Final Project

Brainstorming two significant moments

Reflect on two moments from The Crucible that stood out to you. Use them as a starting point to explore what the play means to you and how it connects to your life, values, or beliefs about truth, fear, and manipulation.

The moment, what happened, why it stuck with me

Example

Having heard the court always take Abigail's word for law, John Proctor questions, "Why do you never wonder if Parris be innocent, or Abigail? Is the accuser always holy now? Were they born this morning as clean as God's fingers?" (44).

Here, John Proctor is essentially asking why do they wholeheartedly accept accusations as fact or rather not have any suspicion of the accusers. I find this moment really impactful, especially in the world today where many are accused of something and their guilt is immediately put upon them. Now, this isn't to say we shouldn't listen to accusers -- we absolutely need to make a society where people feel like they will be heard to speaking the truth -- but it is a strange phenomena today that many assume guilt and one must then prove they are innocent. 

Example #2

At his breaking point, John Proctor cries out, "Because I lie and sign myself to lies!...How may I live without my name?" (90).

Here, John Proctor is struggling to give a false confession as it will tarnish his reputation and justify the wrongdoings done to his neighbors. I can relate to this, though not as tragically, as I, too, have been forced to give a false confession of something I didn't do once and it left me wondering much about how we look at truth.

Introduction paragraph

Introduce the play, the characters you will discuss, the messages and meanings that you find to be important. This isn't the place to fully go into every point and perspective you have, rather it is a time to show you are knowledgeable about what you will discuss. This is also where you can supply a summary for your reader.

Body paragraph #1

Since the essay requires you to examine and analyze two scenes or moments from the play, this paragraph is perfect for this objective. Start with a claim about the play, a character, or why a moment is significant. Give context to the scene, perhaps what happened before the quote or interaction. Supply the reader with a direct quote from the text with page numbers. Explain the quote, guiding your reader through how you understand it, then tell us why it is so impactful to you.

Body paragraph #2 

After you've made these choices and explained the significance, now it's time to make a personal connection. This does not have to be that you fully understand or have felt what happens in the play. It can be how your vision conflicts with the play, but likewise, it can be speaking to something you've felt for a long time as well. This section of the essay will be dedicated to you making sense of the play through your own life experiences, what you've heard or seen in life, or even how this may connect to another piece of media (a video game, TV show, anime, etc.). 

Conclusion

Okay, you've shown us two moments that hold significance, you've made connections to the real world, now it's time to evaluate. Should we read or watch the play? Would you recommend it? If you had to rate it, what scores would you give it and why? Was the content of the play great? The acting from the film? Where you go with this paragraph is entirely up to you! 

Brainstorming your Box

Cereal Name: ___________________________
What does your name symbolize? What idea or theme does it play on?

Visual symbols (3 minimum)

What It Looks Like and What It Represents

1.

2.

3.

Example: Puritan Puffs

Cereal name & symbolism
A play on "Sugar Puffs," this name mocks the performative purity in Salem. Everyone’s trying to appear “pure,” but it’s all puffed-up lies. Just like the trials, the cereal looks sweet but the aftertaste is bitter. 

Visual symbols & their meanings 

What It Looks Like and What It Represents

1. Burning doll with a needle stuck inside: Symbolizes Abigail’s manipulation and how innocent objects become tools of destruction. 

2. Noose-shaped cereal pieces: Represents the constant threat of execution hanging over everyone. 

3. Cracked church steeple: Reflects the crumbling moral authority of the Reverend Parris and Danforth.

Brainstorming your Board

Game title: ___________________________
What theme or message does this title reflect?

Game objective
What are players trying to achieve? How does this reflect the play’s message about truth, fear, and manipulation?

Board design concept (sketch or describe)
Shape or layout? Are there different paths? What symbolic places or moments appear on the board?

Event/Chance card ideas
Card name and what happens in the game

Example: The Salem Way

Game objective
Players must race to clear their name and survive the hysteria of Salem. Along the way, they’ll navigate accusation, suspicion, and moral tests. Not all players will survive, and even fewer will escape with their integrity.

