Introduction to AP English Language and Composition

Introduction

As an introduction to AP English Language and Composition, we will explore critical aspects of the proper use of the English language, including subject-verb agreement, parallel structure, and concise writing. These grammar exercises are intended to focus your attention on your own composition. Be sure to master these topics. As an official introduction, you will present yourself to your peers and instructor through a threaded discussion. This self-reflection will be cobbled into an autobiography that is the major project of this module. We will also learn proper MLA formatting so that the arrangement of your autobiography will be a template for all subsequent writing in the course. Finally, as an added twist, the autobiography will be written in the third person--as if you were observing your own life as an objective bystander.

A word cloud made of words commonly used in the AP English class.

Standards

This course provides students with opportunities to write about a variety of subjects from a variety of disciplines and to demonstrate an awareness of audience and purpose. The overarching objective in most first-year writing courses is to enable students to write effectively and confidently in their college courses across the curriculum, as well as in their professional and personal lives. Most composition courses emphasize the expository, analytical, and argumentative writing that forms the basis of academic and professional communication, as well as the personal and reflective writing that fosters the development of writing facility in any context.

Essential Questions

What makes writing worth reading?
How can parallel structure improve the quality of writing?
Self-reflection is a key aspect of excellent writing and maturity. When is writing honest, and when is rhetoric used to persuade?
What is the essential function of the written word?

Welcome

Welcome to AP Language and Composition at the Georgia Virtual School! This course is designed to instruct students on the nuances of language including rhetorical strategies that create meaning and the mechanics that underpin the structure of our communication. While these are lofty goals, the essential hallmark of success for AP classes comes on the College Board's examination in the spring. Students displaying expertise may be granted college credit for this course. The test has a multiple-choice portion as well as three essay prompts. Click here to download the 2010 essay prompts.

The logo of the College Board AP classes.

After reading through these requirements, it is obvious that a challenging course is required to prepare you for success. Though you will cover particular aspects of the exam as you navigate this course, the majority of the instruction focuses on topics commonly covered in a freshman college English course. Be mindful of not merely completing assignments, but becoming an expert in the English language. Good luck and enjoy!

Key Terms

The key terms for this module are listed below. Spend time familiarizing yourself with these words as they will help you better understand the important aspects of grammar and writing.

Autobiography: An account of a person's life, written or otherwise, recorded by that person.
Perspective: An attitude of mind, or the circumstances of an individual, that conduce to such an attitude.
Genre: A class or category of artistic endeavor having a particular form, content, or technique.
Parallel structure: Using the same pattern of words to show that two or more ideas have the same level of importance. This can happen at the word, phrase, or clause level.
Concision: Expressing or covering much in few words; brief in form but comprehensive in scope; succinct; terse.
Writing process: Prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing.
Rhetoric: The art or science of all specialized literary uses of language in prose or verse, including the figures of speech.
MLA: Modern Language Association

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