AP Language and Composition Test Tips Mr. Eble, AP Language and Composition We’ve spent all year preparing for this test, but here’s a “brief” overview of the parts of the test and various strategies. Multiple Choice: The multiple choice section consists of 55 questions ; you have 60 minutes to complete this section, and it counts for 45% of your grade on the test. Multiple-choice scores are based on the number of questions answered correctly. Points are not deducted for incorrect answers, and no points are awarded for unanswered questions. Because points are not deducted for incorrect answers, you are encouraged to answer all multiple choice questions. Suggested strategies:  Review your schemes and tropes; I provided an expansive list for you at the start of the year on the Wiki (Schemes.TropesList.PDF)  Annotate the questions themselves, making notes as you read. You should also revisit the Multiple Choice Question Stems sheet to review what types of questions you’ll see (on the Wiki and attached on NetMoe)  If you tend to gain steam as you test, start with easy passages  If you tend to lose steam as you test, start with the difficult passages  If you are a part to whole thinker, help frame the passage by looking at thematic questions.  If you are a whole to part thinker, circle strong details as you read.  No matter what type of thinker you are, circle shift (transition) words.  Do not spend too much time on any one question. Often the last questions become easier.  Pay attention to bolded words such as “Except.”  The difficult passages have the easier questions; the easier passages have the more difficult questions.  Difficult passages don’t have as many overall theme questions. These selections tend to have questions that deal with specific line numbers.  The easier passages will usually have questions that deal both with specific line numbers and will also ask you to synthesize overall theme or main idea.  Always identify speaker and audience; this will help to establish tone, which will undoubtedly be included in at least one question. If you’d like some practice, you can visit the Sample Multiple Choice Questions part of the AP Course Description.

Written Response: The written response section consists of three essays: a free response argument, a rhetorical analysis, and a synthesis question. You are given a 15 minute reading section for the synthesis sources and 120 minutes to write all three essays. Overall Tips  Go to the College Board’s AP Language Student Site to find sample prompts from 2007-2012. You may also go to the College Board’s Course Description Site if that one isn’t working.  Read essay prompts as texts, making certain that you have understood what you are being asked to do before you begin writing—annotate them.  You should spend time planning your writing instead of merely diving into the essay. There are two particular strategies you can take here: o A safe strategy is to plan, write, and repeat two more times. This will allow you to focus on each essay individually and to give each the same amount of time. o A more radical strategy is to plan for all three essays at once and then write in a flurry of analytical and argumentative madness. This will require you to budget your time a bit more, but if you keep an eye on the clock, this could allow you to spend more time on a particular prompt.  You may have heard in other classes that conclusions aren’t as important as the rest of the essay, so you don’t need to write them. This is not the case. You should always write a conclusion for an essay, as the readers seek to reward you for what you do well—and if you can provide air-tight or revelatory concluding information / implications, this will be one area in which you’ll reap praise from the readers. Show them your wisdom! In the next few pages, I’ll provide tips for each essay type. You’ll also see samples from tests in class.

