<p>Hey guys, I need your help on these type of questions. I have noticed that when there are tone questions, i will always struggle through them. And i will always get 50/50 chance of getting right. </p>
<p>What kind of approach do you all use to tackle these kind of questions? Are there any tips on grasping the tone of the passage? I understand that the answers are always in the passage. But how do you sieve out the appropriate lines or phrases in the passage that indicate the author's overall tone?</p>
<p>As someone who got an 800 on CR, the first time, I’ll tell you what I do.</p>
<p>Look for words that have a positive “spin” vs. words that have a negative “spin.”
I read the passage before looking at the questions. So, if you want to find tone, I suggest looking at the first and last paragraph to see what their stance is on the issue. often it is positive or negative, which should eliminate 2-3 answers (maybe 2 negative, 1 neutral)</p>
<p>From the remaining answers, one might have either a greater degree (happy vs. estatic), or is a different kind of positive (hopeful vs. elated). then you just need to decide the point the author is trying to drive home (is he satisfied or just optimistic?)</p>
<p>So, use the first and last paragraphs, look for connotations of words, and try to decide what the author wants to prove and how they feel about it. Good luck!</p>
<p>Questions about tone or attitude of the author(s) are testing your vocabulary as well as reading comprehension. You are usually given the lines that they want you to focus on, and answer choices that go from easy words to more difficult words that you must recognize in context.</p>
<p>Here’s an examples from the January 2010 SAT: The tone of the statement in lines 61 and 72 ("I write … read) is best described as a) arrogant b) magnanimous c) dejected d) diffident e) apologetic. The answer is a) arrogant. The 2 lines are “I write. Let them learn to read.” You need to know the meaning of the harder words to know that arrogant is the best choice. They also like to use the word “wry” as an answer for “tone of” questions, so make sure you know very clearly what it means.</p>
<p>Tried feeling it before. The more i feel, the more i get mistakes. lol. Because the tricky answer choices always end up cheating my “feelings”… :)</p>