Which term describes the author's attitude toward the subject, as conveyed through diction and details?

• A. Mood
• B. Tone
• C. Imagery
• D. Oxymoron

Answer: (B)

This question checks your understanding of tone—the author's attitude toward the subject as revealed by their word choice and the details they include. Diction and details show how the writer feels about what they’re describing, whether hopeful, critical, frustrated, sympathetic, or sarcastic. Mood is what the reader feels as they read, not the writer’s attitude. Imagery is the vivid sensory language used to picture scenes, not about the author's stance. An oxymoron is a figure of speech that pairs contradictory terms, not a reflection of attitude. So, the term that best describes the author's attitude toward the subject, as shown through diction and details, is tone.