Synthesis  You’ll be given approximately 7 sources (1 visual) and asked to develop a stance on a position on the issue and incorporate at least three of the provided sources for evidence.  Understand the difference between "telling" details and details that merely pad arguments. More details are not necessarily better; three examples may or may not be better than two, depending on how well you flesh out the relevance of each source.  Generalize your potential stance as you read, but keep an open mind. The stronger, more mature writer will resist the temptation to oversimplify the issue or hone in on an obvious thesis. The best responses will have considered the nuances and complexities of the topic.  Acknowledge each side; create an imaginary conversation between yourself and the author of the source. Would they agree or disagree with you? Why? How?  You will score higher on your synthesis essay if you are able to bring together sources that don't take the same position. And, if you can find a point in one of the neutral sources and explain why it supports your position, that will win you more points as well.  As you read, you should also organize sources on a spectrum in terms of the central question / topic so that when you write, you know from which sources you’ll plan to draw.  For documentation, remember to use a consistent system (parenthetical or simply attribution-based, I.E. “In Source A…”)  A note from the Chief Reader about high scoring essays: “These essays generally begin by contextualizing the issue at hand for readers, explaining to them briefly why educated, informed citizens ought to read on. Generally, the thesis in a high-scoring essay does justice to the complexity of the issue being considered while foregrounding the writer’s position. In addition, these essays provide an extended consideration of the sources that they reference—they go beyond merely citing sources to assaying their significance to the thesis being developed and forging connections between the writer’s position and that of the author of the source. Writers of the top essays enter into conversations with the sources that they choose rather than being overwhelmed by them. These essays attribute information gained from sources rather than simply appropriating this information. Finally, these essays best provide conclusions that do not merely summarize but address the “so what?” issue: How should educated, informed citizens continue to think about the issue at hand? How will it continue to influence the readers’ lives?” Prompts You’ve Seen in Class From the Grapes of Wrath Unit Part 3—Synthesis Essay: Does the free market corrode moral character? (Suggested time – 15 minutes for reading, 40 minutes for writing) The Grapes of Wrath presents a challenge to the economic system of its time, particularly in noting the harrowing nature of the Joads’ journey in the narrative and the broader historical perspective in the intercalary chapters. Throughout the novel, Steinbeck presents an indictment of a capitalist system that allows people to starve, exploits them mercilessly and, ultimately, is complicit in their murder. Carefully read the following six sources, including the introductory information for each source. Then synthesize information from at least three of the sources and any information from the Joad narrative in The Grapes of Wrath and incorporate it into a coherent, welldeveloped essay that argues a clear position on whether or not the free market corrodes moral character. Make sure your argument is central; use the sources to illustrate and support your reasoning. Avoid merely summarizing the sources. Indicate clearly which sources you are drawing from, whether through direct quotation, paraphrase, or summary. You may cite the sources as Source A, Source B, etc., or by using the descriptions in parentheses. Source A (Gallup Poll) Source B (Walzer) Source C (Ali) Source D (Gray) Source E (Steinbeck) Source F (photograph)

From the Food / Fallacies Unit Writing Assessment Synthesis Question (From 2011 AP Test) Locavores are people who have decided to eat locally grown or produced products as much as possible. With an eye to nutrition as well as sustainability (resource use that preserves the environment), the locavore movement has become widespread over the past decade. Imagine that your community in Cincinnati is considering organizing a locavore movement. Carefully read the following eight sources, including the introductory information for each source. Then synthesize information from at least three of the sources and incorporate it into a coherent, well-developed essay that identifies the key issues associated with the locavore movement and examines their implications for the community.

Samples from past AP Tests: 2007 Synthesis Question That advertising plays a huge role in society is readily apparent to anyone who watches television, listens to radio, reads newspapers, uses the Internet, or simply looks at billboards on streets and buses. Advertising has fierce critics as well as staunch advocates. Critics claim that advertisement is propaganda, while advocates counter that advertising fosters free trade and promotes prosperity. Assignment Read the following sources by their titles (including the introductory information) carefully. Then write an essay in which you develop a position on the effects of advertising. Synthesize at least three of the sources for support.

2008 Synthesis Question In 2001 United States Representative Jim Kolbe introduced legislation to Congress to eliminate the penny coin in most transactions. Although this legislation failed, there are still consistent calls to eliminate the penny as the smallest denomination United States coin. Assignment Read the following sources (including the introductory information carefully. Then write an essay in which you develop a position on whether or not the penny coin should be eliminated. Synthesize at least three of the sources for support.

2009 Synthesis Question Explorers and tales of explorations tend to capture the human imagination. However, such explorations have financial and ethical consequences. Space exploration is no exception. Assignment Read the following sources (including the introductory information) carefully. Then, in an essay that synthesizes at least three of the sources, develop a position about what issues should be considered most important in making decision about space exploration. 2010 Synthesis Question Introduction Much attention has been given lately to the ubiquitous presence of information technologies. Our daily lives seem to be saturated with television, computers, cell phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and MP3 players, to name just a few of the most common technologies. Many people extol the ability of such technologies to provide easy access to information and facilitate research and learning. At the same time, however, some critics worry that the widespread use of information technologies forces our lives to move too quickly. We encounter images and information from the Internet and other sources faster than we can process or evaluate them, and even though electronic communication has been enhanced, both the quality and quantity of face-to-face interaction is changing. Assignment Read the following sources (including the introductory information) carefully. Then, in an essay that synthesizes at least three of the sources for support, evaluate the most important factors that a school should consider before using particular technologies in curriculum and instruction.

