What does it mean by 'TONE' of a text?

The definition of “tone” is the way the author expresses his attitude through his writing. The tone can change very quickly, or may remain the same throughout the story. Tone is expressed by your use of syntax, your point of view, your diction, and the level of formality in your writing.


Tone, in written composition, is an attitude of a writer toward a subject or an audience. Tone is generally conveyed through the choice of words, or the viewpoint of a writer on a particular subject.  

Examples of Tone in a Story. The tone in a story can be joyful, serious, humorous, sad, threatening, formal, informal, pessimistic, and optimistic. Your tone in writing will be reflective of your mood as you are writing.

Tone Examples in Common Speech

We adopt a variety of tones in our day-to-day speech. This intonation of our speech determines what message we desire to convey. Read a few examples below:

Example #1

Father: “We are going on a vacation.”
Son: “That’s great!!!”

– The tone of son’s response is very cheerful.

Example #2

Father: “We can’t go on vacation this summer.”
Son: “Yeah, great! That’s what I expected.”

– The son’s tone is sarcastic.

Example #3

“Yeah, your grades on this exam will be as good as the previous exams.”

– The tone is pessimistic in this example.

Example #4

“Can someone tell me what the hell is going on here?”

– This has an aggressive tone.