TIPS ON THE APLAC FREE RESPONSE ESSAY QUESTIONS

TIP #1: WRITING BASICS

INTRODUCTIONS

1. Hook: A sentence that grabs your reader’s attention.

2. Thesis: States the position you will be unpacking in your essay.

3. Subtopics: States the smaller topics that you will be unpacking that support your thesis.

4. Transition: A sentence that smoothly shifts from your introduction to your first body paragraph.

THE 6 TS

• Type: What type of essay am I writing?

• Topic: What is the topic of the essay?

• Task: What is the prompt asking me to do?

• Textual Evidence: Where am I getting my evidence from?

• Target Audience: Who is this essay being written for?

• Theme (Universal): What theme can I use in this essay that will connect my hook/so what?

BODY PARAGRAPHS &THE CITATION SANDWICH

• Topic Sentence: States what your paragraph is focusing on and how it ties to your thesis.

• Set-Up: Give context about the evidence you are presenting.

• Evidence: The evidence you are using to support your thesis. Focus on 1-2 pieces of evidence ONLY per body paragraph!!!!

• Analysis: Demonstrate how your evidence supports your thesis.

• Transition: Connects one body paragraph to the next.

CONCLUSIONS

• Restate Thesis: Paraphrase your thesis without echoing it in your introduction.

• Restate Subtopics: Paraphrase your subtopics and analyze how they support your thesis.

• So What?: A concluding remark that leaves an impact with the reader. Should always have a connection to your hook.

CONCLUSION DISCLAIMER

• Remember: The readers score what you wrote, NOT what you didn’t!!!

• If you are running out of time, the part to skip is the conclusion. It should be clear in your essay the position you are taking, supported by the evidence you provide.

• That being said….it is better to include a conclusion to give a sense of completion to the reader.

TRANSITIONS

• What makes a good transition?• Think of your

architecture. It should follow a logical structure:• Chronological Order• Sequential Order• Matters of Degree• 2/3/1 format• Weaving a Theme

TIP #2: WRITING THE ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY (AE)

AE: TIME MANAGEMENT

• 5 minutes to read prompt (apply the 6 Ts!)• 5 minutes to

brainstorm/outline• 25 minutes to

compose your essay.• 5 minutes to revise

your essay.• TOTAL TIME = 40

minutes.

AE: INTRODUCTION

• Hook: Reference personal experience, current events, an episode from a supplemental reading/movie/TV show that ties to your thesis.

• Thesis: Your position should either ask you:

• To What Extent…• What Factors to Consider…• Support/Refute Qualify. You ‘re

encouraged to either support or refute the prompt because of the time constraints. However, if you decide to qualify, it gives you more voice/ethos with the readers because fewer people take this position in their essay.

• Subtopics: Reference 3-4 Worlds as subtopics!:

AE: BODY PARAGRAPHS

• Reference the “Worlds” as evidence:• Politics/Current Events/Op-Eds• History• Pop Culture (movies, TV, what’s hip).• Science/Technology• Literature/Supplemental Reading*• Sports• Personal Experience• Religion/Philosophy• Music/Arts• Digital Culture (video games, blogs,

social media, Youtube memes, podcasts, etc).

• * = Remember, the readers value literature!

• Always make sure to give context. Don’t assume the reader knows the context of the evidence you are presenting.

• Make sure you reference the correct text.

AE: CONCLUSION

• Your Hook should start with an anecdote/problem/ situation/theme that relates to your thesis.• Your So What? should

either complete the anecdote/problem/

situation/theme or connect directly back to it to give a sense of wholeness.

TIP #3: WRITING THE RHETORICAL ANALYSIS ESSAY (RAE)

RAE: TIME MANAGEMENT

• 5 minutes to apply the 6Ts.• 5 minutes to read

the essay. • 25 minutes to

compose your essay.• 5 minutes to revise

your essay.• TOTAL TIME = 4o

minutes.

RAE: INTRODUCTION

• Hook: DO NOT NEED TO WRITE ONE!!!! Thesis: Restate the type of rhetorical analysis asked for in the prompt.• Subtopics: Choose

three rhetorical devices to focus on and organize them using the 2/3/1 format.

RAE: BODY PARAGRAPHS

• Evidence should be linked to the rhetorical devices you have selected.• Analyze the author’s function of employing each rhetorical move to reach his audience. • Optional to cite line

number from passage.

RAE: CONCLUSION

• If there is one type of essay a conclusion is not needed, this would be it.

• If you include a conclusion, clearly re-state the rhetorical devices you analyzed and how they support your analysis.

