Much of how we comprehend comes from not only what is communicated, but also how it is communicated. This sentence, for example, can mean a number of things depending upon which word is stressed.

I never said he took my cupcake.

• I never said he took my cupcake.
• I never said he took my cupcake.
• I never said he took my cupcake.
• I never said he took my cupcake.
• I never said he took my cupcake.
• I never said he took my cupcake.
• I never said he took my cupcake.

Tone and Mood

• One of the ways writers create feeling (tone and mood) with their writing by thoughtful use of word choice (diction.) Additionally, writers use sentence structure and word order to emphasize certain tones and moods.
• Tone describes an attitude: the attitude of the author toward the audience or topic, or in fiction, the attitude of a character regarding the readers or the storyline.
• Mood is specifically a feeling created by the writing.
• The important thing about tone/mood is that it serves to strengthen the connection between author and audience. Readers who are attentive to tone/mood are better able to analyze the author’s perspective and are able to make more accurate inferences about the author’s message. Authors use tone to give their writer’s voice some personality and, in some cases, authority – which helps readers to care one way or the other about the message. The mood created in a text is designed to elicit a response from the reader. In this way, tone/mood strengthen and deepens communication between author and audience.

Diction and Word Choice

One of the subtle ways authors create their writing style is by their use of diction. Diction is another way of saying ‘word choice.’ If someone tells you that you have ‘good diction,’ they’re saying that you have a good vocabulary and you use it well. Diction is something to pay attention to when you are reading, listening, speaking or writing.