Free-Response Persuasion  The final essay is a position argument like the first one, but without any sources provided. It will present a debatable statement, and then ask you to take one side of the argument, and support your argument with appropriate evidence from your reading, observation, or experience.  Be sure that you’re actually arguing and not replacing an argumentative thesis with an expository one.  Understand the difference between "telling" details and details that merely pad arguments. More details are not necessarily better; three examples may or may not be better than two, depending on how well you flesh out the relevance of each source.  Don't just refer to novels or other literary texts to gain credence for your arguments. Instead, use evidence for which you can clearly articulate your rationale. This approach produces the best evidence, regardless of its source. No matter how high-minded some evidence may sound, it is simply not convincing if you cannot fully explain its relevance.  For this essay, the key to your success is to pay attention to the news and current events before you take the AP English Exam. You can bring up events in your personal life that relate to the question, but you will make a better impression on the graders if you can draw relevant connections to current events in order to make your case. Prompts You’ve Seen in Class From the Quarter 1 Exam Section 4: Essay—Consider the following quotes: “Say nothing of my religion. It is known to my god and myself alone”

(Thomas Jefferson, 1817)

“I don't see how a person can separate their public life from their private life or from their faith. Our faith informs us in everything we do” (Paul Ryan, 2012) With whose point of view on religion and politics do you agree? Write an essay in which you take a position on the role of faith in shaping politics and leadership, supporting your view with appropriate evidence, particularly from works we’ve studied this quarter. From the Dissenting Voices Unit Essay: Using examples from the texts studied in this unit, as well as relevant examples from your experience and reading, respond to the following prompt in a full essay. Please plan / brainstorm, double-space your writing, and review it when you finish. (60 points) Indirectly quoting a 1961 publication entitled The Use of Force in International Affairs, historian Howard Zinn poses the question, "If what your country is doing seems to you practically and morally wrong, is dissent the highest form of patriotism?" Using the readings from our unit, argue an answer to this question; you may take one side or qualify your answer by presenting examples that serve as demonstrating that dissent is acceptable under certain conditions. From the Epileptic Test: Written Response / Essay: The following is a selection from Self-Reliance, written by American essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson. Read the passage carefully. Then, write an essay that defends, challenges, or qualifies Emerson’s central claim in the text. Use appropriate evidence from Epileptic and Persepolis as support. You may also use other related examples from other areas of study, but you’ll be assessed on your use of examples from each of these stories.

Samples from past AP Tests: 2012 Persuasion Question Consider the distinct perspectives expressed in the following statements. If you develop the absolute sense of certainty that powerful beliefs provide, then you can get yourself to accomplish virtually anything, including those things that other people are certain are impossible. William Lyon Phelps, American educator, journalist, and professor (1865–1943) I think we ought always to entertain our opinions with some measure of doubt. I shouldn’t wish people dogmatically to believe any philosophy, not even mine. Bertrand Russell, British author, mathematician, and philosopher (1872–1970) In a well-organized essay, take a position on the relationship between certainty and doubt. Support your argument with appropriate evidence and examples. 2011 Persuasion Question The following passage is from Rights of Man, a book written by the pamphleteer Thomas Paine in 1791. Born in England, Paine was an intellectual, a revolutionary, and a supporter of American independence from England. Read the passage carefully. Then write an essay that examines the extent to which Paine’s characterization of America holds true today. Use appropriate evidence to support your argument. If there is a country in the world, where concord, according to common calculation, would be least expected, it is America. Made up, as it is, of people from different nations, accustomed to different forms and habits of government, speaking different languages, and more different in their modes of worship, it would appear that the union of such a people was impracticable; but by the simple operation of constructing government on the principles of society and the rights of man, every difficulty retires, and all the parts are brought into cordial unison. There, the poor are not oppressed, the rich are not privileged. . . . Their taxes are few, because their government is just; and as there is nothing to render them wretched, there is nothing to engender riots and tumults. 2010 Persuasion Question In his 2004 book, Status Anxiety, Alain de Botton argues that the chief aim of humorists is not merely to entertain but “to convey with impunity messages that might be dangerous or impossible to state directly.” Because society allows humorists to say things that other people cannot or will not say, de Botton sees humorists as serving a vital function in society. Think about the implications of de Botton’s view of the role of humorists (cartoonists, stand-up comics, satirical writers, hosts of television programs, etc.). Then write an essay that defends, challenges, or qualifies de Botton’s claim about the vital role of humorists. Use specific, appropriate evidence to develop your position. You can find more samples on the AP Language Exam Site.