TIP #4: WRITING THE SYNTHESIS ESSAY (SE)

SE: TIME MANAGEMENT

• 5 minutes to apply the 6ts. • 5 minutes to read texts

and tag them support/refute your claim.

• 5 minutes to select three texts and develop your position (2-3-1).

• 25 minutes to compose your essay.

• 5 minutes to revise your essay.

• TOTAL TIME = 55 minutes.

SE: INTRODUCTION

• Hook: If a quote or scenario is presented, use this as your hook to save time.

• Thesis: Clearly state whether you support, refute, or qualify the position presented in the prompt.

• Subtopics: Select a minimum of 4 texts of the texts provided and organize them using the point/counterpoint structure.

• Remember you need to represent the conversation taking place within the texts with emphasis on allies and critics supporting/challenging your position.

SE: BODY PARAGRAPHS

• Set-Up: Give context to reader how source supports your thesis.

• Evidence: Always cite sources as Source A, B, C, etc. OR by author’s last name. For visual texts, be detailed about how the visual supports your thesis.

• Analysis: Be specific and direct how evidence supports your thesis.

SE: CONCLUSIONS

• Like the RAE essay, optional to include a conclusion.

• If you elect to include a conclusion, paraphrase the prompt, clearly re-state your position, re-state your three texts as subtopics, and explain how the texts support your thesis.

TIP #5: ADDING VOICE

EXPERIMENT WITH SYNTAX AND DICTION

• One way to add voice to your writing is to experiment with syntax and diction.

• Syntax: Add a periodic, cumulative, or hortative sentence. Follow a long sentence with a short one.

• Diction: Add tone words in your description . Describe something in an unusual way by using figurative language such as similes, metaphors, personification, hyperbole, etc.

WEAVING A THEME

Weaving a theme is also a good way to add voice.

Hook/So What?: Make sure there is a clear connection between your Hook and So What?

-Examples:Hook: Rhetorical QuestionSo What?: AnswerHook: Begin StorySo What?: Complete StoryHook: ProblemSo What?: Solution

TIP #6: REVISE, REVISE, REVISE

GLOBAL REVISIONS

• If you have any time to spare, revise your essay:• Check spelling

errors.• Check grammatical

errors.• Make sure you have

clear topic sentences and transitions between paragraphs.

TIP #7: MISCELLANEOUS TIPS

AVOID OVERGENERALIZATIONS

• Avoid overgeneralizations which makes you lose ethos:• “Over the Years”• “Back in the Day”• Better to say…• “During Twain’s era”• “America during the

Civil War”

AUTHORITATIVE “I”

• The pronoun “I” should be used sparingly.

• However it can be used in the argumentative or synthesis essays to give you ethos/authority as an author.

• Use it in your Hook, So What, or a personal example in the argumentative essay.

READING PERIOD

• Before you start composing the free-response essays, you are given 15 minutes to read the prompts.

• Use that time to do the following:

1. Read/Annotate the Synth Sources

2. Read/Annotate Rhetorical Analysis Text

3. Outline the Arg Essay Prompt

WHAT ORDER SHOULD I COMPOSE THE ESSAYS?

1. Synthesis Essay (takes the most steps)

2. Argumentative Essay (needs to be outlined)

3. Rhetorical Analysis Essay (the most straight forward)

TOOLS

• #2 pencils for the Multiple Choice Exam• Pens with

blue/black ink for the essays.• Eraser for

mistakes.• A watch to pace

yourself.

DO NOT BRING THE FOLLOWING…

•Hot beverage• Electronic Device (including cell phone!!).•Dictionary•Calculator• Excessive jewelry

TIP #8: GAIN AND LOSE ETHOS

GAIN ETHOS

• Hook/So What? connected with Theme

• Experiment with Syntax and Diction

• Thorough Analysis• Clear Thesis that focused

throughout Essay• Employ Citation Sandwich• Qualifying Effectively• Organize your body

paragraphs using the 2/3/1 structure.

• Conversing between different texts in the body paragraphs of your Synth essay.

LOSE ETHOS

• Weak, Vague, or Random Hook• NO CONNECTION between

Hook/So What?• Unfocused essay• Spelling/Grammatical Errors• Disorganized essay• Misquoting or misnaming authors• Funny, without being funny• Having the structure of your body

paragraphs different than your intro.

• Overgeneralizations or obvious Logical Fallacies in your argument.

• Illegible handwriting• Write “DNF” if you don’t finish

essay.

SUMMARY

• Manage your time well.• Focused Introduction that

takes a position and states subtopics.

• Citation Sandwich used in each body paragraph.

• Connect introduction to conclusion with a theme.

• Experiment with diction and syntax to add voice.

• Revise if you have time to spare.

PLEASE STAND FOR THINK ON YOUR FEET