Shalin Shah, Daniela Sanchez, and Roxanne Lebron.
Analytical Focus
Imagery --> is a description of a place, person and thing. Imagery questions in this exam are often worded differently so the reader has to analyze the importance of imagery in order to answer the question. Most of the time imagery questions are given in a form of "line" but in order to answer that question, you first need to find the purpose of the imagery so the question actually becomes easy. Read around the imagery! Use process of elimination in these questions because the test makers often use advance vocabulary to fool us. :(
Characterization --> is found everywhere in the passage but in order to answer the question correctly you need to understand the feelings of the character because characterization questions are very complex. Analyze the passage accordingly so you have an idea about the inner tone and feelings of the passage. Take proper notes because characterization often leads to revealing the point of the passage as well.
OVERALL PURPOSE OF THE PASSAGE --> Most of us don't understand the passage because of the limited time we have, however the best way to answer these questions is to find the tone of the passage. If you can find the OVERALL tone of the passage, you have a good chance of comprehending this question. Annotate with a purpose in mind so some of this question can become easier.
Purpose of… --> Understanding most, if not all, stanzas in a poem is crucial. In order to answer these questions, read around the line and try to get the main idea of the line and use POE to come up with a final answer. Support your answer with evidence from the passage. *COVER UP THE ANSWER AND COME UP WITH YOUR OWN TO MATCH IT WITH THE ANSWER CHOICE*
Irony --> is expressed often in most piece works of literature. Incidentally, we are given old texts and many times irony is shown and multiple choice questions often ask to find the importance or purpose of the irony provided. This is one of the hardest questions for me since I usually get stuck. The best strategy I can give would be to break down the irony and try to see the whole picture of the paragraph.
Shift --> These questions generally ask to analyze the change in a characters mood, tone, attitude, and such, mainly to see the shift of the story overall. When you notice any shift, annotate what the shift was and its importance so you don’t have to waste time reading the sentence over, and usually you’ll have to re-read the paragraph over because by now, you have forgotten what was even mentioned.
Ex) The sentence that begins in line 46 signals a change in the speaker’s
(B) Use of rhetoric from generalizations to specific examples
This shows how the speaker with intention of convincing others, thought necessary to become more specific rather than randomly mentioning.
Diction --> A single word or small complex phrase is provided to connect and give an inference. The phrase given is usually one of the most complex ones within the passage. These can have ambiguous and/or an abstract meaning, therefore you should make sure understand the rest of the passage, especially everything before this diction so you can have an easier time understanding the significance and true meaning of such phrase or word.
Ex) The speak provides the detail “and I in my pyjamas” (line 2) most probably as
(B) a subtle manifestation of his state of mind.
You might think that pyjamas means the character just got out of bed, but you have to keep in mind that for the most part, the authors of these exams will not make anything easy, and if it seems that way think twice before falling in their trap like choosing (a) an indication of the time of day.
Metaphor --> This common literary element can be found on any piece of literature given. The importance of identifying it and understanding its purpose is crucial due to the abstract connection it makes to the intended meaning, which can be tricky and challenging to understand.
Ex) In the context of the passage, the phrase “cover the whole ground” (line 32) is used as a metaphor for
(C) match those of any human being
A blue jay has all the characteristics of that of a human, meaning he fulfills our list long of traits – “cover the whole ground.”
*Understand the title and everything mentioned previous to metaphor and diction is important and a key advice I can give to understand what the writer means through these elements*
Thematic Focus
About the Multiple Choice:
The multiple choice is the first part of the exam.
It is based on 4-5 prose or poetry passages.
Each correct question adds on 1 point.
Each wrong question subtracts ¼ of a point.
Each question left blank has no effect on your grade.
It consists of 45-60 questions.
The questions will be on the content, form, and style of each passage.
Helpful Stuff:
-One of the most challenging things about this part of the exam is timing. You should spend about 1 minute per question. Since time is limited you really only have one chance to read the passage so make it good and actually read it. Skimming won’t really help.
-Annotating will really help too. While reading the passage try underlining and or circling. Chances are the text is going to be pretty difficult to read. Annotating will help you understand the text the first time and that way you don’t waste your time confused by what you’re reading.
-While reading the passage identify significant lines because it may come back in question form. Sometimes you can just tell that a certain line will show up as a question.
-When looking at the answers choices you can easily eliminate the choices that repeat themselves, too extreme or general.
Strategies or Techniques or whatever:
Process Of Elimination (POE.)
Covering the answers, making your own, and then comparing.
Rephrasing the question and putting in the answer choices.
If you narrow it down enough… GUESS!
-The passages are pretty lengthy and answering questions can become monotonous so your mind will probably wander off which may lead to running out of time; in case this incident happens:
Look for self contained questions such as “this line is an example of…” and questions that refer only to a specific line.
-Each question is worth the same amount of points. If running out of time skip the Roman numeral questions and “the following …. except”.