Game board concept
A twisting path through Salem with branches such as church, court, Parris' home, and the Woods.

• Certain paths lead to Confession, Execution, or Reputation Redemption.

• Some forks seem safe but lead to traps, others reward players who risk telling the truth.

• Truth vs. lies, faith vs. fear, loyalty vs. betrayal.

Chance/event cards (examples)

1. She's a witch!
   Move ahead 3 spaces: by accusing someone else.

2. Spectral Evidence!
   Lose a turn: you're in jail, even without proof.

3. Elizabeth Lies to Protect You
   Go back 2 spaces: even love has unintended consequences.

4. Confess and Live?
   Choose: Advance 4 spaces and lose 1 Integrity Token, or stay and roll to resist pressure.

5. Proctor's Stand
   Flip a coin:
   Heads: gain 3 Integrity Points
   Tails: go back 5 spaces (You're hanged, but with honor)

6. The Needle in the Doll
   Lose a turn: you’ve been framed by Abigail.

7. Reverend Hale Switches Sides
   Swap positions with another player: the tides of reason begin to shift.

8. Giles Corey’s Silence
   Choose a player to lose a turn: “more weight.”

1. "Now look you, child--I have no desire to punish you; that will come in its time. But if you trafficked with spirits in the forest, I must know it, for surely my enemies will, and they'll ruin me with it" (Parris, 7).

2. "Now then--in the midst of such disruption, my own household is discovered to be the very center of some obscene practice. Abominations are done in the forest" (Parris, 7).

3. "Abigail, I have fought here three long years to bend these stiff-necked people to me, and now, just now when there must be some good respect for me in the parish, you compromise my very character. I have given you a home, child, I have put clothes upon your back--now give me upright answer:--your name in the town--it is entirely white is it not?" (Parris, 8). 

4. "You drank blood, Abby, you drank blood!" (Betty, 12).

5. "And mark this--let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you" (Abigail, 12). 

6. "John--I am waitin' for you every night" (Abigail, 13).

7. "I know how you clutched my back behind your house and sweated like a stallion whenever I come near! I saw your face when she put me out and you loved me then and you do now!" (Abigail, 13).

8. "Abby, I may think of you softly from time to time. But I will cut off my hand before I'll ever reach for you again. Wipe it out of mind--we never touched, Abby" (John Proctor, 14). 

9. "She is blackening my name in the village! She is telling lies about me! She is a cold snivelling woman and you bend to her! Let her turn you like a..." (Abigail, 14). 

10. "You loved me, John Proctor, and whatever sin it is you love me yet! John, pity me, pity me!" (Abigail, 14). 

11. "Let us go to God for the cause of it. There is a prodigious danger in the seeking of loose spirits, I fear it, I fear it. Let us rather blame ourselves and..." (Rebecca, 16).

12. "You cannot command Mister Parris. We vote by name in this society, not by acreage" (John Proctor, 16).

13. "I have trouble enough without I come five miles to hear him preach only hellfire and bloody damnation. There are many others who stay away from church these days because he hardly ever mention God any more" (John Proctor, 16).

14. "I do not preach for children, Rebecca. It is not the children who are unmindful of their obligations toward this ministry. Where is my wood? My contract provides I be supplied with all my firewood. I am waiting since November for a stick, and even in November I had to show my frost-bitten hands like some London beggar!" (Parris, 16).

15. "I am not used to this poverty; I left a thrifty business in the Barbados to serve the Lord. I do not fathom it, why am I persecuted here?! I cannot offer one proposition but there be a howling riot of argument. I have often wondered if the Devil be in it somewhere; I cannot understand you people otherwise" (Parris, 17). 

16. "There is either obedience or the church will burn like hell is burning!" (Parris, 17).

17. "Can you speak one minute without we land in hell again? I am sick of hell!" (John Proctor, 17).

