<p>@losemyself10 - The CliffsAP book I have says 104-150 is the general range for a 5, but this, of course, fluctuates from year to year.</p>
<p>@Luminouzz - </p>
<p>When you support, you are giving the stance your full support. When you qualify, you are agreeing with the opinion to an extent; you are essentially putting some restrictions on the statement or only agreeing with a certain part of it.</p>
<p>First person is allowed. It is sometimes encouraged because it shows interaction with text. In DCQs (defend, challenge, qualify) and Synthesis essays, first person may be a useful tool. Treat these essays as “academic journals,” rather than formal papers.</p>
<p>How do we cite documents again? Is it just (Doc A) at the end of the sentence?</p>
<p>I usually cite in one of two ways:</p>
<p>According to source A, the number of people…</p>
<p>or</p>
<p>The number of people. . . devastates many Americans (source A).</p>
<p>Thanks flamesmage!
We were reviewing literary terms today, and there are some that even my teacher couldn’t differentiate.
Does anybody know the difference between metonymy and synechdoche, or antistrophe and epistrophe?</p>
<p>Thanks for the explanations. Sorry, I have a few more questions.</p>
<p>1) Do we need outside information on the synthesis essay? (I know this might sound silly and history-ish).</p>
<p>2) Can we simply cite documents by referring to their authors or titles?</p>
<p>3) How many documents should we use out of six if we want to aim for an eight or nine?</p>
<p>So is the purpose of the documents to provide factual foundations to build the paper upon? Or do we bring in outside information and perspectives and allude to the documents as “examples” of said outside information?</p>
<p>@Luminouzz</p>
<p>Agreement is like this: Yes, X is correct in justifying…</p>
<p>qualifying is like this: X is correct in justifying…, but not always: (and here you explain why it’s not always)</p>
<p>Agreement is 100%. Qualifying is 90/10, or 80/20. Do not write an essay where you are 50/50; do not sit on the fence between two issues. If you have trouble picking a side, list the evidence you could use for each side, decided which evidence is more convincing, and go with that.</p>
<p>
I do this and still get a 7. I usually follow this format:</p>
<p>I. Intro (thesis: Although some argue that (insert opposition) is true due to A and B, it actually is (insert my stance) because of X, Y, and Z.)
II. Summation of opposition
A
B
III. Concede one point (admittedly, A is true because…)
IV. Proving my stance (What these refuters don’t understand is that X Y and Z…)
X
Y
Z
V. conclusion</p>
<p>Is my teacher just a tough grader?</p>
<p>Okay, so here is some possibly relevant information. How do you think I’ll do?</p>
<p>ACT: 35 English, 33 Reading, 7 essay
SAT II: 620 Literature</p>
<p>Fast Track to a Five diagnostic test: 42.8925 weighted MC score (37/52 correct)</p>
<p>I have no idea how to gauge my success on the essays. I wrote a practice synthesis essay that I feel pretty good about. If I get all sixes on my essays, my book says I’ll get a four (what I want).</p>
<p>@reach4thestars45, most of the essays that score an 8 or a 9 talk in first person if you look at the sample responses online. It is completely find to use first person.</p>
<p>@Luminouzz</p>
<p>1) For a good score, yes. Remember, it is an argument essay, and your sources are secondary to your argument. Try to include some outside evidence; it shows the reader that you can think for yourself and not just copy sources.</p>
<p>2) Yes. Although it would probably be more convenient by citing them by letters, i.e. Source A, instead of some crazy name that takes time to write.</p>
<p>3) You need at least three. Any less and you can not get above a 4. My teacher recommends that you use four, and that you should try to incorporate the visual.</p>
<p>I avoid first person unless it’s necessary. It just takes up extra space. Compare:</p>
<p>I believe that X is correct because…</p>
<p>X is correct because…</p>
<p>The second version is more concise. The reader know that you are voicing your opinions if you say, “X is correct because…”</p>
<p>However, if you use a personal story as an example, I recommend using first person. Otherwise it would sound awkward:
The author of this essay, Bob, once met a celebrity. Bob was very pleased…</p>
<p>@ manbean
I think your teacher may be a tough grader… or maybe it’s my teacher that’s doing it wrong? I’ve always written whatever flows (no fixed format), focusing on my own argument and not really addressing on the opposition, except briefly, so that I can go on and refute it extensively. I’ve always gotten 7’s, the very occasional 8.</p>
<p>@0705283 - I don’t know the second pair, but the difference between the first two is that metonymy is when a closely related word is used to replace another (ex. “the White House issued a statement today”), while synechdoche is the use of a part of an object to represent the whole (ex. “I traded in my old truck and got a new set of wheels”)</p>
<p>@Luminouzz - (1) Outside information is not necessary but it is very useful because it helps demonstrate that you are not merely summarizing the sources given (a huge factor in the score the essay gets). (2) I believe so. (3) You are required to use a minimum of three, but if you can use all of the documents while effectively and profoundly analyzing/using each one, then that will only help your essay; the grader will realize how well you understood the importance of each document and your ability to synthesize (hence the name) all of them into one compelling piece.</p>
<p>
it’s risky though; it takes skill to use first person formally. most people don’t and it makes it very informal and too personal.</p>
<p>if you can skillfully use first person, however, you will get a good grade</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice.</p>
<p>most teachers grade a bit easier or tougher than the CB. That being said, however, it could be that you are making grammatical, or other, mistakes that take away from the overall quality of the essay. You may be writing too simply, using inflated speech, or your ideas aren’t being conveyed well.</p>
<p>So what do we do when it says to qualify?
Weigh up both sides 50/50, or favor one side more, like 80/20?</p>
<p>Oh, a little tip on the rhetorical analysis essays from my otherwise incompetent teacher:
Never use “the reader” or the “audience.” It’s repetitive and useless.</p>
<p>_____ shows the reader her personal inflection through…
_____ shows her personal inflection through…</p>