Tone

1. Tone

2. What is tone? The manner in which something is said rather than what is said. Tone may be playful, formal, intimate, angry, serious, ironic, outraged, baffled, tender, serene, depressed,

3. Example The future of the city has suddenly become the only subject in town. It ranges from tough topics such as managing water resources, economic policy, transport planning racial tolerance and law enforcement to what is usually presented as the fluffier end of the scale, such as making public spaces people want to spend time in and deciding the colourof the buses. But it is this diversity which powerfully affirms the city asmankind’s greatest single invention. Question Show how the writer’s use of language in this paragraph creates a tone of disapproval.

4. How to answer the question • In this question, the candidate is asked to refer to the tone the writer creates. The tone in this question is disapproval. Tone is created through various techniques – structure, word choice, sound, point of view, juxtaposition, punctuation, imagery, exaggeration and register (using language appropriate to the situation), among others. • So the candidate should refer to some of these when answering the question.

5. Answer Punctuation - The use of inverted commas round “opportunity”, “choice” or “diversity” shows that the writer does not believe that these concepts are on offer, or are really meant and that he disapproves of the people who are misleading the public Word Choice – “talk the language” : suggests that there is something artificial or pretended about what these people say – they are using “jargon” rather than sincere language “set menu” suggests a lack of choice, contrary to their declared intentions Imagery- “set menu … à la carte” the reference to the choice or lack of choice offered in a restaurant illustrates the writer’s disapproval of the establishment not offering any choice to the people of Glasgow despite their statements that there is to be “choice”