Understanding how

ang u a g e F e a t u res
L eate tone, meaning and effec
cr ts
 Learning Objectives
1 2 3
Identify Explain how Analyse how
language language features language features
features in contribute to convey meaning or
literary texts. tone. effect the reader.
 An introduction
Language features are the tools in a writer's toolbox that bring a story
to life! Writers carefully choose features such as figurative language,
imagery and sentence patterns to craft their message and engage their
audience in unique and compelling ways.

By understanding how these elements work together, readers can gain

deeper insights into the art of writing and the impact it has on the tone,
meaning and intended effects of a story. Let’s look at some examples of
how the art of crafting language can touch hearts, paint vivid pictures,
and transport us to different worlds!
First, let’s define three important terms.
Write these definitions in your notebooks.
 Tone
Tone refers to the attitude, mood
or emotional feeling that comes
across in a piece of writing.

Tone can be happy, sad, humorous, serious,

mysterious, or any other emotion, and it helps set
the overall atmosphere in a text.

Just like a person's tone of voice when they speak

can convey their feelings, an author's tone in
writing conveys how they feel about the subject
or what they want the reader to feel.
 Meaning
Meaning refers to the message or
idea that is conveyed through a
piece of writing.

It's what the author is trying to express or

communicate to the reader. You might think of it
as the ‘big idea’ or the important information that
you take away from reading something.

So, when we talk about the meaning of a text,

we're asking, ‘What is the author trying to say,
explain, or show us?’
 Effect
Effect refers to how a story or
piece of writing makes the reader
feel or think.

For example, the effect of a scary story might be

to create fear or suspense for the reader or an
inspiring story might make a reader feel motivated
or uplifted.

Discussing effect means considering the way that

reading something might change or influence a
person's thoughts and emotions.
 Practice
Read the passage on the next slide and answer the following questions in
your work books.

1 How would you describe the tone of this passage?

2 What meaning or ideas do you think the author is trying to convey?

3 What effect might this story have on the reader?

 Sample Text 1
Amelia was a a timid girl with a heart of gold but since her very first day at her
new school, she had become the target of relentless bullies. She was a magnet
for their attention due to her outsider status so day after day, they taunted her,
hurling hurtful words in her direction, trying to extinguish her radiant spirit.

Yet, amid the shadows of torment, Amelia's resilience glimmered like a beacon.
Her quiet resolve and unwavering kindness, like a tiny sprout breaking through
concrete, reminded everyone that even in the face of darkness, the light of a
determined soul could persevere.
 How did you go?
Some suggested responses might be things like...

Tone Meaning Effect

The tone of the passage The passage conveys the The effect of the passage
is sympathetic and idea that even in the face is to evoke empathy and
supportive towards the of adversity and cruelty, position the reader to
character of Amelia. a person's inner strength admire Amelia for her
and goodness can kindness and resilience.
endure.
Now, let’s revise figurative language!
Write this definition in your notebook.
Figurative Language
Figurative language uses figures
of speech to convey a meaning
that is different from the literal
definition of the words.

Unlike literal language, which says exactly what it

means, figurative language uses words in a way
that makes abstract comparisons to make writing
more interesting and expressive.

Three main types of figurative language are simile,

metaphor and personification. Let’s revise them!
 Simile Metaphor Personification
A comparison stating Giving human
A comparison between that one thing is another characteristics or
two things by using the or does the actions of qualities to an inanimate
words 'like', or 'as'. another, usually using object, animal or
the words ‘is’ or ‘was’. abstract idea.

E.g. The water was as cold as E.g. Her stomach was a twisted E.g. As I climbed the staircase,
ice. He glided through it like a storm of butterflies that went each step groaned as if
dolphin. wild each time he walked by.. . awoken from a long sleep.
 Practice
Read the passage on the next slide and complete the following activities.

Identify examples of figurative language (similes, metaphors and

1 personification).

Record at least one example of each language feature and explain

2 their effect.

