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One thing that you’re sure to come across on the GED reading test is something called “tone.” So, what is tone? I think of it like ‘tone of voice.’ Sometimes I find myself saying to my little boy, “Don’t take that tone with me!” And I mean something pretty much like the “tone” they’re talking about on the GED. Tone is like mood. It’s the emotion behind the words that the writer is saying.

So, here’s an example practice question about tone:

Fragment of a poem by Sappho:

Raise up the roof-tree—
a wedding song!
High up, carpenters—
a wedding song!
The bridegroom is coming,
the equal of Ares,
much bigger than a big man.

Which word best describes this poem’s tone?

1)  straightforward

2)  celebratory

3)  frustrated

4)  exhausted

5)  nagging

So, since the tone is the mood of the whole thing, you need to look at the whole idea… The poem is about a wedding, and it repeats “a wedding song!” twice. It praises the groom for being a big man. It tells the carpenters to raise the roof, but it’s not nagging. It’s doesn’t seem exhausted or frustrated. It’s celebratory! It’s a poem for a wedding, a celebration.

The other answer choice it gives is “straightforward.” You’ll sometimes see words like “straightforward” or “informational” to describe tone. Usually, these words mean that the writing is like an encyclopedia. It doesn’t have emotion. It just gives the facts. Well, that doesn’t apply here! The best answer is 2, celebratory.

For more information about the GED test and GED test preparation, visit The GED Academy at http://www.passGED.com.

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