AP Lang Exam… the Final Tips!
45% of your score comes from the multiple choice
55% of your score comes from the written responses
FYI: 7% of students taking the AP Lang exam score a 5
20% score a 4
MULTIPLE CHOICE TIPS:
Read the passage carefully and then work through the questions – it might be helpful to put an asterisk (*) by the questions that are easy but time consuming and a double asterisk (**) by questions that are hard
The College Board seems to like questions about antithesis and the shift (in tone, style, etc)
One last type of MC we didn’t talk about much … the footnote or bibliographical info type. Use the following footnotes to answer the following questions.
______
1John F. Kasson, Civilizing the Machine: Technology and Republican Values in America 1776-1900 (New York: Grossman Publishers, The Viking Press, 1976), Chapter 4, “The Aesthetics of Machinery,” pp. 139-180.
2”Machine Tools at the Philadelphia Exhibition,” Engineering (26 May 1876), p. 427, cited by Kasson, see note 1 above.
3”The International Exhibition of 1876,” Scientific American Supplement (17 June 1876), p. 386, cited by Kasson, see note 1 above.
4Richard Guy Wilson, Dianne H. Pilgrim, Dixsran Tashjian, The Machine Age in America 1918-1941(New York: The Brooklyn Museum in association with Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1986), p. 85.
- Which of the following is an accurate reading of footnote 2?
- An article by John F. Kasson appears on page 427 of Engineering.
- “Machine Tools at the Philadelphia Exhibition” was published in New York.
- The article “Engineering” can be found on page 427 of “Machine Tools at the Philadelphia Exhibition.”
- “Machine Tools at the Philadelphia Exhibition” is an article published in the May 26, 1876, issue of Engineering.
- Engineering is an article cited by John F. Kasson.
- The purpose of footnote 4 is to inform the reader that the quotation in line 49
- has been attributed to three different designers
- was first cited in 1918
- was the inspiration for an exhibit at The Brooklyn Museum
- is in an article in The Machine Age in America 1918-1941 written by Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
- appears in a book written by Wilson, Pilgrim, and Tashjian and published in 1986
- Taken as a whole, the footnotes suggest that
- the author of the passage wants the text to present highly technical material
- the author of the passage relies heavily on Kasson’s book
- very little was written about the topic of machinery and ornamentation prior to 1976
- engineering magazine are an essential source for technical writers
- except in rare cases, it is best to use the latest published work when documenting an idea or concept
ESSAY TIPS:
STAY CALM and organize your thoughts
If you MUST discuss syntax and diction PLEASE give an adjective describing it AND RELATE IT TO THE THEME/ MESSAGE/ POINT of the text
Have a point!!! – DO NOT ramble! – DO NOT rant!
Pick a side and STICK WITH IT!
Relating a personal anecdote can really “sell” your essay to the reader
Even if you don’t have time to do a real conclusion, have some sort of a wrap up, even if it is just a sentence or two!
Let YOUR VOICE come through in the paper; that is the mark of a mature writer.
BE SURE you understand the passage you are responding to; let your understanding guide your analysis of the rhetoric
All of these ask basically the same thing…
- “How does the author use language”
- “Analyze how the author crafts the text to reveal….”
- “Evaluate the techniques XXX uses to….”
- “Analyze the rhetorical strategies used to achieve the purpose”
- “Discuss how the distinctive style reveals the purpose”
Keep in mind that the reader is really looking for these things:
Basic sentence structure (it should be varied)
Solid vocabulary usage (review your cards)
A mature voice
Basic grammar
Respond to the prompt
They WILL remember that this is a rough draft
SYNTHESIS QUESTION:
Use AT LEAST 3 of the sources
Use BOTH direct quotes and indirect references
CITE WHAT YOU USE
“the STUDENT’S argument MUST be central” to the paper with source material “sprinkled in” to support it.