What is the effect of a tone shift in a narrative?

• A. A It changes the narrative's point of view
• B. B It signals changes in mood or stakes
• C. C It modifies the setting
• D. D It alters character names

Answer: (B)

A shift in tone signals how the mood or the importance of events is changing. Tone is the narrator’s or writer’s attitude toward what’s happening, conveyed through word choice, rhythm, and perspective. When the tone moves—from light and ironic to grave and urgent, for example—it cues the reader that the mood has darkened and the stakes may have risen. This doesn’t necessarily change who is telling the story (the point of view), nor does it alter the physical setting or the names of characters; those are separate elements. So a tone shift works mainly to prepare the reader for a shift in emotional weight or danger, guiding how seriously to take what’s happening and how the characters might respond.