IXL | Compare passages for tone | 9th grade language arts

Select the passage that has a more judgmental tone.

The maggot's cuticle, or skin, is white and smooth to the unaided eye. Using a microscope, however, one can observe rows of tiny spines, which assist the maggot's movements through its food-mass.

Seen under a microscope, the appearance of the louse strikes us with disgust. These loathsome animals, however unwelcome, come in troops, adding to the afflictions of the unfortunate.

Adapted from George H. Carpenter, The Life-Story of Insects and Unknown, The History of Insects

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question

Select the passage that has a more enthusiastic tone.

The trees display narrow, pointed leaves in clusters and scaly buds. Flowers appear in early spring, mostly surrounded at the base by the enlarged scales of the buds.

After four months passed, all the trees in the wood burst forth, and the green twigs all grew thickly together; the little birds sang so that the whole wood rang, and the blossoms fell from the trees.

Adapted from Charles Sprague Sargent, Manual of the Trees of North America (Exclusive of Mexico) 2nd ed. and Dinah Maria Mulock, "The Juniper-Tree"

key idea

Tone is the attitude that is expressed in a text. A writer's tone can communicate a range of feelings, such as excitement, humor, skepticism, or respect.

Tone is revealed through the language that a writer uses in a text. For example, is the information presented through direct statements or through figurative language? Is the topic described through positive words and phrases or through negative ones? These types of text features can help express different tones.

The city's oppressive heat drove us from shop to shop in search of relief.
Words like "oppressive" and "drove" create an intense, negative tone.

With a population of over thirteen million, the bustling city of London is active day and night.
Words like "bustling" and "active" create a positive and upbeat tone.

solution

The second passage is more enthusiastic in tone. It includes descriptive flourishes, such as burst forth and the whole woods rang. In contrast, the other passage features a factual, unembellished description.

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Not feeling ready yet? These can help:

W.1Choose the word whose connotation and denotation best match the sentence

B.3Compare passages for subjective and objective tone

C.3Compare passages for tone

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