As a class, discuss the overall tone, meaning and effect of the

3 passage.
 Sample Text 2
Hidden beneath the ivy-clad walls of the old university, the door to Professor
Hawthorne's laboratory was a realm of secrets fastened with a padlock. To any
visitor it would be like opening a magician's chest of wonders. The shelves,
heavy with vials whispered tales of wild experiments to one another while the
ancient books, their pages crinkling like autumn leaves, sat lazily beside them.
The flickering light of the lamps danced mysteriously like fireflies in a midnight
forest as Professor Hawthorne's trusted microscope, sat in the centre of his
desk, its lenses as clear as a morning dewdrop, ready to reveal the hidden
worlds of the minuscule. It was as though the very atoms themselves were
granted voices to tell their stories of the universe.
 Did you spot these?
metaphors

Hidden beneath the ivy-clad walls of the old university, Professor Hawthorne's
laboratory was a realm of secrets fastened with a padlock. To any visitor it
would be like opening a magician's chest of wonders. The shelves, heavy with
vials whispered tales of wild experiments to one another while the ancient
books, their pages crinkling like autumn leaves, sat lazily beside them. The
flickering light of the lamps danced mysteriously like fireflies in a midnight
forest as Professor Hawthorne's trusted microscope, sat in the centre of his
desk, its lenses as clear as a morning dewdrop, ready to reveal the hidden
worlds of the minuscule. It was as though the very atoms themselves were
granted voices to tell their stories of the universe.

similes personification
 How did you go?
Some suggested responses might be things like...

Tone Meaning Effect

The tone of the passage The passage conveys the The effect of the passage
is mysterious and idea that Professor is to captivate the
enchanting. It creates an Hawthorn’s laboratory is reader's imagination and
atmosphere of intrigue a place of mystery and curiosity, creating a sense
and wonder. magic, where scientific of wonder and
experiments and anticipation.
discoveries take place.
Now, let’s revise descriptive
language and imagery!

Write this definition in your notebook.

Descriptive Language
Descriptive language uses specific
nouns, verbs and adjectives to
create vivid imagery in the
reader’s mind.

These allow a reader to create mental pictures

so they can envision a person, place or event.

Imagery can also be sensory, meaning it doesn't

just describe what something looks like but also
what it feels like, smells like, tastes like, sounds like
or moves like. Let’s revise the 6 main types!
 Visual Aural Olfactory

Imagery that calls upon Imagery that calls upon Imagery that calls upon
our sense of sight. our sense of sound. our sense of smell.

E.g. The shimmering sun E.g. She could hear the gentle E.g. The sticky sweet scent of
bounced waves of light off the whisper of the breeze and the cinnamon donuts wafted in the
surface of the ocean. chirping of the birds. air, drawing her closer.
 Gustatory Tactile Kinaesthetic

Imagery that calls upon Imagery that calls upon Imagery that calls upon
our sense of taste. our sense of touch. our sense of movement.

E.g. She could still taste the E.g. The grass prickled his skin E.g. Tripping and stumbling she
salty sea water on her lips after as he lay stretched out in the lurched towards the traitor with
the swim. sports ground. her arms outstretched.
 Practice
Read the passage on the next slide and complete the following activities.

Identify examples of different types of imagery in the passage (e.g.

1 visual, aural, olfactory, tactile, gustatory and kinaesthetic)

Record at least three examples in your workbook and explain the

2 effect of each.

As a class, discuss the overall tone, meaning and effect of the

3 passage.
 Sample Text 3
In the heart of the bustling city, the congested street was roaring with life.
Towering skyscrapers loomed like giants and neon billboards flashed as bright
as like fireworks in the night sky. The air was filled with a cacophony of sounds
— honking horns, screeching brakes, and the hum of conversations blending
into a symphony of urban chaos. The wafts of sizzling meat among the street
food vendors mingled with the sharp tang of gasoline as the crowd bustled and
shouldered one another creating a river's current, weaving through the market
stalls. Pedestrians darted through the traffic on either side, their steps quick and
determined to make it to the stalls and sink their teeth into some spicy, sweet,
and savory delights.
 Did you spot these? visual
aural

