Joy English · Level C2 · Tone and attitudejoy-english.com

Words for tone and attitude

Name:Date:

Name the feelings behind a voice or a text, with adjectives such as wry, sardonic, deferential, ambivalent, scathing and wistful.

Name the tone

Choose the word that best completes each sentence or best explains the meaning.

"Oh, marvellous, another delay," said Ines, with a hard little smile. Her comment was ___.
- a) effusive
- b) deferential
- c) sardonic
- d) ambivalent
He gave a ___ smile, as if the mix-up amused him rather than annoyed him.
- a) wry
- b) scathing
- c) guarded
- d) impassioned
The junior clerk was almost ___ towards the director, standing until she told him to sit.
- a) effusive
- b) dismissive
- c) detached
- d) deferential
I feel ___ about the job offer: the salary is excellent, but I would have to leave my team.
- a) wistful
- b) ambivalent
- c) condescending
- d) dismissive
An "impassioned" speech is one that is ...
- a) spoken with strong feeling
- b) spoken in a flat voice
- c) spoken with gentle humour
- d) spoken to avoid the point
If a manager's response to a worry is "dismissive", she ...
- a) agrees at once
- b) asks for more detail
- c) treats the concern as unimportant
- d) apologises first
An "effusive" welcome is one that is ...
- a) cold and brief
- b) enthusiastic and gushing
- c) formal and respectful
- d) cautious and vague
A "guarded" answer is one that is ...
- a) generous with details
- b) angry and loud
- c) humorous and relaxed
- d) careful not to reveal much

Complete the sentences

Complete each sentence with one word from this list. Use each word once: scathing, detached, condescending, wistful, impassioned, dismissive, effusive, guarded.

The judge was ___ about the lawyer's argument, calling it "lazy, careless and misleading".
After the concert, the audience was ___ in its praise, calling it the finest performance in years.
Her ___ plea for more funding moved even the sceptics in the room.
A good referee remains ___, showing no sign of favouring either side.
Do not be so ___ about my idea; at least listen to the whole proposal before you reject it.
The old sailor's ___ voice as he described the harbour of his youth made the young listeners go quiet.
Pat explained the basic function in such a ___ way, as if I could not possibly have used a computer before.
The witness was ___ throughout, answering each question in as few words as possible and volunteering nothing.

Answer key

Name the tone

c) sardonicBitter, mocking humour that means the opposite of its words is sardonic.
a) wryA mild, dry amusement is wry. Scathing would be bitterly critical and impassioned would be full of strong feeling.
d) deferentialShowing respect by yielding to another person's authority is deferential.
b) ambivalentConflicting feelings are ambivalent.
a) spoken with strong feelingImpassioned describes words expressed with strong, sincere feeling.
c) treats the concern as unimportantDismissive means treating something as not worth serious thought.
b) enthusiastic and gushingEffusive means expressing great, sometimes excessive, enthusiasm.
d) careful not to reveal muchGuarded means cautious and careful about what is revealed.

Complete the sentences

scathing / withering / damning / scornful / criticalHarsh, bitter criticism is scathing.
effusive / lavish / fulsome / unstinting / generous / warmEnthusiastic, gushing praise is effusive.
impassioned / passionate / heartfelt / emotional / eloquentA plea made with strong feeling is impassioned.
detached / neutral / impartial / objective / unbiasedEmotionally uninvolved and objective is detached.
dismissive / negativeRejecting something without serious thought is dismissive.
wistful / nostalgic / melancholyA gentle, slightly sad longing for the past is wistful.
condescending / patronising / patronizingBehaving as though the listener is inferior is condescending.
guarded / cautious / reticent / evasive / carefulBeing careful not to reveal anything is guarded.