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Tones of the Passage

What is the tone of a passage?

The tone of the passage represents the author’s sentiment or attitude towards the subject
being discussed. In other words, it’s the predominant emotion the author displays towards the
subject.

Learning to identify the tone will help you in multiple ways: answering the direct tone based
questions as well as figuring out the implicit information and inferences.

What are the important tones of RCs that usually come in exams?

Narrative / Descriptive / Expository / Demonstrative - In a narrative reading

comprehension, the author tries to convey a story or an event. It usually answers the
question- “Then what happened?”. A narrative type of RC often presents situations like a
dispute, conflicts, problems & solutions, motivational events, etc. The basic purpose is to
gain a readers’ interest and thus, to engage the reader. Topics like the experience of the
first day at school or something that changed your life, etc.

Instructive / Informative / Educational / Didactic / Enlightening - intended to teach,

particularly in having moral instruction; serving to instruct, enlighten or inform.

Jocular / Humorous / Amusing -

When the author is humorous, he/she tries to make the context of the passage funny and
amusing.

Sarcastic / Sardonic / Ironic / Derisive / Taunting - When the author expresses a negative
feeling about something in an insulting way.
Cynical / Sceptical / Disbelieving - When the author is doubtful as to whether something will
happen or whether it is worthwhile.

Critical / Fault-finding / Judgemental / Disapproving / Condemning / Censorious /

Unfavourable - When the author is expressing adverse or disapproving comments or
judgements.

Critical - Critical tone often describes a fault-finding attitude of the author; in a negative
sense.
It may also indicate a deep analysis of an issue with an impartial outlook.

Example – 20% of the CAT will be from CATKing Basic Books

Critical Thought: How can you assure that it will just be 20%? Are you the paper setter?

Cynical Thought: What about the rest 80%?

Nostalgic / Evocative - Nostalgic tone conveys a sense of longing for the past. It can be
good as well as a sad memory.

Example – I didn’t go to the moon, I went much further—for time is the longest distance
between two places. (The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams)

Acerbic / Harsh / Severe / Bitter / Caustic / Vitriolic - How might you express your
dissatisfaction for something or somebody brutally? Here comes the part of the acerbic tone.
The author uncovers his conflict with a hypothesis or may express his despise
towards a man in an acerbic tone.

Angry / Indignant / Aggrieved - This type of tone expresses the creator’s outrage towards
the subject justifiedly. How would you justify your outrage towards any unfair system? You
may do as such by a few arguments, giving real examples and illustrations with respect to the
subject. So also, the author means to justify his outrage by expressing different reasons that
are identified with the issue.
Suggestive / Indicative - tending to suggest an idea.

Apologetic - As the name expresses, this sort of tone is used to express regret or blame in
regards to the setbacks or tragedies that may have happened before.

Belligerent / Bellicose - In which tone do you think two rival parties have a conversation with
each other? As you would figure, they are forcefully unfriendly towards each other. This is
when the author receives a belligerent tone of writing.

Biased / Slanted - While favouring a certain thing/person/group over the other, we tend to
utilize a one-sided tone to show our tendency towards it. Likewise, the author utilizes a
one-sided tone and displays contentions for a specific thing in that section..

Commiserating / Sympathetic - This kind of tone is used to express pain or show sensitivity
for a man or a gathering of individuals experiencing partial practices or social standards. The
writer plans to familiarise the reader with the trauma experienced by the sufferers.

Condescending / Patronising -
A condescending tone suggests a mentality of patronizing superiority of a specific thing /
individual / gathering. As you would expect, such RC sections may show snobbish or
contemptuous tones with respect to things considered inferior in the author’s point of
view.

Dogmatic - You should have some solid convictions and point of view with respect to specific
parts of life. In what sort of tone will you talk about them? This is the place where one-sided
tone becomes an integral factor. At the point when the writer is self-assured with respect to
his sentiments, he utilizes a fanatical tone to pass on his perspective.

