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's pace.
• D. Tone is the narrator's voice; mood is the environment.

Answer: (B)

Tone is the author's attitude toward the subject, conveyed through word choice and style; mood is the reader's emotional response to the text, the atmosphere you feel as you read. The statement that best differentiates these two is that the author's attitude (tone) drives how the subject is presented, while the reader’s feelings (mood) come from experiencing that presentation. For example, if the diction is satirical and the author treats the subject with irony, the tone is biting or sardonic. The mood the text creates in you might be amused, uneasy, or skeptical, depending on how that tone sits with the imagery and events. The key distinction is that tone is about the writer’s stance, whereas mood is about what you, the reader, feel. The other phrasings mix up who experiences the emotion or what aspect of the text is doing the conveys attitude. Mood isn’t the author’s attitude, and tone isn’t simply the setting or the narrator’s voice alone; tone expresses stance through language, while mood is the emotional atmosphere experienced by the reader.

Tone is the author's attitude toward the subject, conveyed through word choice and style; mood is the reader's emotional response to the text, the atmosphere you feel as you read. The statement that best differentiates these two is that the author's attitude (tone) drives how the subject is presented, while the reader’s feelings (mood) come from experiencing that presentation.

For example, if the diction is satirical and the author treats the subject with irony, the tone is biting or sardonic. The mood the text creates in you might be amused, uneasy, or skeptical, depending on how that tone sits with the imagery and events. The key distinction is that tone is about the writer’s stance, whereas mood is about what you, the reader, feel.

The other phrasings mix up who experiences the emotion or what aspect of the text is doing the conveys attitude. Mood isn’t the author’s attitude, and tone isn’t simply the setting or the narrator’s voice alone; tone expresses stance through language, while mood is the emotional atmosphere experienced by the reader.