S. Bradley - IB Language Arts - Main



The AP English Language & Composition Exam

“What do I do?”

The Week of the Exam:

▪ Review rhetorical vocabulary, tone words, and any other material you believe may be helpful. But not to the point of stress – right now, you pretty much know everything you need to know.

▪ Think about how well prepared you are for the exam and how much fun you’re going to have with it. Like a cat with a ball of yarn.

▪ Relax and do something fun for yourself the night before the exam, then get plenty of sleep.

The Day of the Exam:

▪ Get up early enough so that you don’t get frazzled or have to rush to get ready and get to the exam site.

o The exam is on Wednesday, May 15th, and begins at 8 a.m. on the Tarpon Campus at St. Pete College (600 E. Klosterman Road, Tarpon Springs).

o Testing will be in the Epsilon, Gamma, and Lyceum buildings - your specific room numbers are according to your last name and are on the class website.

▪ Have a good breakfast and hydrate with water. Water.

▪ Be sure to bring a few #2 pencils and ink pens, as well as your ID, to the exam site.

▪ Get to the exam site early. Traffic happens.

▪ Note that cell phones, cameras, and recording devices are not allowed during the exam.

During the Test:

▪ Be positive and confident. You’ve got this.

▪ Relax, clear your mind and clarify your focus before starting, and repeat every fifteen minutes or so: Pause, and then breathe. Just breathe. Then return to your work.

▪ Keep an eye on your time and pace yourself accordingly.

▪ During the multiple choice portion of the exam:

o Skip more difficult questions until later – return to them after they’ve had a few minutes to ferment.

o Remember that you’re looking for the best answer, not necessarily the single right answer.

o Pick answers that can be backed up with evidence from the extract – try not to overanalyze.

o Eliminate obvious distractors. Watch for misreadings and trap answers. Answer every question.

▪ During the written portion of the exam:

o Remember your essay types:

▪ Synthesis – compile and synthesize information from 6-7 articles, which will be provided, in response to a given prompt

▪ Analysis – analyze a given passage’s rhetorical devices and effects

▪ Argumentative – compose an argumentative response (according to your own knowledge) to a given prompt, displaying your own mastery of rhetorical application

o You will have a fifteen-minute reading time before the two-hour writing time. You may, however, begin writing your response during the reading time.

o Write legibly. Take your time and be clear – messy handwriting is the essay equivalent of mumbling.

o Remember your personal strengths and weaknesses in the three essay types – spend more and less time on the prompts according to your talents and preferences.

o Try to have fun – write your essays with flair and style (as well as substance.) Be confident.

▪ During the break between sections, grab a snack and get more water.

▪ Remember you are not allowed to talk about the exam during break.

▪ Thank the exam administrator after the exam.

▪ Get together for lunch afterwards if possible, but remember you are still not permitted to discuss specifics of the exam.

After the Exam:

▪ Very Important--Do not discuss or post anything about the exam on social media (this is a sure-fire way to have your scores cancelled.)

▪ Relax and prepare for any other exams or end of year items – items like your Novel Study dialecticals and data sheets. Just saying.

The Details

Section I: The Multiple Choice Questions

You will have one hour to answer fifty to fifty-five multiple choice questions based upon four or five passages from Twenty-First, Twentieth, and pre-Twentieth-Century nonfiction works (usually speeches, letters, essays, and/or nonfiction books). Each question will include five possible answers (A-E), so there are four distractors and one correct response for each question. Below are ten suggestions for approaching the multiple choice questions on the AP English Language & Composition Exam.

1) There is no one approach that works best for every test-taker. Hopefully by exam time you will have been able to experiment with different strategies, identifying and practicing those that work best for you.

2) Annotate passages as you read. Keep in mind that most questions involve thematic, tonal, and structural concerns. Try to recognize and note rhetorical/literary devices, instances of irony, unusual syntax, and shifts in tone.

