Diction primarily shapes tone by:

• A. Determining plot events
• B. Shaping mood, formality, connotation
• C. Controlling narrative perspective
• D. Defining character appearance

Answer: (B)

Diction shapes tone by the specific words an author chooses and the feelings those words carry beyond their literal meaning. Word choice brings connotations and level of formality that reveal the speaker’s attitude toward the subject and toward the reader, which is what we read as tone. For example, formal diction tends to create a serious, authoritative tone, while casual or slangy diction gives a light, approachable or playful tone. This focus on how language feels—its formality, nuance, and implied judgments—makes diction central to tone.

Plot events describe what happens, but not how the writing sounds or what attitude it conveys; narrative perspective explains who is telling the story and how that vantage point colors information, which can influence bias but isn’t about the word choices that shape tone; character appearance is imagery that can set mood, but tone comes more directly from the words chosen to describe situations and subjects.