Euphemistic / Polite - How would you express your contradiction without being hostile or
blunt? In such a case, metaphorical tone acts as the hero. RC sections in this sort of tone
make use of indirect and implicit statements.

Grandiose - As the name suggests, this type of tone is adopted by RCs written in a
descriptive or abstract style. The passage may appear more elaborate than necessary.
Also, sometimes abstract passages utilize a grandiose style of writing.

Introspective - How would you talk about analyzing your feelings or contemplate your
actions? Well, an introspective tone is used in the passage so as to self-examine and reflect
upon one’s actions and feelings.
Optimistic / Positive - The author is hopeful and confident about the future.

Incendiary / provocative -
You may have come across some famous speeches by great orators and found their words
moving or soul-blending. Well, that’s an incendiary tone. It’s the tone of speech which is also
utilized by revolutionaries and politicians. In other words, a provocative tone is intended to
affect individuals in a negative or positive course.

Laudatory / Praising - How have you commended something or somebody you respected?
That is the way that the commendatory tone sounds. Regularly, descriptive passages accept
this sort of tone in order to talk about a specific subject alongside specific justification.

Populist - As the name says, a populist tone is used to discuss theories and characteristics
exhibited by the general populace. The author of the passage utilizes a populist tone to
explain the features and behaviour of common people.

Speculative - The author is engaged in, expressing, or based on guess rather than
knowledge.

Thoughtful / Pensive - The author is engaged in, involving, or reflecting deep or serious
thought.

Apprehensive - The author is anxious or fearful that something bad or unpleasant will
happen.
Some Exercises on Tones

Direction(1-5): Read the given short paragraph and identify the tone of the author in it.

Paragraph - 1

Literature, by instinct and in practice, is against the oppression of the single story. It is
interested, not in dogma, but in textures and voices, chronicles and records that confound
easy truths. By pushing us into zones of discomfort and disquiet, it allows us a clearer view of
human life. In doing so, it also offers a powerful way to speak back to power.

1. How is the author's tone in the above context?

A. Dogmatic
B. Didactic
C. Acerbic
D. Laudatory
E. None of the above options

(Answer - B. Didactic

Solution: The author is serving to instruct, enlighten or inform.

Hence the tone is Didactic.)
Paragraph 2

On August 15, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation from the ramparts of the
Red Fort to mark India’s 75th Independence Day. Besides other big announcements, he
emphasised the need to ensure “poshan” (nutrition) to the country’s women and children. PM
Modi announced that, by 2024, rice provided to the poor under any government scheme —
PDS, mid-day-meal, anganwadi — will be fortified.

2. How is the author's tone in the above context?

A. Judgemental
B. Laudatory
C. Narrative
D. Populist
E. None of the above options

(Answer - C. Narrative

Solution: The author here tries to describe the event.

He hasn't expressed his own opinion.)
Paragraph 3

PM Modi announced that, by 2024, rice provided to the poor under any government scheme
will be fortified. It is a bold decision. Leveraging science to attack the complex challenge of
malnutrition, particularly for low-income and vulnerable sections of the society, who cannot
afford balanced diversified diets, can be a good intervention.

3. How is the author's tone in the above context?

A. Indignant
B. Optimistic
C. Biased
D. Evocative
E. None of the above options

(Answer - B. Optimistic

Solution: The author is hopeful that leveraging science to attack the complex challenge
of malnutrition can be a good intervention.)
Paragraph 4

The government has been stingy on cash payments presumably because its tax revenues are
falling. Even the worst affected migrant workers have not got much cash support. Farmers too
have suffered losses because of the fall in farm prices, especially perishables. The
government did promise Rs 2,000 per farm family from the PM-KISAN scheme, but this is
only a reiteration of an earlier commitment.

