RC: Authors opinion and tone

[khushbumerchant]

Hi,

I would appreciate if you could help me understand, as how can one figure out, for a given passage if author is giving any opinion or just stating the facts? Also, if there is an opinion, than what is the tone of the opinion (positive or negative/ appreciating or criticising)? What are the key words to spot an opinion in a passage?

Thank you in advance.

[RonPurewal]

Hi,

I would appreciate if you could help me understand, as how can one figure out, for a given passage if author is giving any opinion or just stating the facts? Also, if there is an opinion, than what is the tone of the opinion (positive or negative/ appreciating or criticising)? What are the key words to spot an opinion in a passage?

Thank you in advance.

This is the kind of thing for which it's practically impossible to give "rules", but which should be pretty easy if you're using common sense / real-world thinking to approach the passages.

If you are having trouble with these aspects of the problems, just imagine the passage as a conversation, with another actual person. (Just imagine some scenario in which you'd care enough about the topic to be discussing it.)

In that conversation, would you be able to tell the difference between facts and opinions?
I bet so.

Just use the same reasoning here.

(The entire reason why CR appears on the test is that making "rules" for it is impossible. You have to use real-world thinking.)