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Identifying Mood and Tone | B-1
Taylor Associates
Recognizing Mood and Tone
COMPREHENSION SKILLS PR
Did
you ever read a story that made you feel very scared? Or a story that
made you feel very happy? The feeling that you get is from the mood or the tone
of the story. A story might make you glad or afraid or sad or excited. It might make
you feel unhappy or lonely or nervous. All of these words describe the mood of
a story.
Sometimes the author helps you feel the mood of a story by using words that give
you clues. Words like laughed, cried, smiled, screamed, and cheered all give you
clues about the mood of a story. Read the following sentence:
Molly laughed at her dog’s new tricks.
The word laughed is a clue. It tells you that Molly is happy. The mood of this
sentence would be a happy mood.
Sometimes the author actually tells you what the mood of a story is. Read the
following paragraph and look for the word that tells you the mood.
One day Josh’s teacher said, “I want each of you to draw a picture
of a buffalo. The three best pictures will win a prize.” Josh was very
excited. He knew he was good at drawing, but he had never seen a
buffalo!
Did you choose the word excited to describe the mood of this story? The author says
Joash was very excited. This sentence tells you the mood of the paragraph.
Read the following selection. While you are reading, think about the mood.
Right over the car was a low branch and on the branch was a lion! He
was stretched out and his paws were hooked around the branch. His
head was between his paws. He was fast asleep!
“Gosh!” exclaimed Josh. “I didn’t know lions climbed trees.”
Most lions don’t,” said the teacher. “This is one of the few places where
they do.”
Did you find the clue that tells you the mood? The clue is the word exclaimed. The
mood is one of surprise. Josh was surprised to learn that some lions climb trees.
Remember, the mood is the feeling you get from reading a story.
Copyright © 2013 Taylor Associates/Communications,
Inc.
Level B-1
E
Identifying Mood and Tone | B-1
Point
View
Readingof
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COMPREHENSION SKILLS PR
Taylor Associates
Level B-1
Recognizing Mood and Tone
E
Student Name_______________________________________________________________
In a story, the following words or phrases might give you a clue to the mood of the story. On the line
next to each word or phrase, write a word that describes that mood.
1. cried unhappily
2. jumped up and cheered
3. shook with fear
4. smiled
5. sat by himself
Read each of the following paragraphs. Circle the word below the paragraph that best describes the
mood of that paragraph.
6. When Maddie saw what was in the box, her eyes grew wide. She never expected to find
anything so beautiful. She just could not believe it.
excited
glad
surprised
sad
7. Gwendolyn was delighted and said that she would marry Prince Randall. Then Randall
flashed a big smile, for he was delighted too.
sad
happy
lonely
surprised
8. All day long, Mickey kept thinking about the necklace. “What could have happened to it?”
he kept asking himself. “How could it have disappeared that way? It disappeared right
under our noses.” It was very puzzling. All he could do was wonder.
excited
sad
afraid
curious
9. Billy’s mother yelled, “That dragon does everything wrong! I was going to take some of
our best roses to a sick friend. We used to have plenty of roses. But now we have no
roses at all. The dragon has eaten every one!”
afraid
Copyright © 2013 Taylor Associates/Communications,
Inc.
angry
curious
happy