4. How is the author's tone in the above context?

A. Critical
B. Dogmatic
C. Grandiose
D. Cynical
E. None of the above options

(Answer - A. Critical

Solution: The author has been critical to the government and its decision.)
Paragraph 5

Like every path-breaking idea in history, the decision by the SC too will have its detractors.
Fears of job-redundancies are not unfounded. But on the flipside, the size of the pie may
grow, which in turn may create other job opportunities and a fertile environment for innovative
businesses and professions to develop and thrive appurtenant to the legal field. Contrary to
belief, automation might assist the legal profession become more equitable to lawyers across
the country and create an equitable environment for litigants.

5. How is the author's tone in the above statement?

A. Derisive
B. Optimistic
C. Speculative
D. Introspective
E. None of the above options

(Answer - C. Speculative

Solution: The author repeatedly used 'might'/'may' in the entire paragraph. Hence, he is
speculating.)
Paragraph 6

The problems farmers face are not only a result of vested, monopolistic interests, but are
rooted in larger structural conditions that significantly weaken their terms of engagement in
agricultural markets. The former may be addressed by regulatory intervention. But the latter
will need location-specific policies, well-directed investment, and well-functioning agricultural
institutions. It is hard to imagine how either can be achieved without a great deal of
consensus, coordination and capacity in which the states will need to play a major role.

How is the author's tone in the above context?

A. Indignant
B. Condemning
C. Suggestive
D. All of the above options
E. None of A, B and C

(Answer - D. All of the above options

Solution: The author condemns the larger structural conditions.

The author expresses his anger/disgust in the last line.
The author suggests two things too.)
Direction(7-10): In the following questions, a sentence is given with a blank in it. You've
to choose a word / the words that will contextually fit in that blank. The word(s) must
be chosen by understanding the overall tone of the statement.

7. Are the mitigation efforts undertaken to slow the spread of COVID-19 worth the economic
cost? The Indian economy is also expected to experience a significant slowdown in output
growth if not an absolute decline for the year 2020. How do these economic costs _________
against the benefits of the mitigation efforts?

a. stack up
b. invalidate
c. pile up

A. Both b and c
B. Only a
C. Both a and b
D. Both a and c
E. All a, b and c

(Answer - B. Only a

Solution: The author is questioning the justification of the mitigation efforts.

stack up - to make sense or compare or to correspond to reality.

invalidate - make or prove (an argument, statement, or theory) unsound or erroneous.

pile up - increase in quantity.

It doesn't make sense here.)
8. Even if a vaccine is developed before December, getting it to our large population will
certainly take some time and this is a __________ concern that the government is grappling
with.

a. grave
b. sedate
c. baronial

A. Only b
B. Only a
C. Both b and c
D. Both a and b
E. All a, b and c

(Answer - D. Both a and b

Solution: grave / sedate - serious.

baronial - impressive in appearance.

It's a positive word.)
9. The state governments and the Indian Railways must realise that facilitating the movement
of the migrants is not an act of _________, it is their duty and responsibility.

a. obligation
b. charity
c. curtailment

A. Only a
B. Both b and c
C. Only b
D. Both a and b
E. All a, b and c

(Answer - C. Only b

Solution: charity - the voluntary giving of help, typically in the form of money, to those in
need.

obligation - duty or responsibility.

curtailment - reduction.
(It doesn't make sense since there is a word - 'facilitating'.)
10. In a health crisis that has turned India into a home ministry-managed police-state, the
chief function of the government has been to ________ fear, not of the disease so much as of
each other, especially of the poor and the minorities, despite clear evidence of COVID-19’s
elite, international origins.

a. instil
b. alleviate
c. diminish

A. Both b and c
B. Only a
C. Both a and b
D. Only c
E. All a, b and c

(Answer - B. Only a

Solution: instil - gradually but firmly establish (an idea or attitude) in a person's mind.
The author uses the preposition 'despite', hence 'instil' is the correct word.

alleviate - to diminish.