1 : an expression of real or pretended doubt or uncertainty especially for rhetorical effect. 2 : a logical impasse or contradiction especially : a radical contradiction in the import of a text or theory that is seen in deconstruction as inevitable.

A rhetorical device uses words in a certain way to convey meaning or to persuade. It can also be a technique used to evoke emotions within the reader or audience. Some types of rhetorical devices can also be considered figurative language because they depend on a non-literal usage of certain words or phrases.

A rhetorical question is a question (such as “How could I be so stupid?”) that’s asked merely for effect with no answer expected. The answer may be obvious or immediately provided by the questioner. Also known as erotesis, erotema, interrogatio, questioner, and reversed polarity question (RPQ).

3. Which of these should be avoided in a good essay? Explanation: A good essay must have a dignified and literary style. It cannot have slang, colloquial terms and free constructions.

Short Answer Questions

1. Word the question so that a clear, meaningful problem is presented.
2. Structure the problem so that the range of acceptable responses is limited to a single correct answer or a narrow set of definite, clear-cut, and explicit answers.
3. Generally, use direct questions rather than incomplete sentences.

General strategies

1. Write questions throughout the term.
2. Instruct students to select the “best answer” rather than the “correct answer”.
3. Use familiar language.
4. Avoid giving verbal association clues from the stem in the key.
5. Avoid trick questions.
6. Avoid negative wording.

They have fast processing times. There’s no room for subjectivity. You can ask more questions, it takes less time to complete a multiple-choice question compared to an open question. Respondents don’t have to formulate an answer but can focus on the content.

Multiple-choice items are best used for checking whether students have learned facts and routine procedures that have one, clearly correct answer. However, an item may have two reasonable answer options. Therefore, test directions usually ask test takers to select the “best” answer.

So here goes with my 20 ways to cheat Multiple Choice tests:

1. Skip the hard questions, mark them with a cross, and go back to them.
2. If in doubt choose ‘C’, poor questions designers do not truly randomise the right options and have a bias towards ‘C’.
3. If in doubt choose the ‘longest option’.

1 : having several answers from which one is to be chosen a multiple-choice question. 2 : composed of multiple-choice questions a multiple-choice test.