18. "The Devil is precise; the marks of his presence are definite as stone and we must look only for his proper signs and judge nothing beforehand, and I must tell you all, that I shall not proceed unless you are prepared to believe me if I should find no trace of hell in this" (Hale, 20). 

19. "Here is all the invisible world, caught, defined and calculated. In these books the Devil stands stripped of all his brute disguises. Here are all your familiar spirits--your incubi and succubi, your witches that go by land, by air, and by sea; your wizards of the night and of the day. Have no fear now--we shall find him out if he has come among us, and I mean to crush him utterly if he has shown his face!" (Hale, 20-21).

20. "If she is truly in the Devil's grip we may have to rip and tear to get her free" (Hale, 21).

21. "Martha, my wife. I have waked at night many times and found her in a corner, readin' of a book. Now what do you make of that? ... It discomfits me! Last night--mark this--I tried and tried and could not say my prayers. And then she close her book and walks out of the house, and suddenly--mark this--I could pray again!" (Giles Corey, 21).

22. "What victory would the Devil have, to win a soul already had? It is the best the Devil wants, and who is better than the minister?" (Hale, 22).

23. "I never sold myself! I'm a good girl--I--(Ann enters with Tituba.) I did drink of the kettle!--She made me do it! She made Betty do it!" (Abigail, 23).

24. "You beg me to conjure, Abby! She beg me make charm--" (Tituba, 23).

25. "You have confessed yourself to witchcraft, and that speaks a wish to come to heaven's side. And we will bless you, Tituba..." (Hale, 25).

26. "You are God's instrument put in our hands to discover the Devil's agents among us. You are selected, Tituba, you are chosen to help us cleanse our village. So speak utterly, Tituba, turn your back on him and face God, face God, Tituba, and God will protect you" (Hale, 25).

27. "Take courage, you must give us all their names. How can you bear to see these children suffering? Look at them, Tituba--(He is indicating Betty on the bed.) look at their God-given innocence; their souls are so tender; we must protect them, Tituba; the Devil is out and preying on them like a beast upon the flesh of the pure land... God will bless you for your help..." (Hale, 26).

28. "I want to open myself! I want the light of God, I want the sweet love of Jesus! I danced for the Devil; I saw him; I wrote in his book; I go back to Jesus; I kiss His hand--I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! I saw Goody Osburn with the devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil!" (Abigail, 26).

29. "I forbid her go, and she raises up her chin like the daughter of a prince, and says to me, 'I must go to Salem, Goody Proctor, I am an official of the court!'" (Elizabeth, 28). 

30. "There be fourteen people in jail now, she says. And they'll be tried, and the court have power to hang them too, she says" (Elizabeth, 29).

31. "The Deputy Governor promise hangin' if they'll not confess, John. The town's gone wild, I think--Mary Warren speak of Abigail as though she were a saint, to hear her. She brings the other girls into the court, and where she walks the crowd will part like the sea for Israel. And folks are brought before them, and if Abigail scream and howl and fall to the floor--the person's clapped in the jail for bewitchin' her" (Elizabeth, 29).

32. "Spare me! You forget nothing and forgive nothing. Learn charity, woman. I have gone tiptoe in this house all sevenmonth since she is gone; I have not moved from there to there without I think to please you, and still a... an everlasting funeral marches round your heart. I cannot speak but I am doubted; every moment judged for lies as though I come into a court when I come into this house!" (John Proctor, 30). 

33. "I do not judge you. The magistrate sits in your heart that judges you. I never thought you but a good man, John, only somewhat bewildered" (Elizabeth, 30). 

34. "Oh, Elizabeth, your justice would freeze beer. (He turns suddenly toward a sound outside. Mary Warren enters.) How do you go to Salem when I forbid it! Do you mock me? I'll whip you if you dare leave this house again!" (John Proctor, 31).

35. "I made a gift for you today, Goody Proctor. I had to sit long hours in a chair, and passed the time with sewing" (Mary, 31).

