key points from q& a's with ap readers corrected
TRANSCRIPT
Ms. Warren’s Exam Tips:
Lessons from the College Board
Readers
Notice that it’s YOUR position! Also, readers
want to see all three types of
ways to integrate
sources (think research paper
notecards)
Notice that the Chief Reader stresses that HIGH-SCORING ESSAYS focus on issues surrounding a topic—
and the student’s claim about those issues and their impact on a community. This is what can be done
regardless of the synthesis topic!
Notice that they don’t want to see SUMMARY, QUOTE, OR
PARAPHRASE WITHOUT YOUR ARGUMENT: Can you say
“because”?
Pay attention to the fact that saying something is “good” or “bad”, no matter how fancy the diction,
will impress the readers. They want to see the impact and ramifications of the issue based on the information at hand from the sources to make your
decision
Now it’s time to put the 5-
paragraph essay where it belongs—in an grave labeled
“FAIL”!!
I hope you see a pattern here: if you don’t address the issues, only restate the info
from the sources, don’t develop an original claim, or use a five-paragraph formula, you
will make them think you are NOT A COLLEGE-LEVEL THINKER OR WRITER!
OUCH for you.
Rhetorical AnalysisNotice that if you apply the SOAPSTone, you are
halfway there on addressing the prompt; the second half depends on explaining how the writer achieved the purpose. The rhetorical terms (unless specified in the prompt) don’t drive the response: recognizing how a writer develops a claim should.
Argumentative Essay You have a problem if you completely misread the prompt: adversity and
advertising—read carefully!
Do you see how this prompt, similarly to
synthesis, requires you to examine a
broader perspective?
The lesson: don’t frighten your AP Exam readers with your freakiness!
Remember that ONLY on a prompt like this can you use 1st person “I” and ONLY in
one detail of one sentence.
Again, they DON’T LIKE
THE 5-PARAGRAPH FORMULA
I hope you see that just STATING your stance (agree, disagree, or qualify) on the claim is not sufficient—you MUST connect your examples
(evidence) to your stance on the claim.