Writing AP English Essay Guide

What Actually Is an AP English Essay?

The AP English student must be able to write a well-developed, timed essay, which is most often a critical analysis, argument, or exposition in response to a specific prompt. Those who create AP English courses and exams also expect the student writer to use the elements of syntax, diction, and rhetoric appropriate to the writer’s purpose and audience.What’s the Difference Between the AP English Language and the AP English Literature Essays?

Basically, the AP English Language course concentrates on reading prose from various time periods, written to achieve many different purposes. The emphasis is on writing expository, analytical, and argumentative essays.

In general, Language essays are based on nonfiction works. You may be asked to do any of the following:
• Identify the author’s purpose.
• Identify the audience.
• Identify and analyze the rhetorical strategies and/or language resources used by the author to achieve his or her purpose.

Is It Difficult to Write an Effective AP English Essay?
When we watch an athlete jumping hurdles, skiing down a precipitous slope, winning at Wimbledon, hitting a home run, or completing the marathon, we often say, “Wow, that sure looks easy.” When we go to an art gallery and see a photograph by Ansel Adams or Annie Leibowitz or a painting by Pablo Picasso, we often hear people say, “I can do this. There’s nothing to it.”
However, doing something well is not always easy.

What is done well “appears” smooth and effortless. However, the observer is unaware of the hours, days, months, and sometimes years of practice, rehearsal, editing, and “tweaking” that go into the event or presentation.

The same is true of writing. Your favorite novelists, journalists, poets, playwrights, song writers, screenwriters, and essayists work their way through a process of observing, thinking, planning, prewriting, writing, and revision. Once their final draft is presented, you read it as a smooth, seamless piece of work. Try not to think of writing in terms of difficulty. Think of it as an ongoing process that becomes clearer and smoother with practice.

This app includes:
STEP 1: Set Up Your Study Program
Chapter 1 Introduction to the Training Program
Meet Your Trainers
Questions and Answers About the AP English Essay


Chapter 2 How Is This Book Going to Work?
Creating Your Personal Writing Profile
About the Basic Training Program
About the Icons Used


STEP 2: Determine Your Readiness
Chapter 3 Review the Basics of Discourse
The Four Modes of Discourse
Warm-Up Exercises

Chapter 4 Review the Basics of Rhetorical Construction
Rhetorical Strategies
Exemplification
Contrast/Comparison
Cause and Effect
Classification and Division
Process Analysis
Definition
Description
Narration
Argument
Synthesis
Total Workout

Chapter 5 Review the Basics of Rhetorical Analysis
Rhetorical Devices
Rhetorical Techniques
Style
Total Workout


STEP 3: Develop Strategies for Success
Chapter 6 Reading and Working Different Types of AP English Prompts
Key Words and Phrases
What Constitutes an AP English Prompt?

Chapter 7 Prewriting and Planning
Prewriting
Notating the Text
Two Sample Texts

STEP 4: Review the Knowledge You Need to Get a High Score
Chapter 8 Introducing the Essay
How the Professionals Do It
Opening Paragraphs
Student Samples
Total Workout

Chapter 9 Constructing the Body of the Essay and Supporting Syntax
Samples of the Body of the Essay
Student Samples
Supporting Syntax

Chapter 10 Writing the Conclusion of the Essay and Revising
Sample Conclusions
Student Samples
Revision

Sample Essays


STEP 5: Build Your Test-taking Confidence

Chapter 11 Practice with Sample AP English Language Exam Essays

Chapter 12 Practice with Sample AP English Literature Exam Essays

APPENDIXES
Appendix II Glossary of Terms
Appendix III Web Sites Related to AP English
Appendix IV Answers for Practice Activities