Words to Capture Tone and Point of View: List 1

Questions on the GED Reasoning Through Language Arts Test will ask you to identify an author's tone, purpose, or point of view. Practice these lists to familiarize yourself with common words used to describe an author's attitude or perspective.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. adversarial
    characterized by feelings of intense dislike or hostility
  2. ambivalent
    uncertain or unable to decide about what course to follow
  3. amusing
    providing enjoyment; pleasantly entertaining
  4. argumentative
    proceeding to a conclusion by systematic reasoning
  5. biased
    favoring one person or side over another
  6. brusque
    rudely abrupt or blunt in speech or manner
  7. candid
    characterized by directness in manner or speech
  8. critical
    characterized by careful evaluation and judgment
  9. cynical
    believing the worst of human nature and motives
  10. defensive
    attempting to justify something or avoid criticism
  11. dispassionate
    unaffected by strong emotion or prejudice
  12. earnest
    characterized by a firm, sincere belief in one's opinions
  13. empathetic
    showing ready comprehension of others' states
  14. humorous
    characterized by the power to cause laughter
  15. idealistic
    motivated by noble or moral beliefs rather than practicality
  16. ironic
    humorously sarcastic or mocking
  17. judgmental
    relating to an assessment of a person, situation, or event
  18. negative
    characterized by denial or opposition or resistance
  19. neutral
    not supporting or favoring either side in a dispute
  20. objective
    expressing things perceived without distortion of feelings
  21. optimistic
    hopeful that the best will happen in the future
  22. persuasive
    intended or having the power to induce action or belief
  23. pessimistic
    expecting the worst possible outcome
  24. positive
    characterized by or displaying affirmation or acceptance
  25. skeptical
    marked by or given to doubt
Created on Tue Mar 30 13:00:37 EDT 2021 (updated Tue Mar 30 14:47:26 EDT 2021)

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