Which statement best describes tone?

• A. The author’s use of imagery to evoke feelings.
• B. The setting's historical context.
• C. The plot's chronological order.
• D. The author's attitude toward the subject or audience.

Answer: (D)

Tone is the author’s attitude toward the subject or toward the reader, shown through how language is used—the word choice, sentence structure, and the details the writer emphasizes. It’s the stance the writer takes, whether serious, playful, skeptical, hopeful, or ironic. Imagery can shape the mood—the feeling the text evokes in readers—but that mood isn’t the tone itself. The historical context of the setting can inform how we read the piece, but it doesn’t define the author’s attitude. The plot’s order affects how the story unfolds and its pacing, not the writer’s stance toward the subject or audience. So the statement that best describes tone is the author’s attitude toward the subject or audience.