How are tone and mood different?

• A. Tone is about setting; mood is about plot.
• B. Tone is the reader’s feeling; mood is the author's attitude.
• C. Tone and mood are the same.
• D. Tone is the author’s attitude; mood is the reader’s feeling.

Answer: (D)

Tone is the author's attitude toward the subject or audience, shown through word choice and voice. Mood is the reader's emotional response—the atmosphere the text creates for you. So the easiest way to see the difference is to think about who is expressing the feeling: the writer's stance you can hear in the writing (tone) versus how reading it makes you feel (mood). For example, a narrator can speak in a formal, respectful way about a problem (tone), while the setting and imagery might still make you feel tense or eerie (mood). Remember: tone = author's attitude; mood = reader's feeling.