AP Language & Composition Exam - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

AP Language & Composition Exam

Exam Overview

The AP Language and Composition exam 

tests your

rhetorical skills

.

 Essentially, how do authors construct effective arguments in their writing? What tools do they use? How can you use those tools to craft effective writing yourself? That is the essence of rhetorical analysis.

The exam has two parts:

the first section

is an 

hour-long, 52-55 question multiple-choice section

that asks you questions on the rhetorical construction and techniques of a series of nonfiction passages.

The second section is free response.

 It starts with a 15-minute reading period, and then you’ll have 120 minutes to write

three

analytical essays: one synthesizing several provided texts to create an argument, one analyzing a nonfiction passage for its rhetorical construction, and one creating an original argument in response to a prompt. You will have about 40 minutes to write each essay, but no one will prompt you to move from essay to essay—

you can structure the 120 minutes as you wish

.Slide2

The AP English Language and Composition Multiple-Choice

The multiple-choice section is primarily focused on how well you can read and understand nonfiction passages for their use of rhetorical devices and tools. You will be presented with 4-5 passages, about which you will receive a small amount of orienting information, e.g. “This passage is excerpted from a collection of essays on boating” or “This passage is excerpted from an essay written in 19th-century Haiti.” You will be asked somewhere from 10-15 questions per passage.

There are, in general, eight question types you can expect to encounter on the multiple-choice section of the exam.Slide3

Type 1: Reading Comprehension

These questions are focused on verifying that you understood what a certain part of the passage was saying on 

a concrete, literal level.

 You can identify these questions from phrases like “according to” “refers,” etc. The best way to succeed on these questions is to go back and re-read the part of the passage referred to very carefully.Slide4

Type 2: Implication

These questions take reading comprehension one step further—they are primarily focused on what the author is implying without directly coming out and saying it. These questions will have a correct answer, though, based on evidence from the passage. Which interpretation offered in the answers does the passage most support? You can identify questions like these from words like “best supported,” ‘“implies,” “suggests,” “inferred,” and so on.

The passage implies that unlike hurricanes, tornadoes are not given human names because:

There are too many of them

Their destruction is not as great as that of hurricanes

They last too short a time

They move too erratically to be plotted

They can appear in any area of the worldSlide5

Type 3: Overall Passage and Author Questions

These questions ask about overall elements of the passage or the author, such as the author’s attitude on the issue discussed, the purpose of the passage, the passage’s overarching style, the audience for the passage, and so on. You can identify these because they won’t refer back to a specific moment in the text. For these questions, you’ll need to think of the passage from a “bird’s-eye view” and consider what all of the small details together are combining to say.

The organization of the passage can best be described as:

Personal narrative followed by analysis

Empirical data followed by conjecture

Nonjudgmental explanation of a current phenomenon followed by a question

Descriptive analysis followed by a final judgement

Condemnation of practice followed by partial acceptanceSlide6

Type 4: Relationships Between Parts of the Text

Some questions will ask you to describe the relationship between two parts of the text, whether they are paragraphs or specific lines. You can identify these because they will usually explicitly ask about the relationship between two identified parts of the text, although sometimes they will instead ask about a relationship implicitly, by saying something like “compared to the rest of the passage.”

What is the relationship between the two paragraphs in the passage?

The first paragraph describes strengths of a writer that Carlyle exhibits, and the second discusses his legacy.

The first paragraph surveys various types of writers, and the second focuses on Carlyle.

The first paragraph describes Carlyle’s critics, and the second depicts his supporters.

The first paragraph considers who influenced Carlyle, and the second lists those he influenced.

The first paragraph explains Carlyle’s major ides, and the second evaluates his predictions.Slide7

Type 5: Interpretation of Imagery/Figurative Language

These questions will ask you about 

the deeper meaning or implication of figurative language or imagery

 that is used in the text. Essentially, why did the author choose to use this simile or this metaphor? What is s/he trying to accomplish? You can generally identify questions like this because the question will specifically reference a moment of figurative language in the text. However, it might not be immediately apparent that the phrase being referenced is figurative, so you may need to go back and look at it in the passage to be sure of what kind of question you are facing.

The “acorns” (line 38) represent

Carlyle’s young children

Carlyle’s less prominent contemporaries

Ideas in Carlyle’s books

Books written about Carlyle

Those who are critical of CarlyleSlide8

Type 6: Purpose of Part of the Text

Still other questions will ask you to identify 

what purpose a particular part of the text serves in the author’s larger argument.

