AP English Language and Composition Close Reading Flashcards

When an author uses a rhetorical question in a persuasive essay, the primary effect is to:

Answer: Engage readers and prompt them to consider the author's implied point

Rhetorical questions invite reader engagement and guide the audience toward the author's intended conclusion without explicitly stating it.

In close reading, 'diction' refers specifically to:

Answer: The author's choice of individual words and their connotations

Diction encompasses word choice and the connotative weight each word carries, shaping tone and meaning.

A passage shifts from second-person ('you') to first-person plural ('we'). What is the most likely rhetorical effect?

Answer: The shift moves from direct address to a sense of shared community and collective responsibility

Moving from 'you' to 'we' builds solidarity, positioning the author alongside the reader rather than speaking at them.

Which of the following best describes 'anaphora' as a close reading term?

Answer: The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses

Anaphora is a figure of repetition in which the same word(s) open consecutive phrases or clauses, creating emphasis and rhythm.

When analyzing a passage for logical appeals (logos), a reader should look for:

Answer: Data, statistics, logical reasoning, and evidence-based arguments

Logos relies on reason, facts, and structured argument rather than emotion or character to persuade.

An author describes a factory as 'a rusted skeleton gasping for breath.' This is an example of:

Answer: Personification combined with metaphor

Calling the factory a 'skeleton' is metaphor, and attributing 'gasping for breath' to an inanimate building is personification.

In close reading, a passage's 'syntax' most directly affects:

Answer: The rhythm, emphasis, and relationship between ideas through sentence structure

Syntax—how sentences are constructed and arranged—controls pacing, emphasis, and the logical connections between clauses.