36. "But, Mister Proctor, they will not hang them if they confess. Sarah Good will only sit in jail some time... and here's a wonder for you, think on this. Goody Good is pregnant!" (Mary, 33).

37. "I saved her life today! You are somewhat mentioned. But I said I never see no sign you ever sent your spirit out to hurt no one, and seeing I do live so closely with you, they dismissed it" (Mary, 33).

38. "Spoke or silent, a promise is surely made. And she may dote on it now--I am sure she does--and thinks to kill me, then to take my place. It is her dearest hope, John, I know it. There be a thousand names, why does she call mine? There be a certain danger in calling such a name--I am no Goody Good that sleeps in ditches, nor Osburn drunk and half-witted. She'd dare not call out such a farmer's wife but there be monstrous profit in it. She thinks to take my place, John" (Elizabeth, 34-35).

39. "Parris came, and for twenty week he preach nothing but golden candlesticks until he had them. I labor the earth from dawn of day to blink of night and I tell you true, when I look to heaven and see my money glaring at his elbows--it--it hurt my prayer, sir, it hurt my prayer. I think, sometimes, the man dreams of cathedrals, not clapboard meeting houses" (John Proctor, 37). 

40. "I like it not that Mister Parris should lay his hand upon my baby. I see no light of God in that man, I'll not conceal it" (John Proctor, 37).

41. "Do you know your commandments, Elizabeth?" (Hale, 38).

42. "And why not, if they must hang for denyin' it? There are them that will swear to anything before they'll hang; have you never thought of that?" (John Proctor, 39).

43. "Man, remember, until an hour before the Devil fell, God thought him beautiful in Heaven" (Hale, 41).

44. "And he goes to save her, and stuck two inches in the flesh of her belly he draw a needle out. And demandin' of her how she come to be so stabbed, she... testify it were your wife's familiar spirit pushed it in" (Cheever, 43). 

45. "If she is innocent! Why do you never wonder if Parris be innocent, or Abigail? Is the accuser always holy now? Were they born this morning as clean as God's fingers? I'll tell you what's walking Salem--vengeance is walking Salem. We are what we always were in Salem, but now the little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom, and common vengeance writes the law! This warrant's vengeance; I will not give my wife to vengeance!" (John Proctor, 44).

46. "Pontius Pilate! God will not let you wash your hands of this!" (John Proctor, 45).

47. "My wife will never die for me. I will bring your guts into your mouth, but that goodness will not die for me" (John Proctor, 47).

48. "Peace! It is a Providence and no great change. We are what we always were, but naked now. Aye, naked. And the wind, God's icy wind, will blow" (John Proctor, 47).

49. "Oh, John, the world's so full of hypocrites! They pray in jail! I'm told they all pray in jail!" (Abigail, 49).

50. "God gave me strength to call them liars, and God made men to listen to me, and by God I will scrub the world clean for the love of Him! Oh, John, I will make you such a wife when the world is white again! You will be amazed to see me every day, a light of heaven in your house, a-- Why are you cold?" (John Proctor, 49-50).

51. "I come to tell you, Abby, what I will do tomorrow in the court. I would not take you by surprise, but give you all good time to think on what to do to save yourself" (John Proctor, 50).

52. "If you do not free my wife tomorrow, I am set and bound to ruin you, Abby" (John Proctor, 50).

53. "You will tell the court you are blind to spirits; you cannot see them any more, and you will never cry witchery again, or I will make you famous for the whore you are!" (John Proctor, 51).

54. "You have done your duty by her. I hope it is your last hypocrisy. I pray you will come again with sweeter news for me. I know you will--now that your duty's done. Good night, John. Fear naught. I will save you tomorrow. From yourself I will save you" (Abigail, 51).

55. "We burn a hot fire here; it melts down all concealment. Are you certain in your conscience, Mister, that your evidence is the truth" (Danforth, 55).

56. "I think not, or you should surely know that Cain were an upright man and yet he did kill Abel." (Parris, 56). 

57. "The pure in heart need no lawyers" (Danforth, 57).

