RC MODULE

TONE BASED QUESTIONS

KEY TO SOLVING TONE BASED
QUESTIONS
Very often in entrance CAT there are questions in
Reading Comprehension based on the "style" of the
passage. Such questions can appear in various forms.
Some of the forms of such questions are:

1. "Which of the following best describes the tone of
the passage?"
2. "The tone of the passage is.... "
3. "The author's approach/tone/style of writing in this
passage can be termed/described as....."

This is another important type of question. You
are asked to pick out tone or style the author has
employed while writing the passage you have
just read. The author may have been analytical -
- he has analysed the cause and future
repercussions of the given issue.
He could have been sarcastic -- gently poking
fun at someone's view or idea. Or he may be
simply descriptive or objective, describing the
features of a particular place or work of art, for
example.

Such questions should not be attempted
unless you have read the entire passage
(unlike certain other categories of questions
which can be attempted without reading the
entire passage). Once you read the entire
passage ask yourself what the basic
approach/style of the author is (without
looking at the answer choices). Then locate
the answer choices and select the one which
comes closest to what you thought of in you
mind.

For your understanding a list of words that
you should be familiar to answer questions on
"tone" is given below: Please make sure that
you understand meanings of the words given
in the following list.

Possible tone Meaning of the word
Acerbic Harsh/ severe; bitter
Aggressive Forceful; tending towards
unprovoked offensiveness
Angry/indignant

Apathetic Emotionless; not interested/
concerned; indifferent; unresponsive
Apologetic Expressing remorse, regret, sorrow
for having failed, injured, insulted or wronged
another
Belligerent Aggressively hostile; bellicose
Biased Favouring one thing/person/group over
another for personal reasons.
Caustic Biting; acerbic
Commiserating Feeling/ expressing sorrow
for; empathizing with; pity
Condescending Patronizing;
showing/implying patronising descent from
dignity/ superiority
Contemptuous Expressing contempt/ disdain
Cynical displaying a belief that people are
always self-seeking and never altruistic in
their actions
Derisive Unkind and displaying contempt
Disparaging Speak slightingly; depreciating;
belittling
Dogmatic Asserting opinions in an arrogant
manner; imperious; dictatorial
Emotional Easily affected by feelings actuated
by experiencing love, hate, fear and the like
Ethical Dealing with principles of morality;
honest; righteous
Euphemistic Substitution of mild, indirect or
vague expression for one thought to be
offensive, harsh or blunt
Grandiose More complicated/ elaborated than
necessary; pompous
Humanistic Evincing keen interest in human
affairs, nature, welfare, values
Humourous Funny and amusing
Introspective Consider one's own internal
state of feelings
Incendiary Causing strong feelings
Laudatory Praising; extolling; applauding

Motivating Impelling; inciting
Obsequious Fawning; showing servile
complaisance; flattering; deferent
Pedestrian Lacking vitality, imagination,
distinction
Populist Egalitarian; pertaining to the
characteristics of common people/ working
class
Provocative Inciting; stimulating; irritating;
vexing
Romantic Fanciful; impractical; unrealistic;
extravagant; exaggerated
Sarcastic Harsh, bitter derision; taunting;
sneering; cutting remarks
Satirical Ironical; taunting; human folly held
up to scorn/ derision/ ridicule
Speculative Theoretical rather than practical;
thoughtful; reflective; hypothetical
Technical Using terminology or treating
subject matter in a manner peculiar to a
particular field, as a writer or a book
Vitriolic Full of anger and hatred
Vituperative Cruel and angry criticism

