Main Body
Setting the Tone
Learning Goals
In this chapter, you will learn to:
- Use the affixes dis-, -ence, -ment, and -tion to understand words
- Identify the tone of a text
- Discuss and respond to the digital story Tanya
- Compare and contrast
- Identify and correct run-on sentences
- Use quotation marks
- Write a how-to paragraph about being a good listener
Get Ready to Read
- In one minute, make a list of as many feeling words as you can think of, such as “happy” or “sad.”
- How do people benefit from sharing their feelings with other people?
- Do you like talking to others about your feelings? Why or why not?
Vocabulary
Scan Setting the Tone to find a bold word for each of the following.
1. As a whole or in general
2. Described as larger or greater than it really is
3. Entertained
4. Feeling like you can do something well
5. Sadness from being apart from other people
6. To be very interested in something or someone
7. To have power
8. Influenced by someone in a good way
9. Very excited and happy
10. Wanting to learn more about something or someone
11. Pretending, cheating, or lying
Word Patterns
dis– is a prefix that means “opposite of.”
–ence is a suffix that means “having the quality of.”
–ment is a suffix that means “a state or process.”
–tion is a suffix that means “the act of.”
Use the vocabulary words and affixes above to build a word for each definition below.
12. ___________________________: the opposite of dishonest
13. ___________________________: the act of exaggerating
14. ___________________________: having a confident feeling
15. ___________________________: the state of being empowered or the process of becoming empowered
Reading Strategy
Readers check their understanding of a text while they read. When you struggle to figure out a word, don’t just skip it. Try this strategy instead. When you see a word you do not know, underline it. Go back and read the words before it. Then read the words after it. Now think of a word that would make sense for the word you underlined. Does it sound right? Does it make sense?
Try this strategy as you read Setting the Tone.
Check Your Understanding
1. How do stories reduce the distance between people?
2. What does tone refer to?
3. Draw a conclusion about some of the feelings Monte experiences in Tanya.
4. How would you describe the overall tone of Tanya?
5. Compare means to look at how two things are the same. Contrast means to look at how two things are different. Make a chart like the one below to compare and contrast All the Truly Important Things and Tanya.
| All the Truly Important Things | Tanya | |
| What illness plays an important role in the story? | ||
| Whose point of view is the story told from? | ||
| What kind of relationship is the main character looking for? | ||
| What important message is given to the main character? |
Writing Task
Think back to the events in your story. What feelings did you have during those moments? What overall tone would you like to create in your sto