3) Read questions and answers carefully, underlining key words and phrases.

4) Note that the test often “knows” common misreadings and may even provide a string of answers that allow for these.

5) Be aware of your time. The multiple choice section generally allows for an average of about a minute per question. Since all questions are weighted the same and many are more complicated or difficult than others, try to avoid spending too much time on individual questions. Note these and come back if time allows.

6) Remember that there is no deduction for incorrect responses. It is advisable to answer every question. As long as time allows, try to eliminate as many distractor answers as you can.

7) Make sure you are placing your answers with the appropriate numbers. Precious time can be lost trying to correct misnumbered responses.

8) Remember the “best” answer technique. Most of these questions have no absolute, isolated answers, but one answer which is a better one than the others.

9) Become familiar with test structure. Often the first and final questions for passages are summative/holistic in nature—they may ask for overall meaning, general tone, or comprehensive structure.

10) Avoid over-analyzing questions or relying on inferences that are not grounded in the text.

Section II: The Essays

In this section of the exam you will be allowed two hours to respond to three essay prompts: Question 1—Synthesis; Question 2—Rhetorical Analysis; and Question 3—Argument. Before you begin these responses in your essay booklet, however, you will be given a 15-minute reading period to review the prompt and resources to be used for Question 1. While you may not write in the essay booklets during this time allotment, you may annotate the prompt and resources. There is no required order for responding to the three prompts, but due to the nature of the synthesis question, most AP teachers advise their students to do the Question 1 essay first. The vast majority of students usually do this. Suggestions for each essay question are provided below.

Question 1—Synthesis

(Approximately 40 minutes, plus a 15-minute reading period)

Added to the AP English Language Exam in 2007, the synthesis prompt may be understood as a kind of short research paper assignment which the resources to be cited in your essay are provided. This question is an opportunity for you to demonstrate that you are able to synthesize information and use the ideas and words of others to support a thesis of your own. While you will be expected to cite at least three of the resources made available to you, the AP Exam does not mandate a specific format.

Read and Annotate

1. Read/Review the Synthesis prompt page. Note that it usually includes the following:

a. Identifying information and the suggested time limit

b. A background paragraph that establishes context for an issue

c. A paragraph that includes general reading/writing instructions, as well as the specific directive (You will always be instructed to read all resources and write an essay that synthesizes at least three to support your own response to the issue provided.)

d. A final paragraph which reminds you to clearly identify (cite) each source and avoid merely summarizing them. Most students cite sources as “Source A,” “Source B,” etc. You may cite resources parenthetically or as attributions within your text.

e. A list of resources, with authors/creators in parentheses.

2. Identify the question at issue that is implied in the prompt. Note that the prompt itself is always a directive (e.g., “Write an essay in which you analyze . . .”). Turn this directive into its implied question and write it on the prompt page. This is the question you should be sure to answer in your essay. Your answer will be the thesis statement that you must prove using ideas and information from the resources provided.

3. Read and annotate each printed-word source.

a. Underline important ideas and phrases that you might use as direct quotes in your essay.

b. Place notations next to underlined passages to indicate how you may use them.

c. Identify how the resource may best be used to answer the question implied in the prompt (e.g., what perspective does it take on the issue.)

4. Review each illustration or graphic source.

a. Identify the message or most important information conveyed.

b. Note that graphs and charts often provide important factual information, but are often under-utilized by students.

c. Identify how the resource may best be used to answer the question implied in the prompt (e.g., what perspective does it take on the issue.)

5. Go back to the prompt page and do as many of the following as possible:

a. Write a thesis that clearly articulates your answer to the question implied in the prompt directive.

b. Next to each source in the resource list at the bottom of the prompt page, note the point of each and/or how you might use it in your essay.

c. Briefly outline the points you want to make.

d. Note how this issue is important and may have relevance in a broader context (how it is important in our lives.)

Write

1. Include an introduction that establishes background and context for the issue, as well as a thesis statement that clearly answers the question at issue.

