Multiple-Choice Items: A Question of Structure

1. Multiple-Choice Items:A Question of Structure AP English Literature and Composition Hilltop High School Mrs. Demangos

2. The way that multiple-choice questions are worded on the AP test can give you clues as to how to answer: studying the questions types and examples that follow will give you a clearer picture of what to expect on the exam.

3. When you complete the diagnostic test items, don’t just check to see if your answer is correct. Instead, study each question and make sure you understand why your answer is right or wrong.

4. Question Type: I,II,III • First of all, find an answer that you know for sure is either correct or incorrect. Then you can eliminate any options that contradict this.

5. Example: In line 149, “speck” refers to which of the following? • A water sprite (line 155) • The specter bark (line 202) • Naked hulk (line 195) • I only • II only • I and III only • II and III only • I, II, and III

6. According to the Speaker • Read the lines before and after the line in question, and then read all of the answer choices before deciding on one. Look only for what the speaker means at this particular point, not necessarily for the overall message of the piece. This deals with what the speaker is doing, saying, or implying.

7. According to the Speaker • These questions are usually specific to the passage and depend on the subject material. • Be careful not to assume the literal meaning, but check the answers in the context of the piece.

8. Example: According to the speaker, Appomattox was actually a victory for • New England idealism • The Rosicrucians • The proletariat • The plutocracy • “a forlorn intelligentsia”

9. Allusion • This asks what an allusion is referring to, or how it aids the idea/meaning of the piece. • This is the perfect question to use process of elimination if you don’t recognize the allusion, and a perfect example of why recognizing allusions is beneficial.

10. Example: In the line, “That’s Ophelia, that Cordelia,” Yeats is referring to • The protagonists of Othello and the Crucible • Tragic female figures in Hamlet and King Lear • Wives of Odysseus and Agamemnon • Lear’s daughters • Tragic female figures in Macbeth and King Lear

11. Context • This type of question asks you to identify the meaning of a word used in the context of a passage. • Remember that many words have several meanings, and that there are subtle shades of meaning as well.

12. Context • You must make sure the definition you choose matches the way the author intended the word to be interpreted in the specific piece. • Try replacing the word in the passage with the possible definitions given. Choose the one that does not change the meaning of the sentence.

13. Example: What does the word chagrinmean as used in the context of the story? • Optimism • Foreboding • Cheerfulness • Embarrassment • Pessimism

14. Dominant Device • Some questions will ask for the “dominant device” or technique of an excerpt. In addition, some will ask what effect this device produces. • In such questions, there are usually a few options you can eliminate. • Once this is done eliminate answers demonstrating correct technique, but incorrect effect.

15. Example: The Dominant device used by the author is • Comparison and contrast • Appeal to emotion • Extended analogy • Hyperbole • Interior monologue

16. Effect • This question asks you to understand the technique of lines in a question and also to choose why they are used (what effect they have on the passage). • This a good type to skip if time is running out.

17. Effect • Be sure to get the lines in context, because this is the only way to understand the effect in addition to the meaning of the lines. The purpose of a sentence or line is usually to introduce an idea, set the tone, solidify something that was said before it, or serve as a thesis.

18. Example: The speaker includes descriptions of Barton Williams primarily to provide all of the following except • An example of the type of man Shirley is expected to marry • A parallel with Bethune Street • A symbol of the boring future to which Shirley sees herself doomed • A contrast to the dreamy but exciting Arthur • An interlude of comic relief

19. Excerpted Words • Read and reread the entire sentence in which the word is found, as well as a few lines before and after the excerpted words. • If you are still unable to ascertain the meaning, identify the device, etc., reread the entire paragraph or stanza. Eliminate the obviously incorrect answers and work with what’s left.

20. Example: In line 11, “convolutions” refers to • Convictions • Coils • Irregular folds • Intricate passages • Agitations

21. Infer/Suggest • Some questions will ask you to construe the meaning of an excerpt based on the context and connotations of the piece. • Avoid taking a literal view of the question: look for deeper meaning. At the same time, do not be afraid to choose an obvious answer if you think it is the correct one.

22. Example: It can be inferred that the speaker • Teaches biology • Is a native Californian • Sees parallels between humans and animals • Does not enjoy camping alone • Is allergic to cats

23. Literary Devices • Find clear examples of the devices that you are looking for, if possible. Try to eliminate the ones that you know are not used within the piece. • Good knowledge of the literary vocabulary is particularly helpful in ruling out distracters and incorrect answers. (study your literary terms!)

24. Example: In lines 46-48, the speaker employs which of the following literary devices? • Euphemism • Allusion • Metaphor • Chiasmus • Paradox

25. Modifying • Pay attention to the line numbers. Go to the beginning of the sentence in question and imagine someone saying it aloud. • Read slowly and comprehend what the speaker is saying. If you can follow what the imaginary speaker is saying to you, you should be able to find what the clause or word is modifying.

