Advanced Placement English Language and Composition Exam

Reviewing for the AP English Language Exam is a bit different than other AP exams. Most subject areas require that students have attained an immense and deep knowledge of particular topics. Certainly, there is a critical core knowledge concerning rhetorical terms and strategies necessary for success on this test. The following file contains the seminal terms and concepts on a single page. It also contains a page with valuable resources for a better comprehension of these notions.

Reading Assignment: Rhetorical Terms Study Guide

Click here to download the Rhetorical Terms study guide.

Reading Assignment: AP Language Terms Flashcards

Click here to practice AP Language terms with online flashcards.

Unlike most tests, the AP English Language Exam focuses on skills: reading comprehension and timed writing. There is no reason to stay up the night before the test cramming in more information. (In fact, getting plenty of sleep and eating is critical to maintaining stamina on a three-hour test.)

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The practice multiple-choice quizzes in this course are designed in the same manner as the exam. Please review these and pay particular attention to incorrect answers. How the wrong answers try to "trick" test takers is valuable information. Develop a notion of patterns and categories for multiple questions.

Reading Assignment: "The Death of a Moth" by Virginia Woolf

To practice, read the following essay by Virginia Woolf. Click here to read "The Death of a Moth" by Virginia Woolf.

Now, examine the multiple-choice questions derived from this essay on the "The Death of a Moth AP Questions" handout. Click here to access "The Death of a Moth AP Questions."

Notice also the other questions associated with this piece. Review the rhetorical strategies questions as well as the two essay prompts. This will serve as a model for the following topic.

We have discovered a key purpose of language is persuasion. Whether to advertise, convince or even befuddle, (propaganda) language is a tool that stimulates a response from the audience. A general review of persuasive techniques is covered in the video below. Remember the AP essays should persuade the reader. Think about how to apply these techniques in written form.

Watch the video below to learn more.

Reading Assignment: "AP Language: The Essays"

The AP Language exam offers three essay prompts. The art of timed writing is always a challenge. It is imperative to have a conception of what to accomplish in the two hours allotted. The following resource gives a very general outline of what to include in the essays. This should be taken as advice and not as a formula. This is a minimum requirement for your writing.

Click here to read "AP Language: The Essays."

RESOURCES IN THIS MODULE ARE OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES (OER) OR CREATED BY GAVS UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED. SOME IMAGES USED UNDER SUBSCRIPTION.