0004 Use Critical-Reasoning Skills to Evaluate Written Material
Interpret a Passage to Determine the Writer's Opinion, Point of View, or Position on an Issue
An author’s attitude is the "voice" or "tone" toward the subject of the passage. It is often directly related to the purpose. A useful technique for determining an author's attitude is to envision the sound of the author's voice as if he/she were reading the passage aloud.
Attitude indicates the writer's mood. Common descriptors of an author's attitude are adjectives like: cynical, depressed, sympathetic, cheerful, outraged, positive, angry, sarcastic, prayerful, ironic, solemn, vindictive, intense, and excited.
To better understand a passage, a reader is advised to identify the author's attitude. This practice will improve comprehension of the ideas and conclusions of a passage.
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