What is the tone of the passage?

Appeared in: DSSSB 6 September 2024

Explanation

A neutral tone is characterized by objective, fact-based language, free from emotional bias or personal opinion.
This tone is standard for informational, academic, and technical writing, where the primary goal is to inform rather than persuade or entertain.
In the context of a standardized test, passages are often excerpts from textbooks or research articles, making a neutral tone the most probable answer when the text is not provided.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

Option B: A pessimistic tone would use negative language, focusing on failure, problems, or a bleak outlook. This is uncommon for purely informational texts.
Option C: A sarcastic tone uses irony and mockery to convey contempt. This style is highly subjective and inappropriate for formal, informational writing.
Option D: An optimistic tone would use hopeful, positive language, expressing confidence in a successful outcome. This involves personal bias and is not neutral.

Related Visual

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Identifying the author's tone in a written passage as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Understanding tone is crucial in nurse-patient communication. A nurse should adopt a calm, neutral, and empathetic tone to build trust and convey information clearly without causing anxiety.
When reading patient notes or incident reports, recognizing the writer's tone (e.g., frustrated, neutral, concerned) can provide context about the clinical situation.
What if? - If a handover report is delivered in a pessimistic tone, it might unduly bias the receiving nurse's perception of the patient's prognosis. The nurse must consciously separate the factual information from the emotional tone to provide objective care.

How to Approach the Question

First, acknowledge that the passage is missing. The question tests your understanding of literary terms.
Consider the typical context of the exam. Passages in standardized tests are often informational or academic.
Define each option. What does a neutral, pessimistic, sarcastic, or optimistic tone mean?
Based on the likely context of an informational passage, determine which tone is most probable.
Select 'Neutral' as it represents objective, fact-based writing, which is common in academic settings.
Review the definitions of the other tones to confirm why they are less likely for a standard informational text.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Identifying the author's tone in a written passage.
Stem keywords: tone, passage
Lead-in keywords: What is

Question ID

QFkMliiJDWDqPlyMfuvABd

Reference Book

E6 Robert Boland, Marcia L. Verduin - Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Text of Psychiatry-Wolters Kluwer Health (2024) (pp 1-16525 of 16525) pp. 2566-2568, 3245-3247

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