SAT Reading / Rhetorical Analysis

Tone, Mood, and Attitude

Part of the full libraryOpens January 2, 2027 · $97 for a year
What’s included
toneThe author’s attitude toward a topic, shown through word choice, like admiring, doubtful, or urgent.

You’ll leave with these skills

  1. Tell how the author feels apart from the mood a scene creates in youCheck whether the question asks how the author feels about a subject or what feeling the scene’s details create in you as you read.
  2. Match a tone choice to how strong the passage’s feeling isCross out any answer choice whose feeling word is stronger or weaker than the words in the passage.
  3. Spot the word choices that reveal how the author feelsUnderline the describing words and verbs that praise, criticize, or doubt the subject, then pick the choice those words support.
  4. Learn the hard tone words that often appear in answer choicesStudy what words like “wistful,” “sardonic,” and “ambivalent” mean so you can check each one against the passage.

This lesson is part of the full library

207 lessons that teach every skill the SAT tests
  • 71Math
  • 40Reading
  • 24Grammar
  • 10 full-length practice tests to build test-day stamina and confidence
  • A Desmos simulator to solve math questions faster
  • A step-by-step guide to every practice test question
  • The Bluebook Simulator, so test day feels familiar
  • A drawing for every key term, so new ideas make sense at a glance

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