Author's Opinion and Tone
~8 min read
- What's tested: CDS asks: what is the author's view on X? What is the general tone? What is the author's attitude toward Y? Answer only from the passage, never from your view.
- Common tones: Informational, descriptive, critical, satirical, analytical, sombre, didactic, sceptical, optimistic, pessimistic, ironic, nostalgic.
- Cardinal rule: Tone is detected from word choice, not topic. A passage on war can be informational, satirical or tragic depending on the verbs and adjectives the author chooses.
Tone and opinion questions are the highest-difficulty items in CDS RC. They require seeing how the author writes, not just what they write. The skill is reading verb choices, adjective choices, and the slant of the conclusion sentence.
Common Tones in CDS RC
| Tone | Marker words / style | Example topic |
|---|---|---|
| Informational | Neutral verbs, no adjectives of judgement, balanced sentences | Science explainers, history passages |
| Descriptive | Concrete imagery, sensory adjectives, narrative pace | Travel writing, biographies |
| Critical | Negative adjectives, words like 'flawed', 'misguided', 'wrong' | Policy critique, book review |
| Satirical / ironic | Exaggeration, mock-praise, contradiction between surface and intent | Social commentary, political columns |
| Analytical | Comparison, weighing, 'on the one hand... on the other hand' | Economic analysis, scholarly arguments |
| Didactic | Direct instruction, 'we should', 'one must' | Moral or instructional passages |
| Sombre / pessimistic | Heavy adjectives of suffering, no relief | Poverty, war, decline |
| Optimistic | Words like 'hope', 'opportunity', 'progress' | Reform passages, technological progress |
| Sceptical | Hedges - 'allegedly', 'so-called', 'claims', 'reportedly' | Critique of public claims, politicians' statements |
How to Detect Tone
- Read the opening and closing sentences carefully. They usually carry the strongest tone markers.
- Underline the adjectives and adverbs. 'Beautiful', 'tragic', 'misguided', 'fortunate' - each tags the tone.
- Note the verbs. 'Discovers' is neutral; 'unmasks' is critical; 'celebrates' is positive.
- Watch for hedges and qualifiers. 'It is said', 'allegedly', 'one wonders if' signal scepticism.
- Spot rhetorical questions. They almost always carry an implied criticism or irony.
- Identify what's NOT said. If a passage describes only problems and never solutions, the tone is pessimistic, even if no explicit adjective says so.
Identifying the Author's Opinion
'Opinion' questions ask: 'According to the author...' or 'The author believes...' or 'The author's contention is...'
- The author's opinion is what the passage argues - not what is attributed to others ('some people say', 'critics argue') and not what is quoted from a source.
- Distinguish the author's voice from quoted voices. If a passage says 'Politicians claim X, but in fact...', the author's view is in the 'but in fact' part.
- The opinion is usually summarised in the conclusion. If you can't find it in the body, the last sentence will state it directly.
Common CDS trap: The 'opposite view' option. The author may describe the opposite view to refute it. Don't pick that opposite view as the author's opinion.
Author's Attitude Toward X
'Attitude toward X' questions are a sub-type of opinion questions. The answer is one of: approving, disapproving, sympathetic, hostile, sceptical, indifferent, ambivalent, admiring, dismissive.
- Find every sentence that mentions X.
- List the adjectives, verbs and adverbs around each mention.
- If they cluster positive → approving / sympathetic / admiring.
- If they cluster negative → disapproving / hostile / dismissive.
- If they are mixed → ambivalent.
- If they are mild and balanced → sceptical or analytical.
Common CDS Traps
| Trap | How to avoid |
|---|---|
| Confusing topic with tone | A passage on war is not automatically 'tragic' - check the author's word choices |
| Confusing quoted view with author's view | 'Critics say X' ≠ author thinks X |
| Picking extreme tone when passage is moderate | If unsure, prefer 'analytical' or 'informational' over 'satirical' or 'critical' |
| Bringing in your own view of the topic | The exam tests the author's view, not yours |
| Confusing 'descriptive' with 'informational' | Descriptive uses sensory imagery; informational uses facts and data |
CDS/OTA PYQ Examples
Q: Passage: A passage describing a tigress hunt with detailed scene setting and the author's moment-by-moment decisions. Q. The general tone of the passage is:
(a) critical (b) descriptive (c) demonstrative (d) informational
Answer: (b) descriptive — concrete imagery (densely wooded ground, deep ravines), narrative pace and sensory detail mark it as descriptive.
Q: Passage on the politicians' statements being unreliable. Q. Which one of the following most correctly reflects the attitude of the author towards politicians' opinions?
(a) The author totally disbelieves what the politicians say (b) The author believes what the politicians say (c) The author is sceptical about the claims of the politicians (d) The author thinks that the opinions of the politicians are contradictory
Answer: (c) sceptical — 'totally disbelieves' is too extreme; passages usually hedge. Sceptical = doubtful but not absolutely dismissive.
Q: Passage on industrialization in the 20th century: 'Mankind has lost more than it has gained from industry.' Q. In the opinion of the author, Industrialization is:
(a) an absolute blessing (b) an absolute curse (c) neither a blessing nor a curse (d) more of a curse than a blessing
Answer: (d) more of a curse than a blessing — 'lost more than gained' is the author's own balance sheet; not 'absolute curse' (no such totalising claim).
Q: Passage extract: 'Most people think real progress lies in material success and technological growth.' Q. According to the author, people think that real progress lies in:
(a) material success and technological growth (b) imitating Western nations (c) having large industries and political power (d) taking risks and facing temptations
Answer: (a) material success and technological growth — direct lift. Note: this is what 'people' think, not necessarily what the author thinks.
Q: Passage critiquing those who dream of the destruction of other religions: 'I pity such men.' Q. What does the author think about those who dream about the exclusive survival of their own religions?
(a) He hates them (b) He desires to imprison them (c) He pities them (d) He praises them
Answer: (c) He pities them — direct textual cue; 'pity' is a measured negative emotion, not hatred.
Q: Passage describing the 2020-21 pandemic economy with controlled tone, presenting forecasts and analysis. Q. The general tone of the passage is:
(a) Optimism (b) Pessimism (c) Fatalism (d) Defeatism
Answer: (b) Pessimism — economic decline without a clearly hopeful conclusion; pessimism captures it better than the more extreme 'fatalism' or 'defeatism'.
Drill Author's Opinion and Tone for CDS/OTA
CDS/OTA-pattern items on Author's Opinion and Tone with answer keys and explanations.
Start Free Mock TestFrequently Asked Questions
How is tone different from opinion?
Tone is how the author writes (word choice, sentence rhythm). Opinion is what the author argues. A satirical tone can carry an optimistic opinion ('the world is fine - look at all this absurdity we survive').
If the tone is hard to pin down, what do I pick?
Default to 'informational' or 'analytical' for neutral-sounding passages. Reserve 'satirical', 'critical', 'tragic' for passages with clearly extreme word choices.
Can a CDS passage have two tones?
Sometimes. A passage can shift from descriptive to critical. The question usually asks for the 'general' tone or the 'predominant' tone - go with the tone that dominates.
What's the most common right answer for 'general tone'?
From 2015-2025, 'descriptive', 'informational' and 'analytical' are the most common answers. 'Satirical' and 'didactic' are rarer. If split between two options, choose the more measured one.
How do I distinguish 'critical' from 'sceptical'?
'Critical' is direct disapproval - 'this is wrong'. 'Sceptical' is doubt - 'this may not be quite true'. The verbs differ: critical uses 'condemns', 'rejects'; sceptical uses 'questions', 'doubts', 'wonders'.