Types of multiple choice questions that are common on the AP Lit exam.
A. Scaling Questions - Many questions will ask students to consider the scale or intensity of language. For example, a question may require the student to distinguish whether a speaker is upset or enraged. In both cases, the speaker is expressing a negative reaction; however, in this case the student must identify not only the response but the degree of the reaction.
B. “ All of the Above EXCEPT” Questions – These questions will offer four responses that are an accurate completion of the stem, and therefore should not be selected. In other words, don’t ignore the word EXCEPT!
C. Paired Choices Questions - These questions contain options that have paired words or ideas (e.g. “Sentimental and Maudlin”). Often, one of the two words will seem appropriate and will be a particularly effective distracter. Remember that both words must work; if any part of the choice is wrong then it can’t be the right one.
D. Words in Context Questions - These questions, which also appear on the SAT, have options that contain words with more than one meaning (polysemy). In this case, the student must read the word in the line/sentence in which it appears to determine the appropriate meaning among the multiple possibilities (e.g. bow could mean to bow down, a bow for an arrow, or the bow of a ship).
E. Literary Device Knowledge Questions - These questions require knowledge of particular literary devices. Students are expected to be familiar with some of the most commonly employed literary devices because these are the tools with which the writers create particular effects.
F. Questions Addressing a Particular Line vs. Passage as a Whole - Some questions will direct attention to a discreet point in the poem or passage, while others will reference the passage as a whole. Students should follow the direction of the stem carefully.
G. Questions About Pronoun Referents - These questions require students to determine the pronoun referents (e.g. “The pronoun he refers to…”). These can be particularly challenging with 16th and 17th century literature.
H. Questions that Contain Important Vocabulary in the Stem - Make sure that you pay attention to specialized words in the stem. If the stem directs you to consider, for example, if a particular object is personified then you must first know the definition of the term before responding to the question. Multiple-Choice Question Stems from the AP Lit Exam
1. What is the author's attitude toward the subject of the essay?
2. What is this passage about?
3. What does the phrase, ______, mean?
4. How would you characterize the style of the passage?
5. Which of the following best summarizes the main point in lines _____?
6. What is the main point in _____? (the passage, the 2nd paragraph, etc.)
7. How would you restate the meaning of _____?
8. How would you define the phrase _____?
9. What is the speaker’s purpose in _____?
10. What thought is reflected in the allusion _____?
11. What is the tone of the passage?
12. How would you define the word ____?
13. How would you describe the diction and style of the passage?
14. In lines _____, what is the speaker asserting?
15. Why is ______described as ______?
16. What is significant about the structure of sentence #____ in lines ____?
17. In sentences _____, what contrasts are developed or implied?
18. In lines ______, why does the author pair quotations?
19. In lines ______, what is the effect of pairing quotations? 20. What is the dominant technique used in lines ______?
21. In lines ______, what is the effect of using a metaphor?
22. In lines _____, juxtaposing _____ and _____ serves the purpose of______.
23. By using the words ______, the speaker shows the belief that _____.
24. In lines _____, how is the speaker portrayed?
25. The shift in point of view from...has the effect of...
26. What is the theme of the ____ (e.g., second paragraph, whole piece)?
27. In lines ____, the passage shifts from ____ to _____.
28. Why does the author represent _____ as _____ in lines ____?
29. What is the purpose of the syntax in sentence _____?
Multiple-Choice Facts
1. Answers usually fall into the following format: a. one answer is wrong b. one answer is opposite c. one answer is nearly correct d. one answer is correct
2. Types of Questions: Answering Multiple-Choice Poetry Questions a. questions on dramatic situation b. questions on structure
c. questions on theme
d. questions on grammar and meaning of words
e. questions on images and figurative language
f. questions on diction
g. questions on tone, literary devices, and metrics
3. Types of Questions: Answering Multiple-Choice Prose Questions
a. questions on situation and content
b. questions on meaning of words or phrases
c. questions on grammar
d. questions on diction
e. questions on figurative language
f. questions on structure
g. questions on literary techniques
h. questions on rhetoric
i. questions on tone
Sample question: 1. The King’s attitude in his speech in lines 13-24 could be characterized as expressing all of the following EXCEPT:
A. Alarm
B. Uncertainty
C. Remorse
D. Regret
E. Responsibility