What kinds of descriptions is the author using? For example, if the author is using lots of poetic descriptions, like the beautiful, cloud-laden sky, we may say the writing has a romantic or effusive tone. Or if the person is critical of another view, using descriptions such as 'faulty' or 'strong' analysis, we may say they have an argumentative tone. Or if the person is writing in an objective-fashion, we may say the author has a scientific tone. This is one question, among others, you could ask when trying to evaluate the tone of a piece of writin.g