Typical Multiple-Choice Stems from the AP Literature Exam
1. The passage focuses primarily on
2. The first two paragraphs suggest that (meaning)
3. In lines ___ - ___ “line is quoted” is an example of (literary term)
4. In the second paragraph (line ___ - ___), the narrator characterizes X as
5. Why does X react as he does in lines ___ - ___ (plot/meaning)
6. In context, the phrase “____” suggests
7. The writer uses the term “______” to
8. The capitalization of X and Y and Z suggests that these terms (syntax)
9. The narrator suggests that (X’s actions) are characterized by
10. In lines ___ - ___, the phrase in parentheses implies that
11. The narrator suggests that minor characters are characterized by
12. Lines ___ - ___ characterizes the poem’s subject as
13. In Line X, (specific word) refers to
14. In context, the repetition of the “M” sound in Line X is suggestive of
15. Which of the following is true of the rhyme scheme in the first stanza
16. In Line X, the word ______most likely refers to
17. In context, “______” in Line X is best understood to mean
18. The poems three stanzas suggest
19. The poem is notable for its sustained use of (literary devices)
20. The speaker presents (meaning)
21. The antecedent of “it” in Line X is
22. The most persistent effect of the passage’s content and style is to convey a sense of
23. Which of the following is most similar to XXX (lines ___ - ___) as a device that
24. The poem is best described as (poetic term)
25. The tone of the statement in Line X is best characterized as
Terms and Tips for MC Questions. Almost always questions on:
Antecedent
Tone
Meaning
Purpose
Characterization
Point of view
Speaker/narrator
Setting
Plot (exposition, conflict, climax, and denouement)
Poetic and literary terms
o Allusion
o Imagery
o Euphemism
o Apostrophe
o Assonance
o Hyperbole
o Personification
o Pastoral
o Iambic meter
o Consonance
o Eulogy
o Ballad
o Sonnet
o Ode
o Sestina
o Symbol
o Foil
o Modernist
o Connotation/denotation
o Selection of detail
o Oxy moron
o Sylvan
o Alliteration
o Epigram
o Internal rhyme
o Satire
o Irony
o Elegy
o Diction
o Structure/organization
o Metaphor
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