Multiple Choice Practice for Rhetoric 

Welcome to Rhetoric AP English Language Multiple Choice Questions! Grab some paper and a pencil 📄 to record your answers as you go. You can see how you did on the Rhetoric Answers and Review sheet once you're done. Don't worry, we have tons of resources available if you get stumped 😕 on a question. 

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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. Which of the following is the best definition for rhetoric?

A. the relationship between the speaker and the audience of a text

B. persuasive techniques used for personal gain

C. political term for techniques to get your way

D. observing and using effective means of persuasion

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2. Which of the following is not a rhetorical mode?

A. comparison and contrast

B. definition

C. faulty reasoning

D. classification

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3.  Rhetorical devices are the stylistic features present in a given text that help to communicate the message and achieve the purpose.

A. TRUE

B. FALSE

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4. Rhetorical devices work together to create the rhetorical ____________ present in a text.

A. strategies

B. devices

C. meaning

D. opportunities

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5. To help achieve the desired effect, the writer/speaker should consider the meaning and purpose of the message and align the content with the appropriate strategy for development.

A. TRUE

B. FALSE

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6. Part of rhetorical foundations include successful application or analysis of ________.

A. narrative prose

B. argumentative structures

C. direct address

D. comprehensive tools

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7. What is a rhetorical analysis?

A. a close reading of a text looking at how it works to achieve a specific message and purpose

B. drawing conclusions after putting together ideas from a variety of resources

C. addressing questions proposed by an audience

D. building an argument by breaking down the claims and evidence of an existing text

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8. Which of the following is the best description of exigence?

A. the speaker's bias toward an argument

B. consideration of the audience's needs in building the line of reasoning

C. the catalyst for the occasion that drives the creation of the text

D. analysis of the rhetorical situation before considering an issue

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9. Which of the following are the rhetorical appeals created through the use of effective communication?

A. argument, narration, informative

B. character, emotion, and reason

C. subject, message, and speaker

D. counterargument, concession, and refutation

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10. What are the components of the rhetorical situation?

A. Context and Topic/Tone (Message)

B. Purpose and Exigence

C. Audience and Speaker

D. All of the above

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11. The purpose of rhetoric is to resolve conflicts without confrontation, to persuade readers or listeners to support their position or to move others to take action.

A. TRUE

B. FALSE

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12. The Canons of Rhetoric are also called the...

A. elements that inform the structure of the message

B. overlapping divisions of the rhetorical process

C. the devices and strategies most common in colloquial discussion

D. the presentation of the text itself

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13. The Canons of Rhetoric include Style, Invention, and which of the following?

A. Subject, Message, and Speaker

B. Rhetorical Appeals, Devices, and Strategies

C. Reasoning, Credibility, and Emotion

D. Arrangement, Memory, and Delivery.

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14. In analyzing the rhetorical context associated with a situation, the speaker or reader should consider _________.

A. Social context

B. Cultural context

C. Historical context

D. All of the above

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15. A speaker's purpose involves which two parts?

A. manipulation and a call to action

B. reason for the message and the desired audience movement

C. the message and the exigence

D. the speaker and the persona

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