<p>is it even possible to study for ap english lit and comp? and if so, how? </p>
<p>would you recommend getting a prep book or anything? ive heard that its useless to try to prepare for this exam but im not amazing at english and would like a 5 on it.</p>
<p>I don't really think you can "study" per say for the AP English Composition or Literature exam. The key thing is "have you read?" You just need to read a lot to do well on the multiple choice. Further reading enhancing your writing skills as you can pick up on certain stylistic features of writers that you may want to incorporate. Reading builds your vocabulary naturally, unlike those ridiculous word lists any prep book will want to throw at you.</p>
<p>I am "studying" for the AP English Composition exam just by reading more through out this semester, considering my AP English class ended last semester. Last week, I read Marlowe's Doctor Faustus in two days out of this "The Genius of the Early English Theater" reader my AP English teacher gave me before he left (He is now a principle at the local middle school.)</p>
<p>Roughly how many books do you guys read throughout the years?
Is it included in that 101 Recommended Books on Collegeboard.com?
thanks</p>
<p>In AP English Language, you need to be able to write effectively in a short amount of time. You need to be able to read a passage, pluck out important pieces of evidence to support your argument, and write out your argument in about 45 minutes. Reading skills will help, but I think that writing skills are much more important. Reading skills are needed in the multiple-choice section, and writing skills in the free response.</p>
<p>Reading some of the 101 Recommended Books is a great idea for AP English Composition, but it's more important for the Literature Test. The Literature Test actually tests you on literature; the English Language one doesn't. A lot of people at my school didn't read any of the books we were supposed to read in class, but they still got 5's on it.</p>
<p>It also helps to have strong ideas on things. For example, last year they asked a question about incentives (like extra credit) and asked if they should be used to get students to participate more in class (or something like that). Before I saw this question, I really had no idea what I thought. I needed lots of time to think about the pros and cons about incentives to really tell a truthful answer. Now, when I look back, I would say that incentives are good at first but people need to know that they're doing things because it's good for them, not because there's a short-term reward at the end. I used to tutor elementary school students for a reading program, and every so often the kids are rewarded for good behavior/outstanding achievement/good attendance, stuff like that. But one thing we stress as tutors is that we want to get them to love reading, to read for fun, not for a reward. Because when they get older there won't be direct rewards for doing a certain task, and it's important to teach kids that you can't do something just for the reward, which happens when incentives dominate the motivations of the kids. </p>
<p>The point is, it's helpful to have developed some ideas that you hold about politics or social issues, before the test.</p>
<p>As for books I read, I read The Great Gatsby, The Known World, and some other books that I can't remember. Oh, we read Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, and some other books.</p>