APPENDIX B

Comprehension Skills Guidebook __________________________________________________________________________________________

TONE & ATTITUDE What is the difference? Your behaviour while attending church is different from your behaviour while hanging out in the back yard with friends, or at least we hope it is. And part of that difference is the difference in language, a difference not just in the words we use but in what we call tone. We also recall being told, when we were very young, not to use that tone of voice with me, Mister (or Missy, as the case may be)! Just as the pitch and volume of ones voice carry a difference in tone from street to church, the choice of words and the way we put our sentences together convey a sense of tone in our writing. The tone, in turn, conveys our attitude towards our audience and our subject matter. Are we being frivolous or serious, casual or formal, sweet or stuffy? The choice of single word can change the tone of a paragraph, even an entire essay. In the first sentence of this paragraph, for example the hanging out is considerably more casual than others we might have chosen: gathering, congregating, assembling. Words to Describe Tone (HOW) Words Accusatory Apathetic Awe Bitter Cynical Condescension Callous Contemplative Critical Choleric Contemptuous Caustic Conventional Disdainful Didactic Derisive Earnest Erudite Fanciful Forthright Gloomy Haughty Indignant Intimate Judgmental Jovial Lyrical Matter of fact Meaning charge of wrong doing indifferent due to lack of energy or concern solemn wonder Exhibiting Questions the basic sincerity and goodness of people A feeling of superiority Unfeeling, insensitive to feels of others Studying, thinking, reflecting on an issue Finding fault Hot-tempered, easily angered Showing or feeing that something is worthless or lacks respect. Intense use of sarcasm, stinging, biting Lacking spontaneity, originality and individuality Scornful Author attempts to educate of instruct the reader Ridiculing, mocking Intense, a sincere sate of mind Learned, polished, scholarly Using the imagination Directly frank without hesitation Darkness, sadness, rejection Proud and vain to the point of arrogance Marked by anger aroused by injustice Very familiar Authoritative and often having critical opinions Happy Expressing a poets inner feelings; emotional; full of images; song-like Accepting of conditions; not fanciful or emotional

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28.

B1

APPENDIX B

Comprehension Skills Guidebook __________________________________________________________________________________________

29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48.

Words Mocking Morose Malicious Objective Optimistic Obsequious Patronising Pessimistic Quizzical Ribald Reverent Ridiculing Reflective Sarcastic Sardonic Satiric Sincere Solemn Sanguineous Whimsical

Meaning Treating with contempt or ridicule Gloomy, sullen, surly, despondent Deliberately hurting An unbiased view, able to leave person judgments aside Hopeful and cheerful Polite in order to gain something Air of condescension Seeing the worst side of things; no hope Odd, eccentric, amusing Offensive in speech or gesture To treat a subject with honour and respect Slightly contemptuous banter, making fun of Illustrating innermost thoughts and emotions Sneering, caustic Scornfully and bitterly sarcastic Ridiculing to show weakness in order to make a point, teach Without deceit or pretence; genuine Deeply earnest tending towards sad reflection Optimistic, cheerful Odd, strange, fantastic, fun.

Words to Describe Attitude (WHAT) Positiive Enthusiastic Confidence Hopeful Serious Affectionate Determined Optimistic Down-to-earth Respectful Objective Relaxed Compliant Reverent Earnest Tolerant Negative Pompous Cynical Discriminately Defiant Jaded Indifferent Pessimistic Nonchalant Patronising Disapproving Officious Proprietorial Aggressive Domineering Complacent Hostile Callous Permissive Laidback Intimidating Sceptical

B2