AP Language & Composition Multiple Choice Question Stems
“Let us…make the study of the art of question-asking one of the central disciplines in language education.”
Neil Postman
1. Design questions that require the reader to determine meaning in context.
Example: The (line or phrase) “______________” in (line or paragraph or page) is best
interpreted to mean:
Example: The (line or phrase) “______________” in (line or paragraph or page) can be
interpreted to mean all of the following EXCEPT:
2. Design questions that require the reader to analyze the definition of words or phrases in context and draw conclusions from their meaning.
Example: In context, the (line or phrase) “_________________” is best interpreted to
mean:
Example: In context, “_____________” (word/phrase) suggests:
Example: In context, “_____________” (word/phrase) suggests all of the following
EXCEPT:
3. Design questions that require the reader to analyze the author’s tone.
Example: The tone of ____________________ (paragraph, chapter, stanza) is best described as:
Example: The tone of ____________________ (paragraph, chapter, stanza) is characterized by all of
the following EXCEPT:
Example: The author or speaker adopts a toward of ________________ because:
Example: The narrator’s attitude toward _______ can best be described as:
Example: Judging from the tone of the whole passage, it is clear that the speaker regards
____________ with and attitude of:
4. Design questions that require the reader to make inferences from a particular passage or detail.
Example: It can be inferred that each ____________________ was:
Example: It can be inferred from the phrase “_______________” that:
Example: The phrase “________________” suggests (implies) all of the following EXCEPT:

5. Design questions that require the reader to determine the main idea of a passage or a portion of a passage.
Example: The excerpt or paragraph or sentence or phrase is chiefly concerned with:
Example: The excerpt or paragraph or sentence or phrase is chiefly concerned with all of the
following EXCEPT:
Example: Taken as a whole, the passage is best described as passage about all of the
following EXCEPT:
6. Design questions that require the reader to analyze author’s/ narrator’s/speaker’s purpose.
Example: The narrator provides the clause “_______________” (line, page, paragraph, etc.)
most probably as:
Example: By using ___________ the author or speaker or narrator establishes all of the following
EXCEPT:
Example: The main purpose of the passage is to suggest all of the following EXCEPT:
7. Design questions that require the reader to paraphrase a portion of text.
Example: The phrase “____________” can best be paraphrased as:
Example: Line ______ is best paraphrased to suggest all of the following EXCEPT:
Example: Which of the following best restates the question asked in (line, paragraph, etc.):
Example: Which of the following is the best rendering of the phrase “___________”:
8. Design questions that require the reader to analyze a cause and effect relationship.
Example: Which of the following occurs directly because of ________.
Example: The chief effect of ____________ is to:
Example: (Line(s), paragraphs, etc.) chiefly serve to:
Example: The__________cause the speaker to experience all of the following EXCEPT:
Example: One effect of “____________” (line, paragraph, sentence, phrase) is to emphasize the
speaker’s feeling of:
Example: Which of the following best describes the effect of the last (line/sentence/paragraph):

9. Design questions that require the reader to analyze the purpose/function of a literary or rhetorical device.
Example: The __________(images, metaphors, etc.) in (line, paragraph) suggest that:
Example: The __________ (imagery, irony, etc.) of the passage is characterized by:
Example: The ____________ (simile, metaphor, etc.) in line_____, is used to stand for:
Example: In (line, paragraph, etc.), “_________” refers metaphorically to:
Example: The diction used to describe ________ in (lines, paragraph, etc.) suggests that:
10. Design questions that require the reader to analyze a comparison/contrast and other structural relationships.
Example: By comparing __________ (line, page, paragraph) to ____________ (line, page,
paragraph), the narrator/speaker invites a further comparison between:
Example: All of the following contrasts are integral to the poem/passage EXCEPT:
Example: The sentiments expressed in the poem/passage are closest to those expressed in which
of the following quotations from other (other writers, other words, details or segments of
the text):
Example: For the speaker, _________ and _________ have which of the following in common:
Example: The repetitive use of ________ serves to:
Example: The author’s dependence on structures that _______________ creates all of the following
effects EXCEPT:
11. Design questions that require the reader to identify a reference in the text.
Example: The phrase (or word) “______________” (line, page, paragraph) refers to:
Example: The phrase (or word) “___________” is an oblique reference to:
12. Design questions that require the reader to identify the grammatical function of a word or phrase.
Example: Grammatically, the word “_________” (line, page, paragraph, etc.) functions as:
Example: The object of “______” in (line, paragraph) is:
Example: The phrase “__________” modifies which of the following:
Example: In (line/paragraph) ___, the pronoun _____ refers to: