Name
Date
LESSON
45
PRACTICE WORKSHEET A
COPYMASTER
Tone
Literature 45
Directions: Read the boxed excerpt. Then answer the questions that follow.
from Nelson Mandela’s inaugural address, May 10, 1994
Your majesties, your royal highnesses, distinguished guests, comrades and
friends: Today, all of us do, by our presence here, and by our celebrations in other
parts of our country and the world, confer glory and hope to newborn liberty.
Out of the experience of an extraordinary human disaster that lasted too long
must be born a society of which all humanity will be proud.
Our daily deeds as ordinary South Africans must produce an actual South
African reality that will reinforce humanity’s belief in justice, strengthen its
confidence in the nobility of the human soul, and sustain all our hopes for a
glorious life for all.
—Nelson Mandela
1. Look closely at Mandela’s choice of words. Which word best describes the tone reflected
Copyright by McDougal Littell, a division of Houghton Mifflin Company
in phrases such as “confer glory,” “newborn liberty,” and “nobility of the human soul”?
a. formal
c. conventional
b. relaxed
d. nervous
2. In the second paragraph, Mandela refers to apartheid, the policy of racial segregation, as
a “human disaster.” Which word best describes the tone of this description?
a. annoyed
c. shocked
b. outraged
d. objective
3. Which word best describes the tone conveyed in direct statements in the third paragraph?
a. unsure
c. gleeful
b. afraid
d. hopeful
4. Overall, which words best describe the tone of the excerpt?
a. serious and formal
c. stiff and ceremonial
b. heavy and sad
d. ironic and lighthearted
5. How does the tone help you understand Mandela’s attitude about the future of his
country, South Africa?
Standards Lesson Files
Book 1: Literature
Grade 9
433
Name
LESSON
Literature 45
45
Date
PRACTICE WORKSHEET B
COPYMASTER
Tone
Directions: Read the boxed excerpt. Then answer the questions that follow.
from “Life Without Go-Go Boots”
Fashion nearly wrecked my life. I grew up beyond its pale, convinced that
this would stunt me in some irreparable way. I don’t think it has, but for a long
time it was touch and go.
We lived in the country, in the middle of an alfalfa field; we had no immediate
access to Bobbie Brooks sweaters. I went to school in the hand-me-downs of a
cousin three years older. She had excellent fashion sense, but during the three-year
lag her every sleek outfit turned to a pumpkin.
—Barbara Kingsolver
1. Kingsolver opens her essay with a direct statement. Which word best describes the
tone it reflects?
a. bitter
c. objective
b. shocked
d. lighthearted
the phrase “her every sleek outfit turned to a pumpkin”?
a. nostalgic
c. angry
b. tongue-in-cheek
d. matter-of-fact
3. In the second paragraph, Kingsolver could simply have said she lived in the country.
Instead, she adds descriptive details. How do these details contribute to the tone?
4. Overall, which word best describes the tone of this excerpt?
a. serious
c. resentful
b. humorous
d. sarcastic
5. What does Kingsolver achieve by using the tone?
434
Book 1: Literature
Grade 9
Standards Lesson Files
Copyright by McDougal Littell, a division of Houghton Mifflin Company
2. Look closely at Kingsolver’s choice of words. Which word best describes the tone of
Name
Date
LESSON
45
RETEACHING WORKSHEET
COPYMASTER
Tone
Literature 45
Review: Tone is the attitude a writer takes toward a subject. To identify tone:
• Read a passage carefully to yourself. Identify any direct statements about the subject.
• Try reading it aloud. Imagine that the author is speaking the words.
• Use what you have learned to suggest a word or words to describe the tone of the passage.
A. Directions: Read each passage. Decide which word best describes the writer’s tone.
Circle the letter of the best answer.
1. This is the last straw! If those squirrels don’t stop eating my tulips, I’m giving up on
growing spring flowers!
a. disgusted
b. angry
c. unhappy
2. Rembrandt is the most wonderful cat I have ever known. He is perceptive and
affectionate and has bright, round eyes.
a. sincere
b. grateful
c. excited
3. We heard the thunder rumbling in the distance and could even smell the rain. But, to
our sorrow, no rain came. The fruit shriveled and died on the vine. All life seemed to
wither in the oppressive heat and dryness.
Copyright by McDougal Littell, a division of Houghton Mifflin Company
a. depressed
b. matter-of-fact
c. agitated
4. Thank you so much for your kind letter. It really meant a lot to me.
a. happy
b. grateful
c. sorrowful
5. Since my sister hates to clean our room, while I like things neat, she said that cleaning
the room can be my job. I said, “Thanks so much for giving me the joy of cleaning up
after you. Your kindness is overwhelming.”
a. loving
b. happy
c. sarcastic
B. Read the boxed excerpt. Underline key words and phrases that evoke strong feelings.
Describe the writer’s tone, or attitude toward the subject. Include details.
Uncle Pumblechook [was] a large hard-breathing middle-aged slow man, with a
mouth like a fish, dull staring eyes, and sandy hair standing upright on his head . . .
—from Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
6. Sample: condescending, disgusted
Standards Lesson Files
Book 1: Literature
Grade 9
435