What are the types of tones/attitudes in writing?
To name the different tones/attitudes in writing, you need to understand what tone means: Tone is the attitude that a story conveys toward its subject. Say what?
Okay, for example, a story could convey an attitude of humor or sarcasm toward its characters and events, signaling to the reader that the material is to be taken with a grain of salt. Or perhaps an attitude of sincerity and earnestness is created through subtle content and language manipulation, telling the reader to take the story seriously.
Think of how you use tone of voice to convey your real meaning when speaking with a friend. Tone can change the meaning of the declaration "Nice outfit." in many different ways. You can turn it into a compliment, sarcastic remark, or envious comment. It all depends on the way you say it by changing the inflection, your emphasis on certain words, and the vocal range you use. Combine all that with your body language or facial expressions, and you convey your tone.
The same goes for writing — how you present your words changes the tone. Check this out:
Sincere: She rose from her chair when I came in and exclaimed with a smile: "Wow! Nice outfit!"
Sarcastic: She gave me one look and said, with a short laugh, "Yeah, right! Nice outfit!"
Envious: She glanced at me quickly and muttered reluctantly, "Um, yeah . . . nice outfit."
Insulting: She looked at me incredulously and said, "Eww! Nice outfit!"
So those are just a few examples of tone. Others include sad, angry, joyous, playful, ironic, condescending . . . now you think of some!