AP Language and Composition Skills Quiz

Grade 11 · English · Quiz

Test your mastery of rhetorical analysis, argumentation, and synthesis skills essential for the AP Language and Composition exam.

Questions

1. In Abraham Lincoln's 'Gettysburg Address,' the phrase 'government of the people, by the people, for the people' is an example of which rhetorical device?

   1. Chiasmus
   2. Epistrophe
   3. Anaphora
   4. Anadiplosis
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   Answer: Anaphora

   This construction repeats 'of the people,' 'by the people,' 'for the people' — all beginning with a preposition phrase — making it anaphora (repetition at the beginning of successive clauses/phrases).

2. A writer who cites peer-reviewed scientific studies and expert testimony is primarily using which rhetorical appeal?

   1. Pathos
   2. Ethos
   3. Logos
   4. Kairos
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   Answer: Logos

   Citing peer-reviewed studies and expert testimony is logos — an appeal to reason, evidence, and verifiable data — the most rigorously evidential of the three Aristotelian appeals.

3. On the AP Language exam's rhetorical analysis essay, which of the following responses would earn the highest score?

   1. Identifying rhetorical devices and listing them with definitions
   2. Summarizing the argument's content and explaining whether you agree
   3. Analyzing specific rhetorical choices and explaining how each serves the writer's purpose for a particular audience
   4. Comparing the piece to other works on the same topic
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   Answer: Analyzing specific rhetorical choices and explaining how each serves the writer's purpose for a particular audience

   High-scoring AP rhetorical analysis essays go beyond naming devices to explaining how specific choices serve the writer's purpose with a specific audience; analysis of effect is what distinguishes advanced from basic responses.

4. Which sentence structure delays the main clause until the end, building suspense and emphasis?

   1. Cumulative sentence
   2. Compound sentence
   3. Periodic sentence
   4. Loose sentence
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   Answer: Periodic sentence

   A periodic sentence delays the main clause until the end after subordinating material, building suspense and rhetorical weight; cumulative (loose) sentences start with the main clause and add details after.

5. An AP argument essay that acknowledges the limitations of its own claim demonstrates which quality?

   1. Logical fallacy
   2. Qualification and intellectual honesty, which strengthens the argument's credibility
   3. Weak thesis development
   4. Reliance on pathos rather than logos
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   Answer: Qualification and intellectual honesty, which strengthens the argument's credibility

   Qualification — acknowledging what your argument does and doesn't cover, or where the evidence is less strong — signals intellectual honesty and builds ethos; the AP rubric rewards this as sophisticated argumentation.

6. The rhetorical situation element of 'kairos' refers to which of the following?

   1. The audience's prior knowledge of a topic
   2. The speaker's established reputation and expertise
   3. The opportune moment or timing that makes a message particularly effective
   4. The emotional tone sustained throughout a piece
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   Answer: The opportune moment or timing that makes a message particularly effective

   Kairos is the Greek concept of the right or opportune moment; a speech at a funeral has different rhetorical power than the same words spoken elsewhere — kairos is why timing and context can make or break a message's effectiveness.

7. In the AP Language synthesis essay, students are required to cite a minimum of three of the provided sources in their response.

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   Answer: True

   The AP Language synthesis essay requires students to incorporate evidence from at least three of the provided sources (typically six to seven sources are given) to support their argument; fewer citations will cap the score.

8. The structure 'To err is human; to forgive, divine' is an example of ________, which juxtaposes contrasting ideas in parallel grammatical form.

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   Answer: antithesis

   Alexander Pope's couplet 'To err is human; to forgive, divine' is a classic antithesis, placing opposing ideas (human error vs. divine forgiveness) in parallel grammatical structure to create sharp contrast and memorable balance.

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