AP Language and Composition Multiple Choice Stems



AP Language and Composition Multiple Choice Stems

1. The speaker’s primary purpose in the passage is to

2. The phrase, “ ” functions primarily as

3. The attitude of the entire passage (or parts of the passage) is one of

4. The author uses this (a certain image) for the purpose of

5. The main rhetorical strategy of the ___ paragraph is for the purpose of

6. The word “ ” in context of line ___ is best interpreted to mean

7. By lines ___, it can be interpreted to mean

8. The reason for the shift in tone is due to

9. The phrase “ ” in line ___ refers to which of the following

10. The word/phrase “ ” in line ___ refers to which of the following

11. In relation to the passage as a whole, the statement in the first sentence presents

12. In lines ___, “ ” the speaker employs which of the following rhetorical strategies

13. Which of the following best summarizes the main topic of the passage

14. In the sentence beginning “ ” the speaker employs all of the following EXCEPT

15. The style of the passage as a whole is most accurately characterized as

16. The principle contrast employed by the author in the passage (paragraph) is between

17. The primary rhetorical function of lines --- “ ” is to

18. The speaker’s reference to “ ” serves primarily to

19. The tone of the passage shifts from one of ___ to one of ___

20. The second sentence lines ___ is unified by metaphorical references pertaining to (frame of reference)

21. It can be inferred by the description of ___that which of the following qualities are valued by the speaker

22. The antecedent for “it” in the clause “ ” is

23. The type of argument employed by the speaker is most similar to which of the following

24. The speaker describes ___ in an order best described as from the (loudest to softest)

25. The pattern of exposition exemplified in the passage is best described as

26. The point of view indicated in the phrase “ ” in line ___ is that of

27. The atmosphere established in the ___ sentence in line ___ is that of

28. The ___ sentence in line ___ remains coherent chiefly because of its use of

a. Parallel syntactic structure

b. Colloquial and idiomatic diction

c. A series of prepositional phrases

d. Periodic sentence structure

e. Retrospective point of view

29. The function of the three clauses introduced by “that” in lines ___ is to

30. The sentence “ ” in lines ___ contains which of the following

31. Which of the following best describes the function of the third paragraph in relation to the two paragraphs that precede it

32. The passage is an appeal for a

33. The primary rhetorical function of lines ___ is to

34. In the passage, the speaker makes all of the following assumptions about his/her readers EXCEPT

35. The diction in the passage is best described as

36. One prominent stylistic characteristic of the ___ paragraph is the use of

Instructions for Writing AP M/C Questions

IMPORTANT TERMS:

1. Multiple-choice item-a test question in which a number of response choices are given from which the correct answer is to be selected; should have 4-5 options (A-D or A-E)

2. Stem-the initial part of the item in which the task is delineated—it may be a question, directions, or an incomplete statement

3. Options-all the choices in an item

4. Key-the correct answer

5. Distracters-the incorrect options

Illustration:

The author of Paradise Lost was STEM

A. Donne

B. Keats DISTRACTERS

C. Chaucer

D. Shakespeare

E. Milton KEY

ITEM WRITING:

❖ The material to be tested should be significant. It is easy to write questions about trivia. Resist the temptation.

❖ Use an vocabulary level appropriate for the population being tested (AP students).

❖ Word items clearly and concisely

❖ Choose a cognitive level as a target for your work on a question. (Bloom’s taxonomy)

❖ Trickiness (usually subtle but unimportant distinctions) is never productive in questions.

❖ Options should be uniform and logically ordered

❖ Use “None of the above” rarely, and never use “All of the above”

❖ Use the Roman numeral format only when necessary

❖ Avoid options that logically overlap

❖ Distracters should be plausible

❖ Have a single clear key (answer)

STEM:

❖ Must be long enough to make the question clear, but should not try to teach a lesson. Provide no more information in the stem than necessary.

❖ May be either a question or an incomplete statement to be completed by the options

❖ Avoid using “of the following” when the answer is obviously one of the options

❖ If an uncertainty may exist about a universal answer to the question, then use the phrase “of the following”

❖ Use the positive approach for asking the questions (avoid using “not”)

❖ If you must use a negative approach, type the negative word in all caps (NOT, EXCEPT, LEAST, etc.)

