Mood and Tone Words
On the SAT, the difference between "earnest" and "fervent" can be worth a point. Tone and attitude questions ask you to identify how an author feels, using precise vocabulary words to describe that stance.
1. Quiz 1
Read each passage carefully — the context clues in every sentence are enough to guide you to the right answer.
10 questions
average score: 83% (all users)
2. Quiz 2
The passages in this set are slightly more detailed. Look for the specific clues that separate the right answer from choices that might seem close.
10 questions
average score: 69% (all users)
3. Quiz 3
Each passage here contains at least one answer choice that will seem plausible at first read. Look for the specific details that help you choose precisely.
10 questions
average score: 79% (all users)
4. Quiz 4
Several questions in this set include answer choices that are near-synonyms of the correct answer. Read each passage closely — the difference between the right word and a plausible one often comes down to a single phrase.
10 questions
average score: 51% (all users)
5. Quiz 5
Getting this one right requires careful attention to what the passage actually says. Every answer choice has been written to seem at least partly plausible — your job is to find the best fit, not just a possible one.
10 questions
average score: 66% (all users)
6. Quiz 6
This final set asks the most of you. In every question, at least two answer choices are near-synonyms or commonly confused words — your task is to find the one word that fits every clue in the passage precisely.
10 questions
average score: 83% (all users)
Learn the spectrum: candid and earnest suggest openness; skeptical, dismissive, and disdainful signal doubt or contempt; sardonic and acerbic add biting edge; wistful and reverent carry emotional weight in opposite directions. Watch for traps in the answer choices. Effusive (excessively enthusiastic) is often confused with merely positive. Indifferent and apathetic both mean uncaring, but apathetic suggests deeper disengagement. The SAT loves those near-synonyms.