58. "All innocent and Christian people are happy for the courts in Salem! These people are gloomy for it-- And I think you will want to know, from each and every one of them, what discontents them with you!" (Parris, 57).

59. "Then I am sure they may have nothing to fear. Mister Cheever, have warrants drawn for all of these--arrest for examination" (Danforth, 57).

60. "You must understand, sir, that a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it; there be no road between. This is a sharp time, now, a precise time--we live no longer in the dusky afternoon when evil mixed itself with good and befuddled the world. Now, by God's grace, the shining sun is up, and them that fear not light will surely praise it. I hope you will be one of those" (Danforth, 58).

61. "If Jacobs hangs for a witch he forfeit up his property--that's law! And there is none but Putnam with the coin to buy so great a piece. This man is killing his neighbors for their land!" (Giles Corey, 59).

62. "I will not give you no name. I mentioned my wife's name once and I'll burn in hell long enough for that. I stand mute" (Giles Corey, 59).

63. "Ay, sir. She swears now that she never saw Satan; nor any spirit, vague or clear, that Satan may have sent to hurt her. And she declares her friends are lying now" (John Proctor, 61).

64. "In an ordinary crime, how does one defend the accused? One calls up witnesses to prove his innocence. But witchcraft is ipso facto, on its face and by its nature, an invisible crime. Therefore, who may possibly be witness to it?--the witch, and the victim. None other. Now we cannot hope the witch will accuse herself; granted? Therefore, we must rely upon her victims--and they do testify, the children certainly do testify. As for the witches, none will deny that we are most eager for their confessions. Therefore, what is left for a lawyer to bring out? I think I have made my point" (Danforth, 62).

65. "It may well be that Mary Warren has been conquered by Satan who sends her here to distract our sacred purpose. If so, her neck will break for it. But if she speak true, I bid you now drop your guile and confess your pretense, for a quick confession will go easier with you" (Danforth, 63).

66. "She only pretended to faint, your Excellency. They're all marvelous pretenders" (John Proctor, 66).

67. "I heard the other girls screaming, and you, your Honor, you seemed to believe them and I... It were only sport in the beginning, sir, but then the whole world cried spirits, spirits, and I... I promise you, Mister Danforth, I only thought I saw them but I did not" (Mary, 67).

68. "I have been hurt, Mister Danforth; I have seen my blood runnin' out! I have been near to murdered every day because I done my duty pointing out the Devil's people--and this is my reward? To be mistrusted, denied, questioned like a..." (Abigail, 67).

69. "I have known her, sir. I have... known her.... It is true, it is true. She will deny it, but you will believe me, sir; a man... a man will not cast away his good name, sir, you surely know that--" (John Proctor, 68).

70. "And being what she is, a lump of vanity, sir.... Excellency, forgive me, forgive me. She thinks to dance with me on my wife's grave! And well she might!--for I thought of her softly. God help me, I lusted, and there is a promise in such sweat. But it is a whore's vengeance, and you must see it; I set myself entirely in your hands, I know you must see it now. My wife is innocent, except she know a whore when she see one" (John Proctor, 69).

71. "In her life, sir, she have never lied. There are them that cannot sing, and them that cannot weep--my wife cannot lie" (John Proctor, 69).

72. "Look at me! To your own knowledge, has John Proctor ever committed the crime of lechery?" (Danforth, 70).

73. "She only thought to save my name!" (John Proctor, 71).

74. "Excellency, it is a natural lie to tell; I beg you, stop now; before another is condemned! I may shut my conscience to it no more... private vengeance is working through this testimony! From the beginning this man has struck me true. I believe him now! By my oath to heaven, I believe him, and I pray you call back his wife before we..." (Hale, 71).

75. "Oh, Mary, this is a black art to change your shape. No, I cannot, I cannot stop my mouth; it's God's work I do..." (Abigail, 72).

76. "Don't touch me... don't touch me! You are the Devil's man! I'll not hang with you! I love God, I love God--" (Mary, 74).

