1. KEYS TO THE MULTIPLE CHOICE

2. BASIC PATTERNS Straightforward question – This passage is an example of….; The pronoun “it” refers to… Draw a conclusion or an interpretation – Lines 52-57 serve to …. ALL…EXCEPT question require more time because all possibilities need to be considered

3. Make an inference about an abstract concept not directly stated in the passage – In “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” the reader can infer that the speaker is… A reference or interpretation question that uses Roman Numerals – In the passage “night” refers to I. the death of the young woman II. a pun on Sir William’s title III. the end of the affair

4. QUESTIONS WILL INVOLVE… Rhetoric – a catch-all term loosely referring to techniques and strategies used by an author in composing a particular passage (provide a transition, reiterate a main idea, introduce an idea, develop a controversial statement, etc.) Tone Mood Footnotes

5. Language – sentence types (simple, compound, declarative, interrogatory, etc.) Grammar – subordinate clause, periodic sentence, allusion, pronoun/antecedent Few grammar questions – most are rhetorical

6. OTHER TYPES Identify the relationship of a sentence to the passage as a whole. Name the rhetorical strategy or device used in a particular section Identify the function of a sentence within a paragraph, or a paragraph within the whole passage. Choose the main topic

7. Identify a shift in theme, tone, style, sentence structure, diction, syntax, effect, or rhetorical purpose between two sections of the passage. Determine how unity (POV, emphasis, contrast, etc.) is achieved in all or part of the passage. Recognize the overall genre. Identify author’s implied or stated purpose, or the purpose of particular images, diction, organization, sentence structure, or other stylistic choice.

8. Authors and titles are not given, although each source will be briefly identified: “a nineteenth-century memoir,” “a twentieth- century book,” “a contemporary journalist’s diary.”

9. INCREASE READING POWER Find the main idea Look for clues to the author’s attitude, purpose, intent (inform, persuade, provoke controversy, bias, etc.) Analyze structure – is there a reason for the sequence of ideas? How are they linked? How does the author create an affect on the reader? – diction, sentence structure + length, order of ideas, figures of speech, formal, informal, etc.

10. Author’s qualifications to write on a topic Mark the passage and write in the margins. Underline noteworthy ideas and features.