National 5

Analysing tone in Critical ReadingHow does a writer create tone?

In the first section of the National 5 Critical Reading assessment, you should be able to comment on the tone the writer creates and the techniques they've used to create it. Revise how to analyse tone in this guide.

Part ofEnglishCritical Reading

How does a writer create tone?

To create tone, a writer could use some of the techniques listed below.

Technique	Definition	Example
Rhetorical question	A question posed to which the speaker predicts the answer and gains support from the audience by asking.	'What time do you call this?'
Rule of three	Grouping words or ideas in threes makes them memorable and emphatic.	'Be sincere, be brief, be seated.'
Emotive language	Language that appeals to the emotions and which will cause the audience to share your point of view, such as anger or joy.	'I was utterly appalled by the decision.''
Hyperbole	Using exaggeration for effect in order to draw in the reader.	'The teacher gave us a ton of homework!'

Technique	Rhetorical question
Definition	A question posed to which the speaker predicts the answer and gains support from the audience by asking.
Example	'What time do you call this?'

Technique	Rule of three
Definition	Grouping words or ideas in threes makes them memorable and emphatic.
Example	'Be sincere, be brief, be seated.'

Technique	Emotive language
Definition	Language that appeals to the emotions and which will cause the audience to share your point of view, such as anger or joy.
Example	'I was utterly appalled by the decision.''

Technique	Hyperbole
Definition	Using exaggeration for effect in order to draw in the reader.
Example	'The teacher gave us a ton of homework!'

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