77. "Will you confess yourself befouled with hell, or do you keep that black allegiance yet?" (Danforth, 74).

78. "A fire, a fire is burning! I hear the boot of Lucifer, I see his filthy face. And it is my face and yours, Danforth. For them that quail to bring men out of ignorance, as I have quailed, and as you quail now when you know in all your black hearts that this be fraud. God damns our kind especially, and we will burn, we will burn together! You are pulling heaven down and raising up a whore" (John Proctor, 74-75).

79. "I denounce these proceedings! I quit this court!" (Hale, 75).

80. "I tell you what is said here, sir. Andover have thrown out the court, they say, and will have no part of witchcraft. There be a faction here feeding on that news, and I tell you true, sir, I fear there will be a riot here" (Parris, 79).

81. "Riot!--Why, at every execution I have seen naught but high satisfaction in the town" (Hathorne, 79).

82. "I would postpone these hangin's for a time.... Now Mister Hale's returned, there is hope, I think--for if he bring eve one of these to God, that confession surely damns the others in the public eye, and none may doubt more that they are all linked to Hell. This way, unconfessed and claiming innocence, doubts are multiplied, many honest people will weep for them, and our good purpose is lost in their tears" (Parris, 79-80).

83. "Tonight, when I open my door to leave my house--a dagger clattered to the ground. You cannot hang this sort. There is danger for me." (Parris, 80).

84. "While I speak God's law, I will not crack its voice with whimpering. If retaliation is your fear, know this--I should hang ten thousand that dared to rise against the law, and an ocean of salt tears could not melt the resolution of the statutes" (Danforth, 81).

85. "I come to do the Devil's work. I come to counsel Christians they should belie themselves. There is blood on my head! Can you not see the blood on my head!!" (Hale, 82).

86. "Goody Proctor. I would save your husband's life, for if he is taken I count myself his murderer. Do you understand me?" (Hale, 82).

87. "Beware, Goody Proctor--cleave to no faith when faith brings blood. It is mistaken law that leads you to sacrifice. Life, woman, life is God's most precious gift; no principle however glorious may justify the taking of it. I beg you, woman--prevail upon your husband to confess. Let him give his lie. Quail not before God's judgment in this, for it may well be God damns a liar less than he that throws his life away for pride" (Hale, 82-83).

88. "They press him, John. Great stones they lay upon his chest until he plead ay or nay. They say he give them but two words. 'More weight.' he says. And died" (Elizabeth, 85).

89. "Would you give them such a lie? Say it. Would you ever give them this? You would not; if tongs of fire were singeing you you would not!--it is evil." (John Proctor, 86).

90. "Proctor--you mistake me. I am not empowered to trade your life for a lie. You have most certainly seen some person with the Devil. Mister Proctor, a score of people have already testified they saw this woman with the Devil" (Danforth, 88).

91. "You will not use me! I am no Sarah Good or Tituba, I am John Proctor! You will not use me! It is no part of salvation that you should use me!" (John Proctor, 89).

92. "Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul, leave me my name!" (John Proctor, 90).

93. "He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him" (Elizabeth, 91).

Section 1: Multiple choice

·  Time: 60 minutes

·  Questions: 45 questions

·  Weight: 45% of your total score

Section 2: Free response (essays)

· Time: 2 hours and 15 minutes

· Questions: 3 essays

· Weight: 55% of total score

The three essays

· Synthesis (15 minutes to read, 40 to write)

· Rhetorical analysis (40 minutes to read and write)

· Argumentative (40 minutes to write)

Minimum to pass

·  23/45 Multiple Choice correct

·  3/6 on Synthesis

·  3/6 on Rhetorical Analysis

·  3/6 on Argumentative

The bare minimums to pass!

One thesis and two body paragraphs

1. • Thesis: The thesis should take a clear position from the prompt. Generally, we call this defending a claim, challenging a claim, or qualifying a claim (why is there middle ground). 

