TONE WORD WEEKLIES: 40 WORD CHALLENGE
For the remainder of the semester, you will be assigned the following TONE WORDS to
identify and analyze in order to expand your study and analysis of how an author’s diction
and syntax choices communicate meaning in a text. If you misunderstand the tone of a
passage, you will most likely miss the author’s purpose. This set of assessments is designed
to expand your tone vocabulary and practice the development of your presentation skills.
Each week, you are expected to complete the following tasks for each set of words.
Weeklies, however, will be collected cumulatively, as a set, on the last A/B day of class
for the assigned month; quizzes on the same set of words will be given on this date.
Tone Bricks will be presented earlier in the month so that we can build a Tone Wall as a
study guide, and for use as an, “open notes” tool on quiz day.
Guidelines for each set of Tone Word Weeklies (Homework Grade -20 pts.)
1. Create an Original Sentence that shows your understanding of each word (you can
use any word form of the word in the sentence you create).
2. Identify one synonym and one antonym for each word.
3. Create a 1-2 sentence explanation of whether each word ultimately has a negative
or positive connotation when used in a piece of writing and why.
Guidelines for the word you select for a Tone Brick (Assessment Grade - 30 pts.)
Illustrate a Tone Word Brick for one word and teach it to the class during a 2-3 minute
presentation explicating how your brick exemplifies the meaning of the word. Your
presentation must include a student friendly definition of the word and explain the context
clues you used to create meaning through the illustration of your word.
● Presentation includes: explanation of how the illustration explicates the meaning of the
term, word forms, parts of speech (6 pts)
● Neatness (4 pts)
● Accuracy (meaning, spelling, choice of image, illustration is hand drawn (5 pts)
● Originality and Avoidance of additional words beyond the tone word (5pts)
● Effective use of color to illustrate word; created on provided cardstock (5 pts)
● Presentation Skills: Poise, Voice, Articulation, Life, Eye Contact (5 pts)
Tone Quizzes ( Assessment Grade 20 points)
Each quiz will consist of you filling in the blanks of a story where you must choose and use
the words in context. Some words will require you to change their form by adding a prefix
or suffix in order to ensure grammatical accuracy. Each quiz will be worth 20 points; 1
point for choosing the correct word for the blanks, and 1 point for spelling the word
correctly. Yes, there will be a word bank. Yes, the quizzes are eligible for re-do, but will
count as one of the three for the marking period.
Word forms are the prefixes and suffixes that are used to give clues as to the meaning, and,
or, the function of words. Each word on the list is presented in the form of an adjective.
When the word is used as a noun, verb, or adverb, a prefix or suffix may need to be added to
make it grammatically correct. Using the chart below as a study tool, you must learn to use
these words in their proper contexts. To help you, each tone quiz includes asterisks
(*)where a part of speech other than an adjective is required, so that you will know when a
word form must be changed.
Prefixes are added at the beginning of base or root words.
Prefix Meaning Base/Root Example
-re- Again Build Rebuild
un- Not Happy Unhappy
pre- Before Test Pretest
dis- Opposite of Agree Disagree
de- Opposite Attach Detach
mis- Wrongly Treat Mistreat
Suffixes are added at the end of base or root words.
Suffix Meaning Base/Root Example
-er A person who Sprint Sprinter
-er More Happy Happier
-ful Full of Fear Fearful
-less Without Fear Fearless
-ly In a certain way Fear Fearfully
-y Full of Cheer Cheerful
-ness State or condition Cheer Cheerfulness
February Words March Words April Words May Words
Tone Brick FEB. 3-A DAY MAR. 4-A DAY APR. 3-A DAY MAY 1-A DAY
Presentations
FEB. 4-B DAY MAR. 3- B DAY APR. 4- B DAY MAY 2-B DAY
Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4
Poignant Pragmatic Insipid Narcissistic
Patronizing Pompous Impartial Pedantic
Incredulous Reticent Moralistic Bantering
Forthright Indignant Taunting Flippant
Unabashed Contemptuous Turgid Facetious
Wry Caustic Sardonic Inflammatory
Pretentious Malicious Insolent Cynical
Brazen Didactic Effusive Incisive
Ambivalent Seductive Sentimental Scornful
Incensed Whimsical Contentious Irreverent
Quiz and FEB. 28-A DAY MAR.28-A DAY APR. 29- A DAY MAY 19- A DAY
Weeklies Due on
this Date FEB 27 -B DAY MAR. 27- B DAY APR. 30 B DAY MAY 20- B DAY
*Earlier due to senior's last
day on May 23rd.
