Best Ways to Unwrap Tone and Attitude Questions on the ACT® & SAT®

Tone and attitude questions are found in both the ACT® and the SAT® ELA Reading sections. The purpose of tone and attitude questions is to discern how the author(s)/character(s) feel about the subject matter of the text, determined by the descriptive language used.

Students can expect tone and attitude questions on just about every text in the reading section. At the very least, test takers should have a general understanding of the author’s tone and attitude to better comprehend the purpose of the text itself.

Some Examples of Tone and Attitude Questions and Answers

Tone and attitude are what are referred to as indirect questions, meaning that the answers to these questions are not specifically outlined or clearly defined in the text. Unlike direct-style questions (e.g., main idea or author’s voice and method), students will have to use some sleuthing skills to find the answers to indirect-style questions.

Here are a few model tone and attitude questions that students will run into on the ACT® and SAT®:

• The tone of the passage is best described as:

• In lines 6-9, the author’s attitude toward ____ is:

• Over the course of the passage, the narrator’s attitude shifts from:

• The narrator’s mood in the third paragraph of the text is best described as ____:

• The author’s attitude toward ____ is best described as:

• The overall tone of the poem is:

• Which of the following best describes how the narrator feels about ____?

• The author’s attitude in the final paragraph of the passage is best described as:

• The references to ____ and ____ in lines 2-4 mainly have which effect?

• Which of the following best describes the author’s attitude toward ____ (line 16)?

• The narrator’s mood after they find out about ____ is best described as:

Notice that some of these questions use words like “overall,” “over the course of the passage,” and “of the passage;” this wording can make it easy to confuse questions like tone and attitude with wider scope questions that require the reader to consider the text as a whole. However, because the answers to tone and attitude questions require the reader to find supporting evidence from the text to choose the best answer, students actually need to remember to keep their focus narrow.

Also note that some tone and attitude questions give the test taker bread crumbs: “lines 6-9,” “final paragraph,” “(line 16)”— these are all clues for the students to follow to find the best answer to the question.

How to Approach Tone and Attitude Questions

It’s important for students to remember that tone and attitude questions are considered Local Questions. That is, tone and attitude questions are concerned with a part of the text, not the entire passage. Therefore, test takers will be required to narrow their focus to zoom in on the exact piece of the text in question.

With that in mind, here are a few helpful strategies for approaching these types of questions:

1. Read the entire text(s) before answering the questions. In order for students to avoid trap answers and understand the author’s feelings toward a subject/event/character, they need to read the entire text. 

2. Read between the lines. Because the answers to tone and attitude questions are not clearly stated in the text, students must carefully read between the lines by choosing the best answer that can be supported by claims, facts, or statements made throughout the text.

3. Take note of adjectives and adverbs used throughout the text. The adjectives and adverbs used throughout the text provide very useful hints and key evidence of how the author/character feels. Advise students to underline/circle/highlight/jot down on scrap paper the descriptive words and phrases that they come across as they read through the text.

4. Pay attention to any specific details mentioned in the question. If the question calls attention to lines or an event, the answer can be gleaned from that detail. For instance, in the question: The narrator’s mood in the third paragraph of the text is best described as ____, the question directs the student to the third paragraph. While the answer will still always require some thoughtful consideration, these details are there to help guide test takers to the best answer choice.

5. Answer the question being asked. Tone and attitude questions must be read over carefully. The question may ask how the author/character feels about a very specific detail that could easily be overlooked by the general sense of the text. For example, the overall tone of a passage may be considerably negative; however, the question asks about a specific, minor detail that the author views positively. 

Recognizing and understanding the purpose of tone and attitude questions will undoubtedly help students to approach these types of questions with the focus and attention they require. Be sure to help your students prepare for tone and attitude questions with ample practice. Advise your students to practice reading text with a pencil/highlighter handy to note descriptive words like adjectives and adverbs, and to find evidence to support how the author/character feels. With plenty of practice, students will have sharpened their sleuthing skills and be more than ready to excel on the tone and attitude questions come test day!

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