Transcript Close Reading - missduncanenglish

Close Reading
‘Tone’ Types of Questions
Types of Tone:
Humorous
 Conversational/chatty
 Persuasive
 Dismissive
 Ironic
 Serious/Formal
 Emotive (to make the reader feel a
certain emotion.)
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What do you call that?
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Curious – looking at something you have
never seen before.
Sarcastic – A teacher looking at badly
attempted homework.
Angry – a mother looking at her daughter’s
very short skirt.
Frightened – in a scary context.
In order to identify the tone you must look
at the context of the statement to
understand what is going on.
Read the following extracts and for
each decide what tone is being used,
listing the words/phrases which
helped you.
1.
He walked into the immense cathedral,
looked down the length of his nose and
simply sniffed, proclaiming a tiny ‘humph’,
before just glancing around. The golden
coloured alter, with intricate brass
carving he dismissed as ‘brass and stuff’.
The flowers he shrugged at, before
turning on his heels, unimpressed and
bored.
2. Gosh, you won’t believe what I’ve done
now. How could anyone have been so
stupid? After the last time you’d have
thought I’d have known better, wouldn’t
you?
3. I just couldn’t believe the nerve of the
man, and my face reddens whenever I
think of it. How dare he speak to me
like that, with such a condescending
tone of voice. Who gave him the right to
treat anyone like that? He really made
my blood boil.
4. How could you allow them to trample all
over the evidence? If a herd of buffaloes had
come along they would have made less
mess!
5. The landscape was extraordinary. It was as
though God had left this awesome sheer
face of rock deliberately in the middle of the
city, to remind us of his existence.
6. The Great Hall suddenly transformed into a
feast. The four long house tables were laden
tureens of porridge, plates of kippers,
mountains of toast and dishes of egg and
bacon . . .
7. Lyra moved through the dark hall, taking
care to keep out of sight. She crouched
behind a table before darting in to the
retiring room. Even the servants didn’t
come in here. Suddenly she heard voices
and dived behind a chair. She knew if she
was discovered . . .
8. The pupils stood regimented in line,
before being marched off into class.
9. He was starting school, and by the time
he left he’d be a man and I’d be middleaged. Those long days of afternoons
together were over. My baby was joining
the world. I missed him already.
10. We sat and looked down at the valley
below. Nothing stirred. No-one was
around to disturb us. The worries of
reality and city life were gone. We were
truly at peace here.