How do 'Author's Tone' questions differ from 'Author's Purpose' questions?

• A. Tone focuses on content accuracy; Purpose on word choice.
• B. Tone is about structure; Purpose is about audience.
• C. Tone is about evidence; Purpose is about timing.
• D. Tone asks about attitude or mood; Purpose asks about reason or goal.

Answer: (D)

Tone is about the author's attitude toward the subject or toward the reader, which shows up through word choice, connotations, and the overall mood the writing creates. Purpose is the reason the author wrote the piece—the goal they want you to achieve or the outcome they want you to reach, such as to inform, persuade, entertain, or explain.

So the best answer says tone asks about attitude or mood, while purpose asks about the reason or goal behind the writing. The other options mix in elements that aren’t the defining features: tone isn’t mainly about structure or evidence, and purpose isn’t just about timing or audience.