2. Support your answer with a number of insightful points. These may be gleaned from the resources or come from your own experience, but must be supported with appropriate reference to the resources.

3. Use direct and indirect references to at least three different resources to illustrate your points. Make sure that these references include at least a few direct quotes of short phrases (no long quotes). It is acceptable—and most common—to cite sources according to the letter designation of each. For example, if you use a quote or idea from the first source, your parenthetical citation would be “(Source A).”

4. Avoid the common tendency to summarize the sources. The focus of this essay (as it indeed should be in all three essays) is still on argument; you should use the resources provided to back up the points that will make your case.

5. Conclude your essay without merely repeating what you have already written. The conclusion presents an opportunity to connect the issue to a larger context and/or reflect upon the importance or value of the issue.

From a Reader’s Perspective: Some Common Problems—Question 1

▪ Unclear thesis

▪ Failure to answer question/Substitution of a simpler question

▪ Tendency to summarize sources, rather than use sources to make an argument

▪ Failure to cite three different sources

▪ Improper quote punctuation

▪ Improper quote citation

▪ Reliance only on paraphrase/indirect quotation

▪ Use of long quotes (allowing a source or sources to do the “heavy lifting”)

▪ Misunderstanding/misuse of sources (such as “cherry-picking” a source in such a way that its point is distorted)

▪ Distracting mechanical errors

▪ Illegibility (though it is not something that is supposed to have an impact on the score, this problem can make it very difficult for a reader to do his/her job)

Question 2—Rhetorical Analysis

(Approximately 40 minutes)

This prompt directs you to analyze how an author uses rhetorical strategies to convey ideas in a relatively short (often a page or less) non-fiction passage. The selected piece is often a page or less and may come from a speech, letter, essay, or non-fiction book.

Read and Annotate

1. Read the prompt and carefully identify the question that is implied in the prompt. Note that the prompt always takes the form of a directive (“Write an essay in which you analyze . . .”). Underline the directive and rewrite it in the form of a question. Remember that the basic question is always “How does [this author] use rhetorical/literary strategies to convey meaning?” Your specific answer to this question will be the thesis of your essay.

2. Read the passage to determine meaning and explore how it is conveyed. Annotate as you read. Good annotation includes underlining important points and strategic devices you notice, then writing margin comments to identify them. As you read and annotate, consider the following:

a. The Title

b. Diction

c. Syntax

d. Tone

e. Imagery

f. Form/Structure

g. Rhetorical Devices

h. Repeated Ideas

i. Paradox/Questions

Think about how each of these is significant within the text and contributes its overall tone and meaning. Look especially for the ironic, repetitive, creative, well-crafted, and unusual.

3. Make observations about the various strategies employed by the author as you read and annotate. Think about how each conveys meaning. Remember that it is important to notice and observe rhetorical, literary, and structural techniques used in the passage, but you are also required to connect these strategies to overall meaning.

4. While you may be given suggestions about various elements to consider, remember that a prompt that includes the qualifier “such as” is providing you with a possible menu of strategies to consider as you read. You may focus on these or consider others. Whichever you select, be sure you are able to identify illustrative examples in the text and that you can connect each to overall meaning or purpose in the piece.

5. Prompts always ask for you to analyze various techniques used by the author, so be sure to identify as many as you can, then cull those you can use to make the best and most meaningful case in your essay. Though the prompt will not stipulate a certain number of techniques that you must analyze, try to incorporate at least a few that you can develop well.

Write

1. Include an introduction that establishes background and context (author, genre, title, and a brief summary), as well as a thesis statement that clearly answers the question at issue. Your thesis should specifically identify the strategies the author uses to convey meaning.

2. Support your answer with a number of insightful points in the body paragraphs. Two of the more common approaches involve analyzing a different strategy or approach in each paragraph, or working through an analysis of the passage from beginning to end. Regardless of the approach you take, be sure your paragraphs are layered with assertion, example, and analysis.

