APENGLANG Advanced Placement English Language Composition Exam Know

APENGLANG Advanced Placement English Language & Composition Exam Know Your APE… Assert Prove Explain

WHY AM I DOING THIS? !? !? • I’m a grammar nazi! • I’m all about diagramming sentences! • Why not beat my head against a brick wall! • Actually, there are three really good reasons why you are doing this to yourself: • • • REASON 1 - if you pass the College Board AP English Language exam in May, you will gain college credits based on your score for all CSUs and UCs and most universities you may plan on attending. REASON 2 - You will receive an extra point on your grade point average. REASON 3 - The experience of having pushed yourself harder academically than you have ever done before.

Know Your APE: The Test • A few statistics about the APENGLANG EXAM – – Of the 37 Advanced Placement tests given by the College Board, the APENGLANG has one of the lowest average pass rates – about 63% nationwide. The test is divided into two weighted parts: • Section I is 55 -60 multiple choice questions of varying difficulty that cover the whole range of the curriculum regarding individual reading passages; you will have 60 minutes to complete this section which represents 45% of your overall score on the test. • Section II is the writing component which is broken down into three sections labeled Question 1, 2 and 3. The three parts are one SYNTHESIS, one ANALYSIS, and one ARGUMENT. All three together represent the other 55% of your overall score on the test. • For Section II, you will get a total of 15 minutes of reading time before you can begin writing any of the three essays, for which you will get 40 minutes each.

Know Your Essays • The SYNTHESIS, ANALYSIS, and ARGUMENT are equally weighted and 40 minutes of writing time each; you will get 15 minutes of reading time before you get to write anything, however! • A: The Synthesis or Document Based Question is the most difficult of the three; you will be given an essay prompt along with several documents that you will have to incorporate into your final essay. • • B: The Analysis essay will be about an extended passage. Carefully read the prompt and do exactly what it tells you to do. • • Spend at least 10 minutes (5 from reading time, 5 from writing time) reading all of the documents, making notes, drawing up an outline, doing all of your reading and prewriting – do not skip doing this or you will blow the essay! Spend at least 5 minutes making notes about whatever structural and rhetorical elements the prompt is asking for, then outline your argument – as with the DBQ, do not skip doing your prewriting or you run the risk of blowing this essay! C: The Argument essay is based on a random topic about which you will be expected to create a compelling and consistent argument – this is why you will learn the Classical Rhetorical Formula by heart! • Again, spend some time, at least 5 minutes doing your prewriting and outlining of the structure of your original argument! Don’t blow it!

What are the Scores? • AP test scores range from 5 (highest) to 1 (lowest). • Colleges and universities use these grades as evidence of the student’s mastery of the material and potential to succeed academically at the university level. • Clearly, the higher you score – which is a function of how much preparation you made – the easier time the college or university counselor will have in deciding whether or not to grant you credit and/or advanced placement in college. • • • 5 4 3 2 1 Extremely well qualified Well qualified Qualified Possibly qualified No recommendation NOT PASSING

The Multiple Choice Section • The multiple choice questions cover the full curriculum in AP English Language, however, they can be categorized as follows: – – – Definition (Directed and Undirected) Questions Syntax (especially Noun & Pronoun Referents) Questions Tone (Author’s Attitude) Questions Theme (Best Fits) Questions Purpose (Overall or Specific) Questions Comprehension (Inferential, Metaphorical, Connotative) Questions Stance or Point-of-View (POV) Questions Connect-the-Dots (From What to What? ) Questions Point-by-Point (Sequential) Questions “Genre” (Type) Questions Rhetorical Technique (Effect and Purpose) Questions Footnote/Endnote (Meaning, Use, Cumulative Effect) Questions • Because there is no penalty for incorrect answers, and that you only get points for what you answer, students are encouraged to answer ALL of the multiple choice questions – you need to score 65% at least to be safe. • Always select the answer that BEST answers the question.

Doing the Synthesis/DBQ • The Synthesis/D. B. Q. consists of a three part set of instructions with at least six documents to incorporate into your response: • First Instruction = A definition of the topic you will synthesize. • It can be about media and politics • It can be about environmental groups or movements • It can be about delivering letters or food safety • It can be about almost anything! • Second Instruction = The Assignment itself, what you are supposed to do. • Third Instruction = The Directions, the specific things you MUST be sure to include in your essay AND included the way they tell you to! • The question always calls for a “synthesis” or bringing together of the information and its meaning, so there is a right or wrong answer depending upon what the Second and Third Instructions require. • The amount of points you get will depend upon how well you support your answer with the documents and with your own ability to use language correctly AND coherently!

Doing the Synthesis/DBQ • • There are generally seven documents following the set of Three Instructions, all of which are relevant to the topic. You do not have to use all of them, but you do need to at least use a majority of them. • What is a majority? The general rule of thumb is 4 + 1. • The key, though, is to use a few VERY WELL rather than a lot of them POORLY. Most of the documents are about 3 paragraphs in length. They may be parts of longer works, excerpts from essays, charts, graphs, even cartoons and pictures. • THESE DOCUMENTS WILL NOT BE ONES YOU HAVE SEEN BEFORE. • You will learn a strict format for writing an answer to a Synthesis question – you will do the same kind of writing for the AP US History DBQ, too. • If you do not do well on the Synthesis Essay, you will not pass section II and very likely not pass the test.

