MULTIPLE-CHOICE ITEMS:
A QUESTION OF
STRUCTURE
AP English Literature and Composition
Hilltop High School
Mrs. Demangos
• 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.
• 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.
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.
Example:
In line 149, “speck”
refers to which of the
following?
I. A water sprite
(line 155)
II. The specter bark
(line 202)
III. Naked hulk (line
195)
A. I only
B. II only
C. I and III only
D. II and III only
E. I, II, and III
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.
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.
Example:
According to the speaker, Appomattox
was actually a victory for
A. New England idealism
B. The Rosicrucians
C. The proletariat
D. The plutocracy
E. “a forlorn intelligentsia”
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.
Example:
In the line, “That’s Ophelia, that Cordelia,”
Yeats is referring to
A. The protagonists of Othello and the
Crucible
B. Tragic female figures in Hamlet and
King Lear
C. Wives of Odysseus and Agamemnon
D. Lear’s daughters
E. Tragic female figures in Macbeth and
King Lear
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.
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.
Example:
What does the word chagrin mean as
used in the context of the story?
A. Optimism
B. Foreboding
C. Cheerfulness
D. Embarrassment
E. Pessimism
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.
Example:
The Dominant device used by the
author is
A. Comparison and contrast
B. Appeal to emotion
C. Extended analogy
D. Hyperbole
E. Interior monologue
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.
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.
Example:
The speaker includes descriptions of Barton
Williams primarily to provide all of the
following except
A. An example of the type of man Shirley
is expected to marry
B. A parallel with Bethune Street
C. A symbol of the boring future to which
Shirley sees herself doomed
D. A contrast to the dreamy but exciting
Arthur
E. An interlude of comic relief
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.
Example:
In line 11, “convolutions” refers to
A. Convictions
B. Coils
C. Irregular folds
D. Intricate passages
E. Agitations
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.
Example:
It can be inferred that the speaker
A. Teaches biology
B. Is a native Californian
C. Sees parallels between humans
and animals
D. Does not enjoy camping alone
E. Is allergic to cats
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!)
Example:
In lines 46-48, the speaker employs
which of the following literary devices?
A. Euphemism
B. Allusion
C. Metaphor
D. Chiasmus
E. Paradox
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.
Example:
In line 8, “avalanching” modifies
A. Horses (line 8)
B. Night (line 4)
C. Flare (line 9)
D. Darkness (line 8)
E. Quake (line 9
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.
Examples:
According to the speaker, the American
male is seeking a wife who fits all of the
following descriptions EXCEPT:
A. An educated woman
B. A woman who “does something”
C. A woman who agrees that marriage
is a matter of give and take
D. A woman who cries at sad movies
E. A woman who nurtures him
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.
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.
Example:
The passage as a whole is best
described as
A. A dramatic monologue
B. An objective commentary
C. An extended metaphor
D. A villanelle
E. An allegorical fable
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.
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.
Example:
In line 47, the antecedent for the pronoun
“they” is
A. Officials at the bus station
B. Black passengers on the bus
C. Children waiting for the bus
D. White passengers on the bus
E. Bus Drivers
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.
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.
Example:
With which of the following quotes does the speaker
illustrate what he means by “youth is impulsive”?
A. “It matters little where we pass the remnant of our
days. They will not be many.”
B. “Revenge by young men is considered gain, even
at the cost of their own lives.”
C. “His brave warriors will be to us a bristling wall of
strength.”
D. “To us the ashes of our ancestors are sacred and
their resting place is hallowed ground.”
E. “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.”
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.
Example:
Which of the following best describes the
rhetorical function of the sentence
beginning “you must go at your life with a
broadax…”?
A.It restates the thesis of the passage.
B.It provides an example of the speaker’s
innocence
C.It provides support for the thesis
D.It draws an analogy between a writer’s
life and a moth’s life
E.It gives factual information
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.
Example:
The structure of this poem is
A. Four-line stanzas of iambic
pentameter rhymed abab
B. A pantoum
C. A classic Petrarchan sonnet
D. Four-line stanzas of iambic
pentameter rhymed abab alternating
with a refrain of two lines of iambic
hexameter
E. Blank verse
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.
Example:
The style of the passage as a whole is
most accurately characterized as
A. Disjointed and abstract
B. Formal and complex
C. Unemotional and effusive
D. Pedantic and didactic
E. Rambling and descriptive
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.
Example:
The overall tone of the passage is
A. Accusatory and pessimistic
B. Humorous and ironic
C. Insightful and penetrating
D. Mournful and nostalgic
E. Whimsical and charming
TEST DAY
Review, study, and practice, practice, practice! Your
hard work is sure to pay off on the day of the test!