 What is the author trying to accomplish with the particular moment in the text identified in the question? You can identify these questions because they will generally explicitly ask what purpose a certain part of the text serves. You may also see words or phrases like “serves to” or “function.”

What purpose do lines 63-74 (“You may…own feeling”) serve?

They contrast the appeal of a writer who merely confirms his readers view with that of a writer who boldly challenges them.

They develop an analogy between the kinds of individuals are attracted to and the kinds of writing they prefer

They challenge the ideas that writers modify their ideas to appeal to a wide range of readers.

They examine whether relationships based on shared ideas and interests are rewarding to both parties.

They provide examples from various writers in which the appearance of good and evil is deceptiveSlide9

Type 7: Rhetorical Strategy

These questions will ask you to 

identify a rhetorical strategy

 used by the author. They will often specifically use the phrase “rhetorical strategy,” although sometimes you will be able to identify them instead through the answer choices, which offer different rhetorical strategies as possibilities. 

Which rhetorical strategy does the author adopt in lines 44-63 (“The character…influences us”)?

She goes on the offensive, berating opponents of Carlyle for their absence of wisdom, judgment, and foresight.

She acknowledges but discredits other arguments, accusing Carlyle’s critics of misunderstanding the originality of Carlyle’s ideas.

She claims that most people do not recognize Carlyle’s genius, suggesting that only a discerning few are capable of doing so.

She cites facts to counter oppositions to Carlyle’s eminence, claiming that all of Carlyle’s judgements are unassailable.

She give examples of Carlyle’s far-reaching influence, noting that even criticism of Carlyle implies praise.Slide10

Type 8: Style and Effect

Some questions will ask you about

 stylistic moments in the text

 and the effect created by the those stylistic choices. What is the author evoking through their stylistic choices? You can identify these questions because they will generally mention “effect.”

The effect of italicizing the words

“nothing, nothing”

(line 13) is to

Emphasize Terry’s sense of frustration

Indicate a sarcastic tone

Suggest the difficulty of writing great parts for actors

Link a clear sense of purpose to success in writing

Imply that Terry’s weakness in writing is her tendency to exaggerateSlide11

The AP English Language and Composition Free Response

The free response section has a 15-minute reading period. After that time, you will have 120 minutes to write

three

essays that address three distinct tasks. Because the first essay involves reading sources, it is suggested that you use the entire 15-minute reading period to read the sources and plan the first essay. However, you may want to glance at the other questions during the reading period so that ideas can percolate in the back of your mind as you work on the first essay.Slide12

Essay One: Synthesis

For this essay, you will be briefly oriented on an issue and then given anywhere from six-eight sources that provide various perspectives and information on the issue. You will then need to 

write an argumentative essay with support from the documents.

 If this sounds a lot like a DBQ, as on the history AP exams, that’s because it is. However, this essay is much more argumentative in nature—your goal is to persuade, not merely interpret the documents.Slide13
Slide14

Essay Two: Rhetorical Analysis

In the second essay, you’ll be presented with an excerpt from a nonfiction piece that advances an argument and asked to 

write an essay analyzing the rhetorical strategies used to construct the passage’s argument.

 You will also be given some orienting information—where the passage was excerpted from, who wrote it, its approximate date, where it was published (if at all), and to whom it was directed.Slide15

Essay Three: Argument

In the third essay, you will be presented with an issue and asked to write a persuasive essay taking a position on the issue. You will need to support your position with evidence from your “reading, experience, and observations.” 

                 Slide16

How The AP Language and Composition Exam Is Scored

The multiple-choice section of the exam is worth 45% of your score, and the free-response section is worth the other 55%. So each of the three free-response essays is worth about 18% of your score.

As on other APs, 

your raw score will be converted to a scaled score of 1-5.

 This exam has a relatively low 5 rate. Only 

9.9% of test takers received a 5 last year

, although 55% of students received a score of 3 or higher.

In terms of how the raw score is obtained, the multiple-choice section is similar to other AP multiple-choice sections: 

you receive a point for every question you answer correctly,

 and there is no penalty for guessing.

For each free-response question, you will be given 

a score from 0-9, based on a rubric. 

The rubrics all assess, in general, 3 major things: 

How well you responded to the prompt:

 Did you completely and fully address all of the tasks presented in the prompt, without misunderstanding any of them?

