<p>I've noticed there is one type of question that I consistently get wrong: author's tone. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to stop getting these wrong?</p>
<p>b u m p</p>
<p>Well I reckon that is one of most difficult type of questions because its a matter of opinion. What I did when I got those wrong was look at what their answer was and then go over the passage and try to see how it would match up.</p>
<p>You've got to try and think how they think. I just did lots of comparing.</p>
<p>Tone questions are very common on the SAT's. There are always questions that ask you to determine the authors' attitude toward their material. They test how well you understand the author's intent in writing the passage. You have to really get inside the author's mind when reading these passages. How do they feel about what they are saying? Why are they even bothering to even write all this? And what exactly is the result of the author's attitude towards the subject material? The tone of the passage. </p>
<p>Sometimes the author reveals this by their word choice. For example, if the author writes that homeless people are "pitiable creatures," then you know that their attitude towards homeless people is one of pity. Look out for certain words in the passage that are very revealing of the author's attitude. It is your job as a conscious reader to make note of these words, perhaps by jotting them down or underlining them as you read through the passage for later reference.</p>
<p>Beware of answers that are strongly negative. Violently critical stuff - especially disputatious subjects - just isn't going to appear on the SAT's. While the author's tone may be admiring, appreciative, approving, respectful, deferential, etc, the author will never loathe the person or subject they are writing about on the SAT's. It's just not gonna happen. </p>
<p>Also, make note of the type of passage you're reading. If it's fiction and not based on fact, the tone will never be dogmatic, pedantic, explanatory, or informative, because those tones are not appropriate for fiction. On the other hand, passages written to mainly inform do just that, without feelings and emotions intruding. </p>
<p>Also, make sure you know the definitions of all the answer choices. It's very easy to get one wrong if you're not familiar with the terms. Know the differences between cold objectivity, veiled disdain, detached sympathy, etc. </p>
<p>Hopefully, this clarifies things a bit for you.</p>