Set 1
Poignant Affecting the emotions
Patronizing Offensively condescending
Incredulous Skeptical; disinclined to believe
Forthright Direct; straightforward
Unabashed Boldly certain of one’s position; not ashamed
Wry Twisted or pervers (as in sense of humor)
Pretentious Making an exaggerated outward show; pompous
Brazen Shameless; bold; insolent; defiant
Ambivalent Having mixed feelings about someone or something
Incensed Indignant; outraged
Set 2
Pragmatic Practical
Pompous Characterized by an ostentatious display of dignity or importance
Reticent Reserved; reluctant
Indignant Feeling strong displeasure at something considered unjust, offensive, insulting, or base
Contemptuous Scornful; disrespectful; showing disdain
Caustic Severely critical or sarcastic
Malicious Spiteful; malicious
Didactic Instructive; too lecture-driven; preachy
Seductive Enticing; captivating
Whimsical Spontaneously fanciful or playful
Pragmatic Practical
Set 3
Insipid Uninteresting; bland
Impartial Fair; not biased
Moralistic Characterized by the attempt to regulate the morals of others
Taunting Provoking; mocking; ridiculing
Turgid Inflated; overblown; pompous
Sardonic Biting; contemptuous; sneering
Insolent Boldly rude or disrespectful
Effusive Unduly demonstrative; overly emotional
Sentimental Nostalgic; weakly emotional
Contentious Quarrelsome; characterized by argument or controversy
Set 4
Narcissistic Vain; having an undue fascination with oneself
Pedantic Ostentatious in one’s learning; didactic
Bantering An exchange of light, playful, teasing remarks
Flippant Frivolously disrespectful, shallow, or lacking in seriousness
Facetious Amusing; humorous; lacking serious intent
Inflammatory Tending to arouse anger, hostility, passion
Cynical Bitterly or sneeringly distrustful, contemptuous, or pessimistic
Incisive Remarkably clear and direct; sharp; keen; acute
Scornful Contemptuous; disdainful
Irreverent Lacking proper respect; profane
Use the Sample Weekly and Quiz as models to help you format and prepare your assessments. Use the Tone
Bricks shared with you/on display in my classroom for inspiration. Copying the illustrations of previous Tone
Bricks and/or asking your art teacher to draw your brick is a violation of academic honesty. Your illustration
must be original.
Sample Homework Assignment Day 1
Lovely Day
Crankfield
AP English Language and Composition, 1B
26 January 2025
Tone Word Weeklies Set 12
Original Sentence: Somber music was playing before the funeral started.
Synonym/Antonym: A synonym is serious, and an antonym is light-hearted.
Somber is ultimately a word with a negative connotation because if something is somber, it is very
serious and depressing, which are negative words.
Original Sentence: The satiric joke was used by the students to mock the teachers.
Synonym/Antonym: A synonym is sarcastic, and an antonym is gentle.
Satiric is ultimately a word with a negative connotation because it is used mockingly or tauntingly,
which are negative words.
Original Sentence: I received an urgent message saying that I needed to evacuate my house
immediately.
Synonym/Antonym: A synonym is pressing, and an antonym is relaxed.
Urgent is ultimately a word with a negative connotation because if something is urgent, it means
that it needs to be completed in a timely manner or negative things will happen.
Original Sentence: The mock-heroic story highlighted the protagonist’s flaws, while still
making him out to be the supposed hero of the story.
Synonym/Antonym: A synonym is mocking a heroic story/action, and an antonym is a genuine
hero.
Mock-heroic is ultimately a word with a negative connotation because it is a mockery of a
traditional hero.
Original Sentence: The girl was acting diffidently, because she had just moved to a new school
and didn’t know anyone there.
Synonym/Antonym: A synonym is doubtful, and an antonym is confident.
Diffident is ultimately a word with a negative connotation because if someone is diffident, they
are very shy, specifically due to self-doubt.
Original Sentence: It was an ironic twist when the character on the show didn’t know who the
real killer was, but it had been revealed to the audience in an earlier scene.
Synonym/Antonym: A synonym is sarcastic, and an antonym is sincere.
Ironic is ultimately a word with neither a positive or negative connotation because irony is a
juxtaposition between what is expected and what actually happens, which can be used both
positively and negatively, depending on the context.
Sample Tone Quiz
Directions: Read the following story and fill in the blanks with the appropriate word from the
word bank. Each word is only used once. If an asterisk (*) precedes the blank, you must change
the word form from an adjective to the appropriate part of speech needed for grammatical
accuracy.
Word Bank
Somber Satiric Disdainful Ironic Petty
Urgent Mock-heroic Lugubrious Diffident Elegiac
I went to a funeral yesterday for a friend who was always bluntly honest with me. She really
enjoyed *satire, and once, when I got a job as a Legal Aid lawyer, she put a red blanket around her
shoulders like it was a cape and said in a mock-heroic way, “Here she comes to save the day for the
poor people who need help in court!” Unfortunately, I laughed out loud at the funeral thinking about that
moment, and I interrupted what should have been a somber event. People turned and stared at me
*disdainfully, and I *diffidently mouthed, “I’m sorry” with a grimace on my face. *Ironically,
I hate it when people laugh during serious moments! Near the end of the funeral, my friend’s daughter
stood up to read an elegiac letter she had written. She sniffled a bit while reading, but the
congregation went crazy, sobbing *lugubriously. Suddenly, the church fire alarm sounded, and the
minister stood up and in a calm but urgent one announced that we should move quickly to the front
doors. We started to move up the aisle, and the woman beside me was wearing this huge hat that kept
whacking me in the face. I know it was petty compared to the fire we were trying to avoid, but it was
getting on my nerves.
