If a narrator calls a minor mistake 'a huge disaster,' what tone does the author use?

If a narrator calls a minor mistake 'a huge disaster,' what tone does the author use?

• A. Formal
• B. Optimistic
• C. Humorous or exaggerated (light-hearted)
• D. Somber

Answer: (C)

Tone is the narrator’s attitude toward what’s happening, shown through word choice. When a minor mistake is called “a huge disaster,” the language uses hyperbole—an intentional overstatement. That exaggeration signals a light-hearted, humorous tone—the narrator isn’t conveying real danger, just joking about how dramatic the moment feels. It wouldn’t fit a formal tone, which would be precise and serious; it wouldn’t fit a somber tone, which would feel grave; and while it can be playful, the key idea is the playful exaggeration that makes the mood cheerful rather than anxious.

Tone is the narrator’s attitude toward what’s happening, shown through word choice. When a minor mistake is called “a huge disaster,” the language uses hyperbole—an intentional overstatement. That exaggeration signals a light-hearted, humorous tone—the narrator isn’t conveying real danger, just joking about how dramatic the moment feels. It wouldn’t fit a formal tone, which would be precise and serious; it wouldn’t fit a somber tone, which would feel grave; and while it can be playful, the key idea is the playful exaggeration that makes the mood cheerful rather than anxious.