We've been discussing SAT critical reading quite a bit around here lately, and our posts have prompted some great questions. Here's one:

Hi, my name is Tiffany. I've been reading your SAT critical reading tips and they've been very helpful. I am struggling with the reading section the most on the SAT. Here's what I do: I read first then I answer the questions. When I get to a question, I read the questions then the answers. Then if I do not know the answer, I go back and read parts of the passage then look at the answers and pick. Is that a smart thing to do or is it better for me to read the question first and if I don't know it, go back and read parts of the passage firs,t then when I know the answer go back and read the answers and choose the right one? Also for questions that have line references, is it better for me to read the answers first then go back and read some parts of the passage or go back to the lines, read around, then answer the question?

Welcome to the second installment of our series about the seven types of questions you’ll encounter on the reading sections of the test. Today we’re looking at tone and attitude questions.

Unlike main idea questions, which ask you to figure out the passage’s primary purpose, tone and attitude questions deal with the author’s view on the subject. These questions are typically phrased as “What is the author’s tone?” or “The author’s attitude toward the subject can best be described as…” Here's a strategy to use when you encounter them:

Ah, SAT reading comprehension—that part of the SAT where you get to read endlessly fascinating passages about science, art, historic events, literary analysis, and other heady, academic stuff. OK, so maybe the reading passages are not endlessly fascinating, but the truth is, once you get used to these passages and the questions, the critical reading section isn't as difficult as it first appears.

It helps to be familiar with the seven types of questions you'll encounter in the critical reading section, so we’re devoting a series of posts to each type. Here are the seven question types: 1) Main Idea, 2) Attitude or Tone, 3) Specific Information, 4) Implied Information, 5) Themes and Arguments, 6) Technique, and 7) Words in Context.

Every student of mine, at some point during an SAT study session, has asked some variation of the following: "But how I am supposed to know what's going on here?!" You'll know what's going on when you can answer this question: What's the point? If you can figure out the author's reason for writing the passage in the first place, then the answers to all the questions will jump right out at you.

Next time you're working through a reading passage, try these three tactics to decode the author's meaning:

The following email, which we received from a reader, probably strikes a chord with many SAT takers:

I would like to know some tips for studying for the reading comprehension portion of the SATs. I really struggle with that section, and I just don’t seem to get what they are asking for. So if you could give me some tips, other than just reading some books, I would appreciate it.