tone of speech; grammatical mood
Meanings
2 senses · 9 examplesnoun
tone of speech; manner of speaking
Refers to the attitude, emotion, or intention conveyed through one's way of speaking.
Judging from his tone, this matter is probably not good.
She spoke to me in a very gentle tone.
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Please watch your tone; don't be so aggressive.
There was a hint of sarcasm in his tone.
The judge read the verdict in a serious tone.
noun
grammatical mood
formalA linguistic term for the grammatical category that expresses the speaker's attitude toward the action or state (e.g., declarative, interrogative, imperative, exclamative).
In Chinese, grammatical mood is primarily expressed through modal particles and intonation.
The declarative mood is used to state facts, such as 'The sky has cleared up.'
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The interrogative mood indicates a question, such as 'Have you eaten?'
The imperative mood is used to issue commands or requests, such as 'Please sit down.'