OPTIONS:

❖ Seek to provide one best response, one that any individual well-informed of the topic will select and accept

❖ Prepare distracters with desired difficulty (advanced wording)

❖ Use common errors or misconceptions associated with the material as distracters

❖ Use a Roman numeral format instead of the option “All of the above”

Ex. Which of the following did the United States fight against during the Second World War?

I. Germany

II. Italy

III. Japan

A. I only

B. II only

C. I and III only

D. I, II, and III

❖ Numerical options should be placed in ascending or descending order

❖ Other options should be put in alphabetical order

❖ Answer options should be written in a similar syntactic format

❖ Only rarely use the option “None of the above” and never to avoid developing another distracter

❖ All of the options should be about the same length and level of complexity

❖ Distribute the position of the key randomly (avoid the tendency to always make it C)

Content Questions

1. Which of the following is the primary meaning of the word _________ as it is

used in the passage?

2. Which of the following best paraphrases lines ___________?

3. From the context, the reader can infer that _________is…

4. The speaker’s view of __________ might best be described as…

5. In line ____, “________” refers to…

6. In line ____, “_________” is best understood to mean…

7. In lines ______, the speaker asserts that…

8. From the passage, we can infer that all of the following would be true EXCEPT…

9. The central opposition in the work is between…

10. The speaker views __________ as…

11. Throughout the passage ____________is addressing…

12. Lines _________ chiefly serve to show that…

13. Which of the following best summarized the main point?

14. Which of the following best defines the phrase…

15. It can be inferred that…

16. What is the function of ______ in lines _______?

Level 2: Style Questions

1. In lines ____, the speaker makes use of all of the following EXCEPT…

2. The primary rhetorical function of lines ______ is…

3. The comedy of the passage derives chiefly from…

4. In line ____, ___________ most probably refers metaphorically to…

5. In line ____, “________” is a metaphorical way of saying…

6. Grammatically, the word “____________” functions as…

7. The most conventional, least idiosyncratic aspect of the work is…

8. In the simile in line ____, “________” is used to stand for…

9. Lines ________ are based on which of the following?

10. Which of the following is used most extensively in the passage?

11. Which of the following best describes the diction and style of the passage?

12. The poem is best described as…

13. The imagery of the poem is characterized by…

14. Which of the following best describes _________’s speech?

15. The style of the passage is best characterized as…

16. The structure of the ______(number, i.e. third) sentence is best described as…

17. The shift in point of view from ________ to _________ has the effect of…

18. The syntax of the sentence in lines _________ serves to…

19. The pattern of exposition exemplified in the passage is best described as…

20. The type of argument employed by the speaker is best described as…

From auer

Level 3: Tone, Theme, Universal Implications

1. The tone of the passage is…

2. The theme of the passage is…

3. One effect of “______________” is to emphasize the speaker’s feeling of…

4. The sentiments expressed in the work are closest to those expressed in which of

the following quotations from other poets / writers?

5. Which of the following adjectives best describes _________’s speech?

6. Lines _____ most strongly convey the speaker’s…

7. What does the speaker convey in lines __________?

8. The chief effect of the imagery and figures of speech in lines _______ is to…

9. The excerpt is chiefly concerned with…

10. What is the author’s attitude toward the subject?

11. In the work the author is asserting that…

12. The speaker assumes that the audience’s attitude will be that of…

13. The theme of the second paragraph involves which of the following?

14. The major purpose of the statement _____________ is to…

15. The author believes that we should…

AP Language and Composition Multiple Choice Stems

The AP English Language and Composition exam generally features multiple choice questions that begin in the following ways and ask for the following kind of information:

