Purpose Terms
Tone Terms
Purpose Practice
Tone Practice
Wild Card
100
the author's purpose for front-page newspaper articles, legal documents, reference materials, museum brochures
What is the author's purpose, to inform?
100
What does the tone term "critical" mean?
What is severely judging people or things?
100

What is the author's purpose for the terms of service for using the social networking site, Facebook?

What is "to inform"?

100

Identify the tone: "I can’t believe you actually thought that outfit looked good. Honestly, it’s a miracle you even made it out of the house without a mirror." 

What is a sarcastic or mocking tone?

100
What does the tone term "bitter" mean?
What is a sour reaction?
200
the author's purpose for textbooks, how-to manuals, technical guides
What is the author's purpose, to instruct?
200
What does the tone term "optimistic" mean?
What is having a positive or bright view of the future?
200

A high-energy TikTok script explaining why viewers must sign a petition to save the local community garden before it's paved over tomorrow.

What is "to advocate"?

200

Identify the tone: The experimental data suggest a strong correlation between sleep deprivation and cognitive decline. Further longitudinal studies are required to establish a definitive causal link.

What is an objective/informative tone?

200
Name 2 disapproving tone terms.
What are critical, pessimistic, intolerant, gloomy, and bitter?
300
the author's purpose for ads, commercials, editorials, movie critics' reviews, political speeches
What is the author's purpose, to persuade?
300
What does the tone term "pessimistic" mean?
What is having a negative outlook?
300

An op-ed piece in the newspaper arguing that starting high school at 10:00 AM would actually improve national test scores and student mental health.

What is "to persuade"?

300

Identify the tone: "The old house stood like a rotting tooth in the jaw of the cliffside. Inside, the air tasted of wet dust and forgotten secrets, as if the walls themselves were waiting for the floorboards to finally give way." 

What is a gloomy or depressing tone?

300
Name 2 supportive tone terms.
What are encouraging, optimistic, sympathetic, enthusiastic, and convincing?
400
the author's purpose for novels, jokes, poems, gossip columns, comic books
What is the author's purpose, to entertain?
400
What is the tone term that means using words that are the OPPOSITE of what you really mean?
What is ironic?
400

A chilling "dystopian" short story where the author describes a future where nobody speaks in person anymore, intended to show the dangers of over-reliance on social media.

What is "to warn"?

400

Identify the tone: As I watched the children play in the park, I couldn't help but remember the summers of my own youth—the smell of freshly cut grass and the feeling that the sun would never actually set on our innocence. 

What is a nostalgic or sentimental tone?

400
What does the tone term "tongue-in-cheek" mean?
What is said or done seriously but really meant as a joke?
500
a question a reader should ask himself/herself in order to determine the author's purpose
What is "Why did the author write this?" or What was he or she trying to accomplish?"
500
3 tone words that are synonyms for "objective"
What are neutral, straightforward, indifferent, serious, and instructional?
500

An undercover journalist writes an article revealing the messy, unsafe conditions inside a popular toy factory that the company tried to keep hidden from the public.

What is "to expose"?

500

Identify the tone: Regarding the draft you submitted this morning: the data in Section 2 is inconsistent, and the overall structure lacks a logical flow. While I appreciate the effort, this version is ultimately insufficient for the client meeting and will require a complete overhaul to meet our basic standards.

What is critical tone?

500
Name three tone terms that could be used to describe the tone often found in textbooks, reference materials, and news magazines?
What are objective, neutral, straightforward, indifferent, serious, informational, and instructional?
M
e
n
u