26. Example: In line 8, “avalanching” modifies • Horses (line 8) • Night (line 4) • Flare (line 9) • Darkness (line 8) • Quake (line 9

27. Not/Except • This type of question appears in many forms, but the most basic is “all of the following EXCEPT.” • These questions can be time-consuming, because you must examine all the answers in order to determine which one is correct. • Always read all of the answers before making your selection. Cross off the true answers rather than the false ones.

28. Examples: According to the speaker, the American male is seeking a wife who fits all of the following descriptions EXCEPT: • An educated woman • A woman who “does something” • A woman who agrees that marriage is a matter of give and take • A woman who cries at sad movies • A woman who nurtures him

29. Passage as a Whole • This type of question always refers to an idea that is present throughout the work. • Look back at the parts in the poem or passage that most obviously support the clue, and then eliminate the answer choices that have no relation at all.

30. Passage as a Whole • Take into account everything in the passage. • If an answer choice fits for only one part of the piece, it’s not right. • Choices that contain exact words from the piece are usually not right. The most abstract answer is also usually incorrect.

31. Example: The passage as a whole is best described as • A dramatic monologue • An objective commentary • An extended metaphor • A villanelle • An allegorical fable

32. Pronoun/Antecedent • This type of question asks which antecedent (noun) the pronoun is referring to. • It is usually not the most obvious one nor the one closest to the pronoun. This can be a time-consuming question, and it should be avoided if little time is left.

33. Pronoun/Antecedent • One technique is to replace the word with the antecedent you think is the correct answer and reread it to make sure it makes sense in context.

34. Example: In line 47, the antecedent for the pronoun “they” is • Officials at the bus station • Black passengers on the bus • Children waiting for the bus • White passengers on the bus • Bus Drivers

35. Quotes • This type of question asks you to choose a quote from the passage that either best expresses a specific idea, or best supports another quote. • Reread and make sure you understand the parts immediately before, after, and including the quote.

36. Quotes • Usually the correct answer is not the one closest to the idea within the passage. • A full understanding of the passage is required to relate the choices with the section in question.

37. Example: With which of the following quotes does the speaker illustrate what he means by “youth is impulsive”? • “It matters little where we pass the remnant of our days. They will not be many.” • “Revenge by young men is considered gain, even at the cost of their own lives.” • “His brave warriors will be to us a bristling wall of strength.” • “To us the ashes of our ancestors are sacred and their resting place is hallowed ground.” • “Even the little children who lived here and rejoiced here for a brief season will love these somber solitudes and at eventide they greet shadowy returning spirits.”

38. Rhetorical Function • This type of question asks you to explain the purpose of a sentence, group of sentences, whole paragraph, or line or stanza of poetry in relation to the rest of the piece. • Ask yourself what the selected part of the passage or poem does. For example, it may draw a comparison, state the thesis of the piece, or give an example.

39. Example: Which of the following best describes the rhetorical function of the sentence beginning “you must go at your life with a broadax…”? • It restates the thesis of the passage. • It provides an example of the speaker’s innocence • It provides support for the thesis • It draws an analogy between a writer’s life and a moth’s life • It gives factual information

40. Structure • This type of question asks you to identify the structure of a poem. Scan the poem to determine meter and rhyme scheme, if any, and then look for the answer. • Remember that in many poems, especially longer ones, the structure may not be consistent.

41. Example: The structure of this poem is • Four-line stanzas of iambic pentameter rhymed abab • A pantoum • A classic Petrarchan sonnet • Four-line stanzas of iambic pentameter rhymed ababalternating with a refrain of two lines of iambic hexameter • Blank verse

42. Style • When answering questions about a writer’s style, be sure that both of the descriptors fit. In fact, for any question that combines two answers in one, check both carefully to be sure they both apply. • In the following example, you can eliminate answer C because the two words are antonyms, so both cannot be correct.

43. Example: The style of the passage as a whole is most accurately characterized as • Disjointed and abstract • Formal and complex • Unemotional and effusive • Pedantic and didactic • Rambling and descriptive

44. Tone • This asks you to identify the tone of the passage (or a selection from the passage). • If the answer choices involve pairs of words, like those in the example that follows, you should be able to eliminate some choices because one of the words in the combination does not apply. • Make sure you know whether the question is asking for the author’s tone or the speaker’s tone. They may not be the same.

45. Example: The overall tone of the passage is • Accusatory and pessimistic • Humorous and ironic • Insightful and penetrating • Mournful and nostalgic • Whimsical and charming

46. Test Day Review, study, and practice, practice, practice! Your hard work is sure to pay off on the day of the test!