AP® English Language and Composition · The Exam: Section I, Multiple-Choice
Section I: Choosing Evidence That Fits the Claim
On the multiple-choice reading questions, the right answer is the evidence that does the exact job the stem names, not the one that is most detailed or most dramatic.
Each evidence question names a specific job: support this claim, or rebut that objection. Before looking at the choices, restate the job in your own words. If the stem asks for evidence that switching measurement systems is not too costly, you need something that answers the cost objection directly, not something that is merely related to the topic of cost.
The trap choices usually fail in one of two ways. Some restate the objection instead of answering it. A figure like 334 million dollars spent on conversion names the cost, which is exactly the objector's complaint, so it supports the objection rather than rebutting it. Others answer a neighboring objection instead of the one asked about. A statistic showing that most trading partners already use the system addresses the cost of staying isolated, which is a different argument from the cost of switching. It might belong somewhere in the essay, but not here.
Once you have ruled out choices that answer the wrong question, compare the survivors by fit to the claim's logic. A claim that the change pays for itself is an arithmetic claim: costs versus savings. A single figure showing savings exceeding costs settles that claim in one line. Several sentences describing how a pilot program was run are concrete and detailed, but detail is not the same as proof; they describe a process without ever doing the math the claim requires. This same skill, matching evidence to the shape of a claim, carries over to the writing questions later in the section, where you choose which sentence to add, cut, or move.
Key terms
- claim
- The specific point the question stem asks the evidence to support or rebut.
- rebut
- To directly counter an objection by addressing its exact reasoning, not just its general topic.
- objection
- A reason given against a position, which a writer may need evidence to answer.
- fit
- How closely a piece of evidence matches the logical shape of the claim, such as arithmetic claims needing numeric proof.
Watch it explained
- How it worksHow do you match a piece of evidence to the exact claim the question stem names?
- Worked exampleWalk me through picking evidence to rebut the objection that switching measurement systems is too costly.
- Worked exampleShow me why a 334 million dollar cost estimate supports that objection instead of rebutting it.
- Common mistakeWhy isn't the most detailed choice automatically the strongest piece of evidence?
Check yourself
End of topic.