Author’s Tone: 17 Emotional Words Your Middle School Students Need to Know

When students come to us in middle school, they usually know how to pick out the topic of a nonfiction text and (hopefully) how to figure out the main idea.

But many times, our students have a much more difficult time describing the author’s tone.

The author’s tone is simply the author’s attitude about their topic, but if our students don’t have the vocabulary to describe those attitudes, they’re out of luck!

Here are 17 words your middle-school students need to know in order to effectively describe an author’s tone:

Aggressive - ready to fight

Critical - pointing out the flaws in something or someone

Nostalgic - longing for the past

Patronizing - talking down to someone as if they are not as intelligent

Tolerant - accepting others regardless of beliefs or behavior

Hopeful - having positive thoughts for the future

Detached - not showing emotion

Solemn - serious and proper

Confused - not understanding

Formal - proper and correct

Defensive - attempting to justify one’s actions

Objective - without opinion or bias

Sarcastic - using words to communicate the opposite message from their meaning

Grim - depressing or concerning

Condescending - feeling that oneself is better than others

Pleading - asking with desperation

Evasive - avoiding commitment

Looking for a fun way to give your students practice with these tones?

This hilarious improv game familiarizes students with the vocabulary used to describe an author’s tone . . .

. . . and these ridiculous fast-food orders give students valuable practice with identifying the author’s tone in a passage.

Author’s tone has become one of my very favorite topics to teach to my middle-school students over the years. I hope you have tons of fun teaching this skill too!

-Olivia