We are usually pretty good at identifying someone's tone when they are speaking to us. We can tell when someone is frustrated, thrilled, or disappointed by paying attention to their face, body language, and manner of speaking.

In the same way, a writer's tone, or their attitude about what they are writing about, can be identified by paying attention to word choice, sentence structure, and punctuation. By noticing a writer's tone when we read, we can pick up on the writer's bias and opinions that may be sneaking in. It also allows us to have better comprehension. For example, when we miss out on a joke when reading, it may be because we did not pick up on a sarcastic or ironic tone. Note that the tone of a piece of writing reflects the author's attitude about their topic; it is not necessarily the feelings we have when reading it. 

Words have connotations, which are the emotions, associations, or implied meanings they carry beyond their literal definitions. These connotations can influence how readers or listeners perceive the tone, mood, and underlying message of what is being said or written. 

1. Positive, Negative, and Neutral Connotations

Some words evoke positive feelings, while others may carry negative or neutral associations. For example: 

• • Positive connotation: confident (suggests believing in oneself in a "good" way).

  • Negative connotation: arrogant (suggests believing in oneself in a "bad" way).

  • Neutral connotation: self-assured (suggests believing in oneself in a way that is neither overly positive nor negative).

2. Subtle Shifts in Meaning

Words with similar denotations (literal meanings) can have very different connotations. For example: 

• Childish may have a positive connotation (innocence) or a negative one (immaturity). 

• Cheap may have a positive connotation (affordable) or a negative one (bad quality). 

3. Implications and Bias

Connotations may reveal bias or influence opinions. For example:

• • She is thrifty. (Positive: suggests being careful with money.)

  • She is stingy. (Negative: suggests being unwilling to spend money.)