1. The speaker’s primary purpose in the passage is to

2. The phrase, “ ” functions primarily as

3. The attitude of the entire passage (or parts of the passage) is one of

4. The author uses this (a certain image) for the purpose of

5. The main rhetorical strategy of the ___ paragraph is for the purpose of

6. The word “ ” in context of line ___ is best interpreted to mean

7. By lines ___, it can be interpreted to mean

8. The reason for the shift in tone is due to

9. The phrase “ ” in line ___ refers to which of the following

10. The word/phrase “ ” in line ___ refers to which of the following

11. In relation to the passage as a whole, the statement in the first sentence presents

12. In lines ___, “ ” the speaker employs which of the following rhetorical strategies

13. Which of the following best summarizes the main topic of the passage

14. In the sentence beginning “ ” the speaker employs all of the following EXCEPT

15. The style of the passage as a whole is most accurately characterized as

16. The principle contrast employed by the author in the passage (paragraph) is between

17. The primary rhetorical function of lines --- “ ” is to

18. The speaker’s reference to “ ” serves primarily to

19. The tone of the passage shifts from one of ___ to one of ___

20. The second sentence lines ___ is unified by metaphorical references pertaining to (frame of reference)

21. It can be inferred by the description of ___that which of the following qualities are valued by the speaker

22. The antecedent for “it” in the clause “ ” is

23. The type of argument employed by the speaker is most similar to which of the following

24. The speaker describes ___ in an order best described as from the (loudest to softest)

25. The pattern of exposition exemplified in the passage is best described as

26. The point of view indicated in the phrase “ ” in line ___ is that of

27. The atmosphere established in the ___ sentence in line ___ is that of

28. The ___ sentence in line ___ remains coherent chiefly because of its use of

a. Parallel syntactic structure

b. Colloquial and idiomatic diction

c. A series of prepositional phrases

d. Periodic sentence structure

e. Retrospective point of view

29. The function of the three clauses introduced by “that” in lines ___ is to

30. The sentence “ ” in lines ___ contains which of the following

31. Which of the following best describes the function of the third paragraph in relation to the two paragraphs that precede it

32. The passage is an appeal for a

33. The primary rhetorical function of lines ___ is to

34. In the passage, the speaker makes all of the following assumptions about his/her readers EXCEPT

35. The diction in the passage is best described as

36. One prominent stylistic characteristic of the ___ paragraph is the use of

37. What is the author's attitude toward the subject?

38. What does the phrase ______mean?

39. How would you characterize the style of the passage?

40. What is the main point of the passage?

41. Restate the phrase, ________.

42. Define the phrase, _________.

43. What is the speaker's purpose in writing this passage?

44. What is the speaker's purpose in lines _______.

45. Why does the writer use the allusion to______?"

46. What is the tone of the passage?

47. How would you characterize the diction and style of the passage?

48. What is the speaker asserting in lines________?

49. Describe the structure of the sentence in lines_____.

50. What contrast does the speaker develop in lines _______?

51. What effect is achieved by the speaker's using the phrases _______?

52. What dominant technique is the speaker using in lines ______?

53. In lines _______, ________is a metaphorical way of saying ________.

54. What does the author achieve by juxtaposing_______and________?

55. What does the speaker accomplish in this passage?

56. What does the choice of words show about the speaker's beliefs?

57. Where is there a shift of tone in the passage?

58. The syntax in lines ________serves to ____________.

59. What is the speaker's attitude toward the subject?

60. What assumptions does the speaker make about the audience?

61. How does the author seek to interest us in the first paragraph?

62. What method does the author use to develop the argument?

63. Line ________ is parallel to what other line in the passage?

64. What can you infer about the author's attitudes toward the subject?

65. What is the antecedent for _______?

66. What type of argument is the author using in this passage?

67. What pattern of exposition is the author using in this passage?

68. What is the atmosphere established in lines _______?

69. Why is the sentence in lines _______ coherent, despite its length?

70. In line______, the use of_______ instead of _________ accomplishes what?

71. What is the function of _______in the passage?

72. What is the subject of the sentence in lines ______?

73. What does the author apparently believe about the subject?

74. What does the author believe we should do in response to this passage?

75. Why is the sentence in lines________remarkable?

76. What is the function of paragraph _________? of line _______?

This is not an exhaustive list of question stems. If you can think of others, please add them.

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