Tone

Grade 8A

Timothy, Aliya, Megan, Lionell

Tone is the way we speak. It shows attitude, emotion, and seriousness. If the tone doesn’t match the situation, it can cause misunderstandings. For example, if a student makes a joke when the teacher is being serious, the teacher might think the student is being rude. A mismatched tone can make people upset, even if that was not the intention.

Mismatched Tone in the Classroom

Characters

• Timothy : Narrator
• Aliya : Teacher
• Megan : Student 
• Lionell : Student 

Setting: School classroom

Narrator: On a bright, sunny day, Miss Aliya—the school’s most respected teacher—was explaining the procedure for the Cambridge exam the students would soon be taking.

Teacher: Okay, class. Are there any questions?

Megan: Miss, when exactly are we taking the exam?

Teacher: It will be held on the 6th of July.

Megan: Oh, the 6th of July, 6-7-25? Got it.

Lionell: (muttering with a grin) Crazy.

Teacher: (serious tone) Excuse me? Could you repeat that?

Lionell: (still joking) Crazy…?

Teacher: (irritated) I don’t appreciate being called crazy. And put that pen away, please. It’s distracting the class.

Lionell: (confused tone) What? I didn’t mean you… What are you talking about?

Teacher: (angry tone) Oh, so you’re not even paying attention? Is that it? Fine. (storms out)

Megan: (frustrated) Lionell! This is serious. Why weren’t you paying attention? We still have 30 minutes left, we could’ve used this time to study something useful for Cambridge.

Lionell: (shrugs, clueless) Huh?

Megan: Oh my days…Narrator: Do you see the problem here? Lionell’s joking tone didn’t match the seriousness of the situation. The teacher misunderstood his words, and it led to an unnecessary quarrel. This shows how mismatched tone and careless behavior can create conflict. So, be mindful of how you speak.