In the heart of the bustling city, the congested street was roaring with life.
Towering skyscrapers loomed like giants and neon billboards flashed as bright
as like fireworks in the night sky. The air was filled with a cacophony of sounds
— honking horns, screeching brakes, and the hum of conversations blending olfactory
into a symphony of urban chaos. The wafts of sizzling meat among the street
food vendors mingled with the sharp tang of gasoline as the crowd bustled and
shouldered one another weaving like a river’s current through the market stalls.
Pedestrians darted through the traffic on either side, their steps quick and
determined to make it to the stalls and sink their teeth into some spicy, sweet,
tactile and savory delights.
kinaesthetic
gustatory
 How did you go?
Some suggested responses might be things like...

Tone Meaning Effect

The tone of the passage The passage conveys the The effect of the passage
is excited and energetic idea that the city is a lively is to immerse the reader
as it conveys a sense of and chaotic environment in the sensory overload
vibrancy and life. where various sensory of a bustling city street
elements come together to allowing them to feel as
create a dynamic and though they are right in
vibrant scene. the midst of the action.
Lastly, let’s look at sentence patterns!

Write this definition in your notebook.

Sentence Patterns
Sentence patterns refer to the
different ways sentences can be
structured to convey meaning and
create various effects.

There are different sentence patterns we can use

(based on length, structure and function) to create
different effects in our writing.

Let’s start with the basics and learn the four main
types of sentences by function.
 Declarative Interrogative
A sentence used to make a statement. A sentence used to ask a question.

E.g. The desert was dry. Are we there yet?

Exclamatory Imperative
A sentence used to make an
A sentence used to give a command.
exclamation.

E.g. I’m sweating like a pig! E.g. Get me out of this stifling heat!
 Practice
Read the passage on the next slide and complete the following activities.

Identify examples of the four different types of sentences by function

1 (declarative, interrogative, exclamatory and imperative).

Record three examples in your workbook and explain the effect of

2 each.

As a class, discuss the overall tone, meaning and effect of the

3 passage.
 Sample Text 4
The room stood before me, its darkness swallowing the feeble light from my
trembling flashlight. ‘Do I really have to go in there? Is there any choice left for
me at all?’ I asked myself as my trembling knees somehow carried me forward
through the door frame and into the endless blackness. My heart pounded like
a drum, and my breaths came in short gasps. Crash! A loud sound erupted from
the gloom in front of me. I let out a shreik! Then... I waited and listened. My ears
strained to hear another sound but I was met with pure silence. “Stay calm," I
whispered to myself, "Don't let fear take over. Shine the flashlight and keep
moving forward."
 Did you spot these?
declarative interrogative

The room stood before me, its darkness swallowing the feeble light from my
trembling flashlight. ‘Do I really have to go in there? Is there any choice left for
me at all?’ I asked myself as my trembling knees somehow carried me forward
through the door frame and into the endless blackness. My heart pounded like
a drum, and my breaths came in short gasps. Crash! A loud sound erupted from
the gloom in front of me. I let out a shreik! Then... I waited and listened. My ears
strained to hear another sound but I was met with pure silence. “Stay calm," I
whispered to myself, "Don't let fear take over. Shine the flashlight and keep
moving forward."

exclamatory imperative
 How did you go?
Some suggested responses might be things like...

Tone Meaning Effect

The tone of the passage The passage conveys the The effect of the passage
is fearful and uneasy as idea that we sometimes is to create a suspenseful
the protagonist enters an undergo an internal struggle and tense atmosphere,
unfamiliar and daunting to find the courage to face immersing the reader in
environment. the unknown. the narrator’s fear so they
ultimately view him as
brave for moving forward.
 To Recap

Tone refers to the Meaning refers to Effect refers to

attitude, mood or the message or how a story or
emotional feeling idea that is piece of writing
that comes across conveyed through makes the reader
in a piece of writing. a piece of writing. feel or think.