Preparing for the Multiple Choice Section

What is being assessed Your ability to… Follow sophisticated syntax Comprehend scholarly diction Draw from your own expansive understanding of literary terminology Make inferences Identify irony and tone (even when it is subtly used) Recognize the different components of style

Remember… 55 questions in 1 hour (some years it has been slightly fewer) in 1 hour This accounts for 45% of your overall exam score

there is no longer a penalty for guessing incorrectly! A Scoring Change A few years ago the College Board changed how they score the multiple choice questions: there is no longer a penalty for guessing incorrectly! Thus, if you don’t know: GUESS.

Pacing tips Work at a rate of approximately 50 seconds per question Slow down to read the passages/poems Underline, circle, bracket… the text as you read: this will keep you engaged with what you are reading If you read it closely the first time you are less likely to feel a need to reread it later… Never try to save time by skipping over the title, the footnotes, or any other information provided about a text These often carry clues or critical information/detail

Question Types

Four Categories All questions fall into four categories Factual Technical Analytical Inferential

Key Words Identifying question types in prose

Factual Technical Words refer to Allusions Antecedents Genre Literary movement Setting Et al. Technical Sentence structure Style Grammatical purpose Dominant techniques Imagery Point of view Organization of passage Narrative progress of passage Conflict Irony Function of… Et al.

Analytical Inferential Rhetorical strategy Shift in development Style Metaphor Contrast/Comparison Cause/effect Argument Description Narration Specific/general How is characterized Imagery is a function of… Et al. Inferential Effect of diction Tone Inference Effect of fist/last paragraph/line/word Effect on the reader Narrator’s attitude Image suggests Effect of detail Author implies Authors is most concerned with… Symbolism Et al.

HW Questions For the questions you completed as homework, label them as: (a)factual (b)technical (c)analytical(d)inferential Heart of Darkness

Factual Analytical Technical Inferential Words refer to Allusions Antecedents Genre Literary movement Setting Et al. Analytical Description Rhetorical strategy Narration Specific/general Shift in development How is characterized Style Imagery Metaphor is a function of… Contrast/Comparison Et al. Cause/effect Argument Technical Sentence structure Style Grammatical purpose Dominant techniques Imagery Point of view Organization of passage Narrative progress of passage Conflict Irony Function of… Et al. Inferential Image suggests Effect of diction Effect of detail Tone Author implies Inference Effect of fist/last paragraph/line/word Authors is most concerned with… Effect on the reader Symbolism Et al. Narrator’s attitude

Answer the questions for the Macbeth passage Homework Check Conrad’s Heart of Darkness Let’s correct your answers: 179.A 186.A 180.E 187.C 181.B 189.B 182.C 190.C 183.A 191.B 184.B 185.C Which questions did you find most difficult? Why? Homework (DUE tomorrow): Answer the questions for the Macbeth passage Heart of Darkness