   • Paragraph 1: Introduce a key idea supporting your thesis (main argument). Use evidence from at least two sources to explain and support your point, integrating the evidence seamlessly.

   • Paragraph 2: Develop a related point that adds depth to your argument. Incorporate evidence from at least one new source and connect it to the ideas in the first paragraph.

Sentence stems for wind farm example

Thesis stems: 

• Wind farms are beneficial as they (point 1) and (point 2).

• Wind farms are harmful to our economy as they (point 1) and (point 2).

• Although wind farms are (counter argument/position), they provide benefits such as (point 1) and (point 2).

Example: Although wind farms can be seen as noisy and an eye sore, their benefits outweigh the shortcoming as they provide efficient clean energy and supply a stable alternative to oil for farmers.

Note, if you have two points, you usually would make that two body paragraphs. If there are three, then you'd just add another body paragraph. 

Topic sentence stems for wind farm example

Once we've written our thesis statement (or our main argument), now we need to prove it. To do so, we just take whatever points we said in our thesis and expand on why they are important. 

Topic sentence stems: 

1. • An important factor to consider is (point 1) because...

   • It's crucial for us to recognize (point 2) as it...

   • One essential element that cannot be ignored is (point 3) due to...

   • Though (point 1) is essential, it's important to consider (counter argument) as...

You get the idea! Feel free to use these or to craft your own! Remember, evidence and quotations should not be in your first sentence of your paragraphs.

• • Ethos (Credibility): Where does the author establish authority or trust?

  • Pathos (Emotion): Where does the author evoke feelings in the audience?

  • Logos (Logic): Where does the author use facts, statistics, or logical reasoning?

  • Metaphor: Comparing two unlike things to suggest similarity, specifically without "like" or "as."

  • Simile: Using "like" or "as" to compare two things.

  • Personification: Giving human traits to non-human things.

  • Hyperbole: Deliberate exaggeration for emphasis.

  • Allusion: A brief, indirect reference to a person, place, event, or work of art. 

  • Anecdote: A personal story or experience. 

• • Diction: Specific word choices (e.g., formal, colloquial, technical).

  • Connotation: The emotional or cultural associations of words.

• • Repetition: Repeating words, phrases, or ideas for emphasis.

  • Alliteration: Repeating initial consonant sounds for effect.

  • Parallelism: Repeating a grammatical structure for rhythm or emphasis.

  • Juxtaposition: Placing contrasting ideas or people side by side.

  • Rhetorical Questions: Asking questions not meant to be answered.

  • Anaphora: Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of sentences.

  • Tone: The author’s attitude (e.g., sarcastic, optimistic, somber).

  • Imagery: Vivid descriptions appealing to the senses (taste, hearing, touch, sight, and smell.)

  • Irony: A statement where the intended meaning or outcome is different from, or opposite to, what is expected. 

Multiple Choice Question Breakdown

There will be 5 answer choices (4 distractors and 1 answer).

• 2 distractors can usually be easily eliminated.

• 1 distractor is 50% correct. Be careful, the correct part is usually at the start of the answer, but it becomes clear it’s wrong by the end of it.

•  1 distractor is mostly correct, where almost all of the answers seem correct, but a small detail makes it incorrect.

• The actual answer will always be 100% correct.

Multiple Choice tips

1. While reading, anticipate questions! If something is noteworthy or interesting, chances are it’ll come up.

2. Consider reading the questions before reading the passage.

3. Read the answers from the bottom up (starting with E, then D, C, B, A).

4. Always try to eliminate two to three answers before guessing!

5. Do not ignore words that you do not know. Use context clues (words before and after the unknown word) to help determine its meaning.

6.  Do not ignore footnotes [1] or titles.

7. Letter of the Day: if you do not have time to read or complete questions, choose a letter and mark all incomplete questions with that letter (A, B, C, D, or E). The reasoning behind this is that your chances of randomly getting a few correct raises significantly with this strategy.

8. Answer all the questions. There is no penalty for guessing.