Doing the Analysis Essay • Following the Synthesis Essay is the Analysis Essay – which also allows you only 40 minutes to write – which is about three things: • • • HOW does the technique create an effect? WHY does the author choose that particular technique over others? SO WHAT do the technique and effect have to do with helping the author achieve his or her purpose? The Analysis Essay typically involves a long passage (like those for the Multiple Choice) that serves a rhetorical purpose (usually, it is an historically significant speech or politically oriented poem). There are four types of Analysis that you will learn how to do over the course of the year (ARTIS): • Argument = Classical Appeals & Modern Fallacies • Rhetorical Strategies = focus on PURPOSE unless otherwise directed • Tone & Irony = Author’s Tone resulting in Reader’s Mood • Syntax = Elements and Effects As with the Synthesis Essay, the graders are looking for a thoughtful , well-structured, and grammatically sound response that demonstrates an informed analytical understanding of what writers do to affect readers – details and sound reasoning are critical!

Doing the Argument Essay • Following the Analysis Essay is the Argument Essay, which is an original argument spun out of your own head based on a prompt that may or may not include a reading passage. • • Like the former two essays, this one also gives you only 40 minutes to write and is weighted equally with each of the other two. . The Argument Essay is designed for you to show that you can do what you say other writers do – write persuasively using a variety of tools to achieve certain effects in the minds of your readers – this is the proof in the pudding, you walking the walk after talking the talk in the Analysis Essay. Because the prompt can be about almost anything and thus could come from completely out of left field compared to the other two, you need to have a good stockpile of “outside information” on current and historical events, on people and controversies, on popular culture and some general philosophy. As with the Synthesis and Analysis Essays, the graders are looking for a thoughtful , well-structured, and grammatically sound response that demonstrates an informed synthetic and analytic understanding of how language works to influence readers – details and reasoning are critical!

How to Succeed • AP English Language & Composition is a tough monkey to grab hold of! So BE PREPARED and KNOW YOUR APE! • Writing: YOU CANNOT PASS WITHOUT WRITING ON YOUR OWN! • • • You must write, and write some more, and then some more after that. You must become a confident and comfortable writer, and this comes with practice. • The blogs, essays, short writes, everything that I have prepared for you will give you multiple opportunities to become a confident writer, so do your part! Reading: YOU CANNOT PASS WITHOUT READING ON YOUR OWN! • You must read everything that is assigned ahead of time and take notes as you read – do not rely on your memory, TAKE NOTES! • You must read because not all the information you need to know will be covered in the lectures and discussions. Study: YOU CANNOT PASS WITHOUT STUDYING ON YOUR OWN! • You must study on a daily basis, at least an hour a night, reviewing your reading notes, reviewing discussion and lecture notes, making and reviewing vocabulary and identifications, practicing the skills I will teach you in class!

How to Write with Style by Kurt Vonnegut Newspaper reporters and technical writers are trained to reveal almost nothing about themselves in their writings. This makes them freaks in the world of writers, since almost all of the other inkstained wretches in that world reveal a lot about them selves to readers. We call these revelations, accidental and intentional, elements of style. These revelations tell us as readers what sort of person it is with whom we are spending time. Does the writer sound ignorant or informed, stupid or bright, crooked or honest, humorless or playful --- ? And on and on. Why should you examine your writing style with the idea of improving it? Do so as a mark of respect for your readers, whatever you're writing. If you scribble your thoughts any which way, your readers will surely feel that you care nothing about them. They will mark you down as an egomaniac or a chowderhead --- or, worse, they will stop reading you. The most damning revelation you can make about yourself is that you do not know what is interesting and what is not. Don't yourself like or dislike writers mainly for what they choose to show you or make you think about? Did you ever admire an emptyheaded writer for his or her mastery of the language? No. So your own winning style must begin with ideas in your head. November 11, 1922 – April 11, 2007

MAXIMUM POINTS = 2, 000 SEMESTER 1 = 1, 000 pts § Summer Reading (100) ü § § § 3 Unit Vlogs at 50 pts each Essay Templates (90) 3 Unit Projects at 100 pts each Vlogs (150) ü § 13 entries at 20 pts each Projects (300) ü § 2 Live Binders at 50 pts each Blogs (260) ü § AP Survival Video Essay Summer Reading Follow-Up (100) ü 3 Unit Projects at 100 pts each Vlogs (150) ü § 13 entries at 20 pts each Projects (300) Final Project (100) ü 2 Made Easy Videos at 50 pts each Blogs (260) ü § Wiki Summaries Summer Reading Follow-Up (100) ü SEMESTER 2 = 1, 000 pts 3 Unit Vlogs at 50 pts each Essay Templates (90) ü 1 Syntax = 45 pts ü 1 Argument = 45 pts ü 2 Rhetoric = 45 pts ü 2 Tone & Irony = 45 pts

YOUR GRADE 1000 – 950 = 5 = A+ 949 – 900 = 4 = A 899 – 850 = 4 = A 849 – 800 = 3 = B+ 799 – 700 = 3 = B 699 – 650 = 3 = B 649 – 600 = 2 = C+ 599 – 550 = 2 = C 549 – 500 = 2/1 = C 499 – 0 = 1 = Incomplete

GOOD LUCK!

APENGLANG Advanced Placement English Language & Composition Exam Know Your APE! Assert Prove Explain