Which statement best differentiates tone from mood?

Which statement best differentiates tone from mood?

• A. Mood is the author's attitude toward the subject; tone is the reader's emotional response.
• B. Tone is the author's attitude toward the subject; mood is the reader's emotional response to the text.
• C. Tone is the setting's mood; mood is the plot progression.
• D. Tone is the character's voice; mood is the environment.

Answer: (B)

Understanding how tone and mood differ is key: tone is the author's attitude toward the subject, shown through word choice, sentence structure, and figurative language; mood is the reader’s emotional response to the text, built from imagery, setting, and events. The best statement captures that distinction: tone reflects the writer’s stance toward what they’re describing, while mood is how the piece makes you feel as you read it. For example, a biting, sarcastic tone toward a societal issue can create a readerly mood of cynicism or frustration. Conversely, lush, descriptive imagery can establish a calm or hopeful mood, even if the tone remains observant or affectionate toward the subject. The key is separating what the author thinks or feels (tone) from how the text makes you feel (mood). Other options mix up who experiences the emotion or what contributes to it: tone isn’t the setting’s mood, and mood isn’t the plot progression; tone isn’t just the character’s voice, and mood isn’t simply the environment.

Understanding how tone and mood differ is key: tone is the author's attitude toward the subject, shown through word choice, sentence structure, and figurative language; mood is the reader’s emotional response to the text, built from imagery, setting, and events. The best statement captures that distinction: tone reflects the writer’s stance toward what they’re describing, while mood is how the piece makes you feel as you read it.

For example, a biting, sarcastic tone toward a societal issue can create a readerly mood of cynicism or frustration. Conversely, lush, descriptive imagery can establish a calm or hopeful mood, even if the tone remains observant or affectionate toward the subject. The key is separating what the author thinks or feels (tone) from how the text makes you feel (mood).

Other options mix up who experiences the emotion or what contributes to it: tone isn’t the setting’s mood, and mood isn’t the plot progression; tone isn’t just the character’s voice, and mood isn’t simply the environment.