ACT Preparation / Unit 4 ACT 0319 worked example, 60 to 90 seconds
Matching a Passage's Tone
The idea
A tone question is answered in three steps. First, read the sentences around the underlined portion and name the tone: formal or informal, neutral or enthusiastic, technical or general. Second, test each choice against that tone, word by word, crossing out any that turns casual, inflated or emotional. Third, among the choices that fit, prefer the plainest one that keeps the meaning.
In practice
Worked example: a museum guide describes a coral reef exhibit in a calm, informative voice. The underlined phrase is "a ton of fish." The choices are "a ton of fish," "an awesome number of fish," "hundreds of fish," and "a veritable multitude of piscine creatures." The first two are too casual, and the last is inflated. "Hundreds of fish" matches the guide's plain, informative tone.
Where people slip
Formal is not the same as fitting. The inflated choice sounds impressive and breaks the tone as surely as slang does.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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