Sarcasm..
This post is just a quick update to let you know that my one-
year old laptop an Asus G1S which I reformatted as
recently as last week, has decided to slip into a coma
during exam week. This isnt entirely unfortunate, as it
means I will be putting more time towards studying for the
two finals I have tomorrow.
I really do wish my laptop would stop doing things like this
though. It currently seems beyond my skills to repair it,
perhaps I will finally get the chance to avail that two year
warranty from Best Buy.
Not much else is up, or this would have been a blog post.
Indignation
Celebrity photographers, also known as paparazzi, have gone too far in their quest
to snap pictures of the stars. Everyoneeven celebritiesshould have the right
to privacy, yet photographers routinely hound famous people everywhere they
go. The creepiest of these photographers are not above following their prey
into bathrooms or climbing trees to get shots of celebrities in their own homes.
This constant invasion forces the rich and famous to become rude and mean,
setting a bad example for their often youthful fans. Even worse, though, the
paparazzi's behavior is frequently downright dangerous and irresponsible. One
newspaper recently reported that pop singer Britney Spears was forced to drive
90 miles an hour in an attempt to outrun relentless photographers. And who
can forget that in 1997, England's Princess Diana was killed in a car accident
while her driver tried to evade the paparazzi in a high-speed chase. People may
crave pictures of the stars, but most readers certainly would not want them at
the expense of a celebrity's safety. Newspapers and magazines should cease
paying for these kinds of photos while photographers who put celebrities in
harm's way should be arrested for stalking.(Source of information: Michael
Paul, Lenoir, NC, "Paparazzi Go Much Too Far," USA Today, September 9, 2004,
p. 12A)
Satire + Apathetic
The following passage is taken from Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, pp.
55-56:
The lawyer stood by the thesis of homicide in legitimate defense of honor, which was upheld by
the court in good faith, and the twins declared at the end of the trial that they would have
done it again a thousand times over for the same reason. It was they who gave a hint of the
direction the defense would take as soon as they surrendered to their church a few minutes
after the crime.
They burst panting into the parish house, closely pursued by a group of roused-up Arabs, and
they laid the knives, with clean blades, on Father Amador's desk. Both were exhausted from
the barbarous work of death, and their clothes and arms were soaked and their faces
smeared with sweat and still living blood, but the priest recalled the surrender as an act of
great dignity.
"We killed him openly," Pedro Vicario said, "but we're innocent."
"Perhaps before God," said Father Amador.
"Before God and before men," Pablo Vicario said. "It was a matter of honor."
If a man cries out in a forest, and no one around him cares, does he make a sound
NOSTALGIC TONE : Reveals a kind of homesickness for the past, a desire to return to "the
good ole days." The following statement reflects nostalgia:

"Oh, for the halcyon days of our childhood when there
was time for playing family games,
reading good books, enjoying dinner conversation; we
knew each other; we shared our joys and
disappointments--no boob tube then," the mother
reminisced
SENTIMENTAL TONE. Identifies that which is affectedly or extravagantly
emotional instead of
rational; it may also reveal romantic feelings. A good example is the paragraph
which follows:
Jim and Mary Smith had looked forward to the trip for months. They
were returning to a city they had fallen in love with during the five
years it was their home over a decade ago. So many memories
were rooted in those years when they lived near Washington D.C.
They had bought their first house while they lived in a nearby
suburb. Their two sons had begun school during those years, and
Jim and Mary had established many close friendships. Above all,
they had become caught up in the excitement of living in the nation's
capital, with its continual political intrigue and constant awareness of
international affairs. Indeed, they were more than eager to return,
see friends, and visit the beautiful city they loved.
MORALIZING TONE. Attempts to explain or interpret good or bad features
of something. It is explicitly and clearly trying to reform. There is no subtlety
involved. An example of moralizing is the following statement:
"Well, if you want to live like a yuppie, you better
study hard and complete your education.
That piece of parchment is the bottom rung of the
yuppie ladder!"
CYNICAL TONE. Reveals a sense of helplessness and hopelessness toward life--a feeling that
nothing really can be changed, that evil will prevail, that man is basically selfish, incapable of being
reformed. As an example of cynicism, consider the following statement made by a person of voting age
"Don't talk to me about voting or politics. I'm not
interested. All politicians are self-serving
and corrupt. My vote won't change a thing
Practice
Practice Test 1
Practice Test 2