Answers and Review for Multiple Choice Practice on Style

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⛔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.  

*The following questions were not written by CollegeBoard and although they cover information outlined in the AP English Language Course and Exam Description the formatting on the exam may be different.

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1. A writer's style typically involves subject matter, selection of detail, organization, point of view, diction, syntax, language, attitude, and tone.

A. TRUE

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.

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2. Which of the following best describes style?

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

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

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.

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3.  Which of the following best describes diction?

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

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: 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.

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4. Which of the following best describes syntax?

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

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.

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5. Which of the following best describes organization as an element of style?

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

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.

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6. What is tone?

A. the way the author feels about a given topic

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.

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7. Tropes are

A. rhetorical choices that fall into the category of syntax

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

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8. Schemes are

A. rhetorical choices that fall into the category of syntax

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.

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9. To analyze syntax, consider

A. sentence length

B. sentence types

C. sentence order

D. All of the above

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.

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10. Since colloquialism has become socially acceptable and, under the pretense of style, academically acceptable, punctuation does not have much impact on the effectiveness of a text.

A. TRUE

B. FALSE

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."

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11. Misplaced modifiers are just as important in the organization of an argument as they are on ACT and SAT questions.

A. TRUE

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."

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12. Students in AP Language should be able to

A. Recognize style in existing texts

B. Create style in their own texts

C. Both

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.

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13. Though irony can work as an element of style, it carries great rhetorical risk and must be carefully used.

A. TRUE

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.

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14. Which stylistic option is generally used to relate two ideas of equal importance?

A. cumulation

B. coordination

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."

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15. Which stylistic option is generally used to relate two ideas of unequal importance?

A. subordination

B. description 

C. coordination

D. periodic

Answer: Subordination and coordination both highlight the relationship between ideas, but according to Essential Knowledge STL-1.K: "Writers frequently use subordination to illustrate an imbalance or inequality between ideas. "

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