The attitude a writer takes toward his or her subject, characters, and audience is referred to as tone.
Explanation:
1. Tone: Tone in writing reflects the writer's attitude or feelings towards the subject matter, characters, or audience.
2. Example:
- For instance, if a writer describes a character in a story using positive and admiring language, the tone would be considered positive towards that character. Conversely, if the writer describes the same character using negative and critical language, the tone would be negative.
Therefore, in the context of the question, the correct answer is tone.
