MC Answers and Review (Style)

⛔STOP!⛔ Before you look at the answers make sure you gave this practice quiz a try so you can assess your understanding of the concepts covered. Click here for the practice questions: AP English Language Style Multiple Choice Questions.

Facts about the test: The AP English Language exam has 45 multiple choice questions and you will be given 1 hour to complete the section. That means it should take you around 20 minutes to complete 15 questions.

B. FALSE

Answer: True - A writer's style can be thought of as a personality because it is typically so distinctive it can be recognized based on the elements present in the text. Specifically, style involves subject matter, selection of detail, organization, point of view, diction, syntax, language, attitude, and tone.

A. the grammatical structure of the sentences in a written text

B. the arrangement of the ideas in an argument to create a pleasing logical progression of ideas

D. words and phrases used to create a specific effect on the audience

Answer: Style involves use of language -- organization, point of view, diction, or others -- to achieve effective communication of ideas. When reading works by an unknown author or speaker, the style is usually so specific that it can be easily identified if the reader has read something else by the same author or speaker.

A. the intentional arrangement and pattern of ideas in a text

B. the specific way that an author uses patterns of language to communicate

C. the grammatical structure of sentences in a passage

Answer: Diction involves the conscious selection of specific words and their arrangement into phrases and sentences in a text in a manner that creates an intentional tone or mood. This works because of differences in formality and meaning (denotation and connotation; figurative or literal) of words in our language.

A. the intentional arrangement and pattern of ideas in a text

B. the specific way that an author uses patterns of language to communicate

D. the conscious selection of specific words and their arrangement into phrases and sentences in a text in a manner that creates an intentional tone or mood.

Answer: Syntax is the way in which the sentences are built together - not necessarily concerned with being grammatically correct but more in looking at the intentionality of the sentence construction.

B. the specific way that an author uses patterns of language to communicate

C. the grammatical structure of sentences in a passage

D. the conscious selection of specific words and their arrangement into phrases and sentences in a text in a manner that creates an intentional tone or mood.

Answer: Considering style, organization is the intentional arrangement and pattern of ideas in a text. In general, we think of these as text structures or methods of development.

B. the way the audience should feel about a topic

C. the perspective from which a claim is presented

D. the perspective presented in opposition to the primary claim

Answer: Tone is the way the author feels about a given topic. Generally, this is revealed through a combination of rhetorical choices -- diction and imagery are among the most common.

A. rhetorical choices that fall into the category of syntax

B. cumulative uses of ethos, logos, and pathos

D. claims that are unintentionally faulty by way of bias or a lack of understanding

Answer: Tropes are rhetorical choices that fall into the category of diction and impact the meaning of the text as a whole.

B. cumulative uses of ethos, logos, and pathos

C. rhetorical choices that fall into the category of diction

D. claims that are unintentionally faulty by way of bias or a lack of understanding

Answer: Schemes are rhetorical choices that fall into the category of syntax. This could include restructuring a sentence or inversion to alter the grammatical structure of the text.

A. sentence length

B. sentence types

C. sentence order

Answer: Looking at syntax means looking at the grammatical build of a text. While many elements can create syntax, some of the easiest to recognize and analyze are sentence type (or function), length, and order.

A. TRUE

Answer: FALSE - Essential Knowledge STL-1.O: "Punctuation (commas, colons, semicolons, dashes, hyphens, parentheses, quotation marks, or end marks) advances a writer’s purpose by clarifying, organizing, emphasizing, indicating purpose, supplementing information, or contributing to tone."

B. FALSE

Answer: TRUE - Essential Knowledge STL-1.S: "Modifiers—including words, phrases, or clauses—qualify, clarify, or specify information about the thing with which they are associated. To reduce ambiguity, modifiers should be placed closest to the word, phrase, or clause that they are meant to modify."

A. Recognize style in existing texts

B. Create style in their own texts

D. Neither

Answer: Both - The CED outlines the understanding and explanation of style as the first phase of learning and the application of style in their own writing as the next.

B. FALSE

Answer: TRUE - Use of irony is a rhetorical risk because the audience may not pick up on the ironic style being employed. However, that does not mean it is not effective. According to Essential Knowledge STL-1.R, "Irony may emerge from the differences between an argument and the readers’ expectations or values." When carefully structured, the audience can follow the irony to avoid missing the point.

A. cumulation

C. description

D. subordination

Answer: Subordination and coordination both highlight the relationship between ideas, but according to Essential Knowledge STL-1.J: "Writers frequently use coordination to illustrate a balance or equality between ideas."

B. description

C. coordination

D. periodic

Answer:

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