The essay section of your AP English Language test lasts two hours and is worth 55% of your score. You have 40 minutes for each essay. Basically the prompts can be divided into three categories: literary analysis, rhetorical analysis, and argumentative essay. The AP English Language test is predominately a nonfiction test, so expect to see passages from biographies, histories, letters, speeches, news articles and even workplace documents. The prompt (above the passage) will generally tell you which genre it is, so refer to it as such in your essay. To meet the constraints of time and space, almost everything you read will be an excerpt.
Literary Analysis
| Terms: Comparisons - simile, metaphor, analogy, extended metaphor Sounds - onomatopoeia, alliteration, assonance, consonance Repetition - repetition, anaphora, epistrophe Playful Twists - irony, pun, oxymoron, paradox, Exaggerations - personification, hyperbole/overstatement, litotes/understatement Replacements - synecdoche, metonomy Additions - parenthetical, apposition |
Strategies: 1. Read the passage for an understanding of the author's point. 2. Read the passage to find as many literary devices as you can. 3. Use prewriting to group your literary devices 4. Begin your essay, with a powerful thesis. Then, layer your discussion of the author's literary devices. 5. Reread the PROMPT (above the passage) to verify you discussed the most important aspects. |
Rhetorical Analysis
| Terms: All of the literary device terms apply here. What is the author's claim and where is it presented within the excerpt? Development of Persona - credibility, wit Author's Appeal - ethos/pathos/logos Types of Evidence: anecdote, example, statistic Structural Devices - parallelism, rhetorical questions, repetition, anaphora, epistrophe |
Strategies: 1. Read the passage for an understanding of the author's purpose and audience. 2. Read the passage to find as many rhetorical strategies as you can. 3. Use prewriting to organize your rhetorical discussion. 4. Begin your essay, making sure to write a powerful thesis. Remember to pay attention to the author's purpose and audience. Also, his or her effectiveness. 5. Reread the PROMPT (above the passage) to verify you discussed the most important aspects. |
Argumentative Essay
Types:
You will be asked to do one of the following:
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Strategies to write an argument: 1. Read the passage to locate the author's major claim. 2. Reread the prompt for any hints toward the author's claim or background or the situation. 3. Brainstorm a list of examples from history, literature, and your personal life. Decide whether or not you agree with the author's major claim. Choose the best example(s) to support your side. 4. Choose your best rhetorical strategy and begin your essay. Remember that you only read an excerpt. 5. Reread the PROMPT (above the passage) to verify you responded as directed. |
