The Exam
The amount of essay (free-response) questions on the AP Language & Composition exam.
What is three?
What Formula should you remember for the Argumentative Essay?
________ + _________ = ___________
What is Reasons + Examples = Evidence
A brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing, or idea containing cultural, historical, literary, or political significance to the reader or author.
What is allusion?
A writer places images of extreme wealth next to descriptions of severe poverty within the same paragraph, forcing readers to confront inequality through contrast; this rhetorical strategy is being used to sharpen the argument’s impact.
What is juxtaposition?
Writing an introduction is great; however, if you are short on time, it's okay to only write a strong _____________________ for your introductory paragraph.
What is a Thesis?
What is one hour?
What does the Acronym H.E.L.P stand for
What is History, Entertainment, Literature, Personal
A short, interesting, or funny rendition of an event or occurrence that may have happened to the speaker, author, or actor, or someone he or she purports to know.
What is anecdote?
A series of parallel phrases—“to fight, to struggle, to overcome”—creates rhythm and reinforces the argument through this device.
What is parallelism?
An absolute necessity on the multiple choice section of the AP Language exam; (hint: what some students do during the final two minutes of the multiple choice section)
What is answer every single question, even if you need to guess?
NOTE: If you're running out of time, mark "C" for all the remaining questions and then go back and work your way through the questions until you run out of time. *Princeton Review says "C" even on the 4 option
The amount of time allotted for the free-response section of the AP Language & Composition exam.
What is two hours and fifteen minutes?
How many sources will you receive on the Synthesis Essay AND at least how many sources MUST be used on your synthesis essay?
What are 6 sources and 3 sources?
An author asks, “How much longer will we ignore the warning signs?” not to solicit an answer, but to push the audience toward agreement and create a sense of urgency about the issue.
What is a Rhetorical Question
In a speech, the repetition of “We demand justice” at the beginning of successive clauses builds urgency and reinforces a collective call to action, illustrating how repetition can intensify emotional appeal.
What is anaphora?
This terms refers to: what the article is in response to, the reason why a person may be motivated to write, or knowing the why behind a person speaking at an event. (Hint: the E in P.E.A.P)
What is Exigence?
The percent breakdown (scoring) of the two sections of the exam. (What percent is each section worth of the overall score?)
What is 45% for multiple choice and 55% for free-response?
The BULK score of your essay(s) score depends on ..
**think of the rubrics**
Evidence and commentary!
Possible 4 out of 6 points
A writer concedes that renewable energy can be expensive initially but argues that long-term savings outweigh the costs; this strategy strengthens the argument by demonstrating fairness.
What is a counterargument (or concession and refutation)?
A speech delivered during a national crisis uses inclusive pronouns like “we” and “our” to unify listeners and build collective responsibility; this technique primarily strengthens this appeal.
What is pathos (through emotional unity/identification)?
Understanding this is essential to understanding arguments; involves knowing the audience, time of day, place, what is happening in that time period, etc.
What is Context or Historical Context?
The date and start time of the 2023 AP Language & Composition exam.
What is May 13 at 8:15 AM?
Describe the main difference between the Rhetorical Analysis essay and the Argumentative/Synthesis essay?
The rhetorical analysis essay focuses on HOW an author builds an argument, while the argument/synthesis essay asks students to develop their own argument.
A writer compares regulating the internet to enforcing traffic laws, arguing that both require rules to maintain order and safety; this extended comparison helps clarify a complex issue for the audience.
What is an analogy?
The placement of directly opposite ideas and/or words within the same sentence or very close together to emphasize their disparity. Example: "It was the best of times; it was the worst of times" (Dickens).
What is antithesis?
An author describes a protest as a “mob” in one paragraph and a “movement” in another, signaling a shift in perspective and subtly influencing how the audience perceives the same group through word choice. This author is using _______ as a rhetorical strategy.
What is Diction?