3. Use direct and indirect references to the text to illustrate your points. Make sure that these references include at least a few direct quotes of short phrases (no long quotes).

4. Avoid the common tendency to merely summarize the passage. The focus of this essay (as it indeed should be in all three essays) is still on argument; you should use references to the text to back up the points you make about what the author is doing in the passage.

5. Conclude your essay without merely repeating what you have already written. The conclusion presents an opportunity to connect the author’s point in the passage to a larger context.

From a Reader’s Perspective: Some Common Problems—Question 2

▪ Unclear thesis

▪ Tendency to summarize the passage, rather than analyze how the author uses rhetorical strategies to make a point

▪ Analysis based only on rhetorical appeals

▪ Misuse of rhetorical terminology

▪ Improper quote punctuation

▪ Reliance only on paraphrase/indirect quotation

▪ Misunderstanding of the passage

▪ Distracting mechanical errors

▪ Illegibility (though it is not something that is supposed to have an impact on the score, this problem can make it very difficult for a reader to do his/her job)

Question 3—Argument

(Approximately 40 minutes)

In this prompt you will be instructed to write an essay in which you use information from your own experience to support your opinion about an issue provided. The issue is often presented in the form of a quotation or a description of its context. You will likely be asked to defend, refute, or qualify your opinion using supporting evidence from your reading, personal experience, and awareness of current and/or historical events.

Read and Annotate

1. Read the prompt and carefully identify the question that is implied in the prompt. Note that the prompt always takes the form of a directive (“Write an essay in which you . . .”). Underline the directive and rewrite it in the form of a question. Your specific answer to this question will be the thesis of your essay. Often you may be given one or more quotations, or a short passage that expresses an opinion, then asked to write an essay in which you respond by agreeing or disagreeing with the idea(s) expressed. You may also qualify your response by setting parameters for your agreement. Regardless of the direction of your response, you will be instructed to support it with appropriate evidence from your reading, experience, or observations.

2. If asked to respond to the ideas of others, take note of the points expressed, underlining them and providing commentary about how you feel about these ideas.

3. Once you have considered the issue from as many angles as you can, write an answer to the question you distilled from the prompt.

4. Make a list of possible evidence you might use. Consider relevant and appropriate examples from:

a. Your experiences at school, home, or in your travels

b. Your reading

c. Current events

d. History

e. Hypotheticals

5. If you have time, briefly outline points you may use to make your case, along with supporting examples for each point.

Write

1. Include an introduction that establishes background and context for the issue. Your thesis should specifically answer the question at issue.

2. Develop your answer with a number of insightful points in the body paragraphs. Be sure to support each point with examples that you explain and connect. Be sure layer your paragraphs with assertion, example, and analysis.

3. Use examples that are thoughtful and relevant. Generally, references to nonfiction and real-life events and situations are perceived to lead to more persuasive arguments. Allusion solely to literary works tends to be regarded as less persuasive. Always make sure that examples are appropriate to the subject (e.g., You wouldn’t want to compare the loss of a personal item or pet to the loss of human life.).

4. Avoid the common tendency to merely summarize response material provided. The focus of this essay is on building an argument for your own opinion about the question at issue.

5. Conclude your essay without merely repeating what you have already written. The conclusion presents an opportunity to connect the issue addressed to a larger context.

From a Reader’s Perspective: Some Common Problems—Question 3

▪ Unclear thesis

▪ Failure to answer question/Substitution of a simpler question

▪ Tendency to summarize the response materials

▪ Reliance solely on evidence from your reading of fiction

▪ Misunderstanding of the response materials

▪ Inadequate supporting examples

▪ Inappropriate supporting examples

▪ Distracting mechanical errors

▪ Illegibility (though it is not something that is supposed to have an impact on the score, this problem can make it very difficult for a reader to do his/her job)

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