2. How convincing and well-supported your argument was:

 Do you take a clear position that is not overly basic, simplistic, or obvious? Can you comprehensively support your position with evidence? Is your evidence well-chosen and well-explained? Do you tie everything back to your main argument? Have you thought through the implications of your stated

position?

3. How strong your writing was:

 Does your writing clearly communicate your ideas? Are your sentences not just grammatically correct, but sophisticated? Do you have a consistent style and a strong vocabulary? Is your paper well-organized and logically arranged?Slide17

AP English Language Prep TipS

Read Nonfiction - In a Smart Way

A major thing you can do to prepare for the AP Lang and Comp exam is to read nonfiction—

particularly

nonfiction that argues a position, whether explicitly (like an op-ed) or implicitly (like many memoirs and personal essays). Read a variety of non-fiction genres and topics, and pay attention to the following:What is the author’s argument?

What evidence do they use to support their position?

What rhetorical techniques and strategies do they use to build their argument?

Are they persuasive? What counterarguments can you identify? Do they address them?

Thinking about these questions with all the reading you do will help you hone your rhetorical analysis skills.Slide18

Learn Rhetorical Terms and Strategies

Of course, if you’re going to be analyzing the nonfiction works you read for their rhetorical techniques and strategies, you need to know what those are. Here’s a guide to the most important AP Language and Composition terms (coming soon).

If you want to review, there are many resources you could consult:

Wikibooks

offers a list of

“

Basic Rhetorical Strategies

,”

which explains some of the most fundamental rhetoric-related terms.

MiraCosta

college has another good list of some of the

most important rhetorical strategies and devices

.

A heroic individual from Riverside schools in Ohio uploaded this

aggressively comprehensive list of rhetorical terms with examples. 

It’s 27 pages long, and you definitely shouldn’t expect to know all of these for the exam, but it’s a useful resource for learning some new terms.

Another great resource for learning about rhetorical analysis and how rhetorical devices are actually used is

the YouTube Channel Teach Argument

,

which has videos rhetorically analyzing everything from Taylor Swift music videos to Super Bowl commercials. It’s a fun way to think about rhetorical devices and get familiar with argumentative structures.

Finally, a great book—which we will use in class—is

“

They Say, I Say.

”

This book provides an overview of rhetoric specifically for academic purposes, which will serve you well for AP preparation and beyond.Slide19

WriteYou also need to 

practice argumentative and persuasive writing.

 In particular, you should practice the writing styles that will be tested on the exam: synthesizing your own argument based on multiple outside sources, rhetorically analyzing another piece of writing in-depth, and creating a completely original argument based on your own evidence and experience.

You should be doing lots of writing assignments in your AP class to prepare, but thoughtful, additional writing will help. You don’t necessarily need to turn all of the practice writing you do into polished pieces, either—just writing for yourself, while trying to address some of these tasks, will give you 

a low-pressure way to try out different rhetorical structures and argumentative moves,

 as well as practicing things like organization and developing your own writing style.Slide20

AP Language and Composition Test Day Tips

Here are four key tips for test-day success.

Interact With the Text

When you are reading passages, both on the multiple-choice section and for the first two free-response questions, interact with

the text.

Mark it up for things that seem important, devices you notice, the author’s argument, and anything else that seems important to the rhetorical construction of the text. This will help you 

engage with the text

 and make it easier to answer questions or write an essay about the passage.

Think About Every Text’s Overarching Purpose and Argument

Similarly, with every passage you read, consider the author’s overarching purpose and argument. If you can confidently figure out

 what the author’s primary assertion is,

 it will be easier to trace how all of the other aspects of the text play into the author’s main point.

Plan Your Essays

The single most important thing you can do for yourself on the free-response section of the AP English Language exam is to spend a few minutes planning and outlining your essays before you start to write them. Unlike on some other exams, where the content is the most important aspect of the essay, on the AP Language Exam, 

organization, a well-developed argument, and strong evidence are all critical to strong essay scores.

 An outline will help you with all of these things. You’ll be able to make sure each part of your argument is logical, has sufficient evidence, and that your paragraphs are arranged in a way that is clear and flows well.

Anticipate and Address Counterarguments

Another thing you can do to give your free responses an extra boost is to identify counterarguments to your position and address them within your essay. This not only helps shore up your own position, but it's also 

a fairly sophisticated move

 in a timed essay that will win you kudos with AP graders.