Reading: Recognizing Author's Tone, Purpose & Attitude (Basic): B1 Lesson 2: Recognizing Obvious Tone

Reading: Recognizing Author's Tone, Purpose & Attitude (Basic)

B1 Lesson 2: Recognizing Obvious Tone

Listen to the examples here.

What you will learn: By the end of this lesson, you will be able to identify clear tones (like positive, negative, or neutral) in a text by looking at the author's word choice.

Before You Read 🧠

Key Vocabulary (Click 🔊)

Let's learn these important words for today's lesson.

Tone

| សម្លេង / អារម្មណ៍

The writer's feeling or attitude about the topic (e.g., happy, angry, sad).

Objective

| ភាវៈវិស័យ

Based only on facts, with no personal feelings or opinions.

Subjective

| អត្តនោម័ត

Based on personal feelings, opinions, or tastes.

What is Tone in Reading?

Tone is the author's feeling or attitude toward the subject they are writing about. Think of it as the "voice" you hear in your head when you read. Is the voice happy, angry, sad, or just presenting information?

To find the tone, we must look for clue words (adjectives, adverbs, and strong verbs).

Positive Tone 👍 (Happy, Excited)

The author likes the topic and wants you to like it too.

Clue words: amazing, wonderful, love, best, perfect, excellent

"I loved the new 'Java Cafe'! The coffee was delicious and the music was so relaxing. A perfect place to study."

Negative Tone 👎 (Sad, Disappointed)

The author is unhappy or sad about the topic.

Clue words: terrible, awful, sadly, disappointed, unfortunately

"It was an awful experience. I was very disappointed in the result, and sadly, nothing can be done."

Angry / Critical Tone 😠

The author is very unhappy and blames someone or something.

Clue words: unacceptable, ridiculous, failure, worst, a waste

"The service was unacceptable. It's a ridiculous waste of money! This is the worst company I have ever dealt with."

Neutral / Objective Tone 😐

The author is only giving facts and information, with no personal feelings.

Clue words: (Look for numbers, facts, and a lack of feeling words)

"The phone has 128GB of storage and a 6.1-inch screen. The battery provides 18 hours of talk time."

Practice What You Learned 🎯

Quiz: Identify the Tone

Read the short texts below and choose the best answer for the author's tone. Click "Check Answers" when you're done.

1. "The concert was amazing! The band played all my favorite songs. It was the best night ever!"

What is the author's tone?

• A) Sad
• B) Neutral
• C) Positive / Excited

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2. "The new policy is ridiculous. How can they expect us to pay another fee? It's a failure of management."

What is the author's tone?

• A) Angry / Critical
• B) Happy
• C) Neutral

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3. "The report states that 2,105 people visited the park last month. This is an increase of 5% from the previous year."

What is the author's tone?

• A) Positive
• B) Negative
• C) Neutral / Objective

Key Vocabulary Reference (Click 🔊)

• Tone | សម្លេង / អារម្មណ៍
  The writer's feeling or attitude about the topic.
• Attitude | ឥរិយាបថ
  A way of thinking or feeling about someone or something.
• Objective | ភាវៈវិស័យ
  Based on facts, with no personal feelings. (e.g., news reports).
• Subjective | អត្តនោម័ត
  Based on personal feelings or opinions (e.g., reviews).
• Critical | រិះគន់
  Finding fault or judging something negatively.

Your Reading Mission ⭐

Become a Tone Detector!

This week, find one review online. It can be for a movie, a restaurant on Google Maps, or a product on an online shop.

1. Read the review and decide the author's tone (Positive, Negative, Angry, or Neutral).
2. Find 3 "clue words" (adjectives or verbs) that helped you decide.

Example:
- Review: "This game is terrible. It's so boring and a waste of money."
- Tone: Negative / Angry
- Clue Words: "terrible," "boring," "waste"