Rhetorical Analysis  This essay is about close reading. You will typically only have one passage to consider for this essay, but you will be expected to comment about in depth.  In the past, AP prompts have called upon test-takers to compare / contrast two different accounts of the same topic.  The key to doing well on this essay is to develop a strong thesis about what the author's message is.  It may seem that a test-taker could write about the rhetorical devices in the passage without actually addressing what is the author’s view about the general question. However, students who articulate what the author's message is and then show how it is expressed through rhetorical strategies will score much higher.  Thus, you should first decipher a text's meaning; then, and only then, can you go on a successful search for strategies and techniques. To begin without doing so leads to a list of parts that may be only tangentially related to the primary effect of the text. Such approaches generally lack insight about the relationship between the parts and the whole, and are often rather superficial in their observations. Prompts You’ve Seen in Class From the Quarter 1 Exam Section 3: Rhetorical Analysis: Read “The Indispensable Opposition”; then write a short answer response* below in which you analyze the rhetorical strategies Lippmann uses to achieve his purpose. Support your analysis with specific references to the text. From the Dissenting Voices Test Rhetorical Analysis and Parallelism: Read the following passage from Toni Morrison’s Nobel Prize acceptance speech (1993); write a paragraph* in which you show a rhetorical analysis of the text, identifying and analyzing the author’s use of various types of parallelism. From the Grapes of Wrath Test Part 2—Rhetorical Analysis: Write a strong paragraph* with specific examples in response to the following prompt. Contrast the rhetorical strategies used to present the restaurant environment in Travels With Charley versus that of Chapter 15 in The Grapes of Wrath. Remember to focus particularly on what argument/point Steinbeck is making in how he presents the restaurant in each narrative. Support your analysis with specific examples from the text. Taken from Travels With Charley: In Search of America, a nonfiction account of Steinbeck’s 1962 cross-country road trip with his poodle, Charley. From the Food Unit

In 1773, Samuel Johnson, an Englishman, traveled to Coriatachan in Sky, a remote Western Island in Scotland. Read Johnson’s essay carefully, annotating. Then write an essay in which you analyze the rhetorical strategies Johnson uses to develop his attitude towards the inhabitants of Coriatachan in Sky by representing aspects of Scottish dining. Support your analysis with specific references from the text. *Remember that these will be essay questions, so you should write a full introduction, body, conclusion format.

Past AP Rhetorical Analysis Questions 2012 Rhetorical Analysis Question On April 10, 1962, as the United States was emerging from a recession, the nation’s largest steel companies raised steel prices by 3.5 percent. President John F. Kennedy, who had repeatedly called for stable prices and wages as part of a program of national sacrifice during a period of economic distress, held a news conference on April 11, 1962, which he opened with the following commentary regarding the hike in steel prices. Read Kennedy’s remarks carefully. Then write an essay in which you analyze the rhetorical strategies President Kennedy uses to achieve his purpose. Support your analysis with specific references to the text.

2011 Rhetorical Analysis Question Florence Kelley (1859-1932) was a United States social worker and reformer who fought successfully for child labor laws and improved conditions for working women. She delivered the following speech before the convention of the National American Woman Suffrage Association in Philadelphia on July 22, 1905. Read the speech carefully. Then write an essay in which you analyze the rhetorical strategies Kelley uses to convey her message about child labor to her audience. Support your analysis with specific references to the text. (This one was followed with a relatively long reading) 2010 Rhetorical Analysis Question Benjamin Banneker, the son of former slaves, was a farmer, astronomer, mathematician, surveyor, and author. In 1791 he wrote to Thomas Jefferson, framer of the Declaration of Independence and secretary of state to President George Washington. Read the following excerpt from the letter and write an essay that analyzes how Banneker uses rhetorical strategies to argue against slavery. 2009 Rhetorical Analysis Question In the following passage from The Great Influenza, an account of the 1918 flu epidemic, author John M. Barry writes about scientists and their research. Read the passage carefully. Then, in a well-written essay, analyze how Barry uses rhetorical strategies to characterize scientific research. You can find more samples on the AP Language Exam Site