Understanding Author's Position and Tone

Not all VR passages are neutral. Many contain subtle (or not-so-subtle) indications of the author's viewpoint, attitude, or bias. Questions about the author's position and tone test whether you can detect these signals — and whether you can distinguish between what the author personally believes and what the author merely reports. This is a higher-order reading skill that many candidates find challenging, particularly when the author's position is embedded within an apparently factual passage.

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Why Author's Position Matters in VR

Several question types directly or indirectly test your ability to identify the author's stance:

Question Type	Example
Direct tone question	"What is the author's attitude towards the policy?"
Author agreement	"Which of the following would the author most likely agree with?"
Purpose question	"Why does the author mention the 2019 study?"
TFC with opinion	"The author believes that the policy has been ineffective." (True/False/Can't Tell)

Even when questions do not explicitly ask about the author, understanding tone helps you evaluate whether a passage is presenting facts or opinions — which directly affects TFC answers.

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