thin frame. One big toe stuck
out of a huge hole in his sock. His scraped-up
shoes sat a few feet away.
Donovan whispered, “We should help him out.
Let’s hide something good in his shoes. Then,
when he wakes up, he will have a nice surprise.”

34. Mood: “A Gift in His Shoes”
How would you describe the mood of this
passage?
a. Angry
b. Detached
c. Sympathetic
Evidence?

35. Mood: “Where Can They Stay?”
About three million people have to look for a
place to sleep at night. Some homeless people
have jobs but do not earn nearly enough money
for both food and shelter. Some become
homeless because they have an unfortunate
accident or lose their job. They do not have any
back-up resources to make it through the hard
times.
The homeless face terrible problems. Many
become victims of violence. Serious health
problems may begin because they are exposed to
bad weather and unclean conditions. Homeless
children may miss the chance to go to school.
Worst of all, some cities pass laws that make it
even harder on the homeless.

36. Mood: “Where Can They Stay?”
How would you describe the mood of this
passage? CAN you describe the mood of
this passage?
In non-fiction, expository (report-like) pieces
of writing, there is usually not enough
‘hints’ to produce a mood for the reader.
It’s just factual information. (Of course, this
doesn’t mean it inhibits you to think about it! Again, “the power
of pen has moved mountains.”)

37. It’s Now Time to Play the Number One
Television Game in America:
“Critic’s Corner!”
 Directions:
1. With a partner, choose two children’s books
from the table.
2. Also, pick up from the table two copies of the
Style, Tone, and Mood chart.
3. Take turns reading the books aloud with your
partner. Complete the charts to identify s/t/m.
4. Each person then be prepared to present your
your critique of the books on our show,
“Critic’s Corner!”