HOW TO HANDLE THE RC 'TONE' QUESTIONS?

Compare the passages below:

Passage (i)
The treadmill began to whir, and I gripped its handlebars as the belt started moving me backwards.  All I could do now was 
run -- or begrudgingly barrel forward -- toward an outdated screen that showed me the terrain I was supposed to be running on. 
It was made of red squares stacked up, one on top of another: the higher stacks were supposed to be steep hills, and the lower ones,valleys. I tried to picture them as burning coals to see if that would make me speed up or at least feel like this exercise was somehow connected to nature -- even one of its cruel parts. 

Passage (ii)
The treadmill began to whir, and my heart sped up faster than the belt could go.  Instead of pressing "select" on my remote 
control to escape into a TV show, I had just selected "Power Run."  A sleek screen with a simple set of red lines showed me the terrain on which I was running.Those red lines looked like a pulse, and they got me to run farther and faster than I could
ever run when I'm outside, worried about weather, cars, or other people.It may not have looked like I was going anywhere that
night, but I had just broken out of a ten-year slump.

Consider the specific details, comparisons and word choices the author uses. 

Specific Details that the Author Chose to Include

• "treadmill moving me backward"  -- Why did the author choose to mention that it moved him/her backward?

Comparisons

• imagining that the red squares as burning coals -- That does not sound pleasant.

Word Choice

• "begrudgingly"
• "outdated"
• "... run -- or barrel forward" (emphasis added)
• "... one of its cruel parts" (emphasis added)

In Passage (ii), the author must have a positive view of the experience.

How do we know that?

Consider the specific details, comparisons and word choices that the author uses.


Specific Details that the Author Chose to Include

• I had just selected "Power Run." -- The phrase shows ambition and confidence if the outcome is positive
• " I had just broken out of a ten-year slump." -- The author ends by explaining the positive impact this workout had on her life.

Comparisons

• "heart sped up faster than the belt could" -- intense!
• "red lines looked like a pulse" -- shows energy or liveliness

Word Choice

• "farther and faster" -- benefits of running inside
• "sleek" -- author's positive opinion of the screen on the treadmill

 1. Identify the nature of the passage:

The first classification for the passage is that you understand whether the passage is highlighting facts only or does it also reflect the opinions of the author. This is an important classification. Classify all tones that you know of into these two categories. For example, the objective tone is a factual one, and criticizing someone is only possible with the help of opinions.

2. Identify passage sentiment:

The second thing that you need to do is understand the sentiment of the passage i.e.whether the passage can be classified as:

• Positive: the author is appreciating something
• Negative: the author is criticizing something
• Neutral: the passage does not fall into any of the above categories

Classify all tones that you know of into these three categories. For example: being appreciative reflects a positive approach, being sarcastic reflects a negative approach and being objective is neutral in nature.

3. Identify the adjectives/adverbs used in the passage:

Make a mental note of the language used by the author, and what kind of adjectives he is using. Adjectives reflect the mood and emotions of the author.

4. Make a note of conflicting attitudes

Understand and identify where the author changes his attitude and starts to move along different lines. It is important to understand these mood changes, and from this understanding, try to infer the most dominant sentiment in the passage. A common mistake committed by students is that they focus on one particular sentiment only, whereas the author has displayed multiple ones in the passage. Remember, you need to pick the sentiment which dominates the passage and co-related with the central idea of the passage.

5. Make a list of all relevant adjectives you discover: make your own 'tone' list

It is easy to find a list of common RC tones but you are advised to make your own list of tones, and put in all the relevant adjectives that you discover in tests, mocks and so on. Having your own list will gel with your vocabulary levels and ensure that all bases are covered for you.

How do we reach at the final answer?

1. Identify the nature of the passage (facts or opinion), and eliminate the options that do not match with your analysis.
2. Identify the passage sentiment and again eliminate options that do not match with your analysis.
3. Identify the main idea of the passage, and co-relate it with the tone of the passage (there should be synergy between the two).
4. Keep 3 and 4 in mind while marking your answer.
5. Also, you should try to label the tone of the passage in your own words, and see which one co-relates with the author of the passage.
6. Eliminate options. Do not select an answer, always eliminate options and be sure why you are rejecting a particular option.

The above form some of the basic things that you should be doing for a Reading Comprehension tone question. Using these tips and strategies is surely going to help you master this question type.