<p>I enjoy writing essays, but AP Language and Composition intimidates me. I'm looking through the Cliff's book (3rd edition) and the examples for the high-scoring essay responses are just formidably good. People tell me I'm good at writing but these kids have a gift.</p>
<p>If anyone knows what I'm talking about and can indeed write so dignified and persuasively... please give me some pointers and tips to be as good as you. I'm unworthy. :c</p>
<p>Well, for one, you haven’t taken the class yet, so of course the essays of students who’ve FINISHED the course are gonna seem intimidating. It’s really not a hard class…Of course, my teacher’s unorthodox. Like, it hasn’t felt like an AP class at all with her. For instance, we’re about to begin teaching projects…So while obviously we have to work in authors’ rhetorical strategies, it’s not simply reading the story and having her teach us how to find them.</p>
<p>I’m halfway through with it. We’ve done about ten essays so far, and I feel my teacher is a bit unorthodox–that is, if you were to compare it to classes in a more rigorous school (i.e Stuyvesant or something). We’ve done ten out of 20-something essays. So far most of the material seems like reiteration from my Honors English II class year, and I don’t know what I am I having trouble with in my writing. He has us do “peer evaluations” but doesn’t write much on our own papers >.< He’s known as a good teacher though. Maybe I’m too much of a sprinter or something.</p>
<p>I took AP Language last year. I agree that some of the exemplar essays seemed intimidating. Sometimes I would read the 9 essay they showed us, and it would be so good that I would wonder if that person bombed the other 2 essays so they could make this one so good XD</p>
<p>Honestly though, sometimes the essays they show you are way above average, even for 8’s and 9’s, and that doesn’t mean you need to write THAT well in order to do well on the exam. English is one of my strong subjects, but like most people I struggled with the timed essays and didn’t write as well as many of those exemplars. Just because that happens doesn’t mean you won’t succeed. I don’t know if you’ve gotten any of your essays graded yet, but I’m pretty sure my teacher graded us harder on the AP scale during the year than they graded us on the exam, and it’s possible your teacher might do that too in order to prepare you really well. For most of the year I got 6’s and 7’s on my essaysONCE I got an 8but I got a 5 on the exam. Just remember, your exam score is a combination of the multiple choice (which isn’t that bad) and the three essays. To master the essays, all you really need is practice. By the end of the year my essay skills had improved but I still don’t think I could write as well as some of the exemplars, and I still got a 5. Those AP tests have a HUGE curve. </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Lol see, we’ve written barely any essays. We’ve done two rhetorical analysis essays in class, created one synthesis test, and done one synthesis essay. Besides that we’ve done responses to things like stuff on punctuation, the ethics of advertising (then persuasion in general), and we wrote an article in the style of a certain newspaper reviewing a book.</p>
<p>I am not all that yet I barely prepped for the AP Lang & Comp exam last year and got a 4.
The test is not as intimidating as it looks.
You still have time to practice timed essays (something I completely suck at).
Before the exam, try to be well versed in history, science and literature because it will help you provide amazing examples to back up your arguments…ummmm and start to try to increase your reading speed.</p>
<p>We’re just starting on the synthesis essays. He’s putting a lot of focus on the argumentative essays since they’re the ones where the lowest scores come from. As for the MC’s, I don’t do well at all on the truly philosophical passages, but I score 100’s on the ones that are more objective and informative…which is probably normal.</p>
<p>Don’t fret too much if the essays are not on your side. There’s always the MC portion to turn to. Remember, a 5 is like a 60-70%. As long as you do well on the MC, the essays should have a lot of leniency to still get a 5. But that doesn’t mean you should give up on essays either. Just don’t worry too much. Given the proper preparation, you’ll find that the MC is humorously easy and the essays to be very manageable.</p>
<p>On the AP Language and Composition test, scoring three 6’s on the essays puts you in comfortable range for a 5, provided you don’t bomb the multiple choice. A six shouldn’t be too difficult if you’re a decent writer. </p>
<p>There’s a certain strategy to scoring an 8 or 9 on these essays. I started out my semester with 6’s, but once I got the hang of writing under constraints and read some examples of high scoring papers, I began consistently writing 8’s and 9’s. Reading back over them, I didn’t necessarily do anything spectacular. It’s all about flow and continuity, with a little bit of rhetoric and flourish thrown in.</p>
<p>I’m not a particularly good writer: I’m capable, and in the top english classes at my school, but my writing is nothing compared to a good writer.
But I also did (I believe) very well on the MC portion of the test, so I got a 5 without any studying or undue stress.</p>
<p>Really, if you can do well on the MC, analyze the rhetorical devices well, and then convey your meaning decently, you shouldn’t have a problem.</p>
<p>The example high scoring essays tend to have amazing scholarly diction and are beautifully written–very impressive considering the time constraints. Keep in mind the language and grammar aren’t the only factors that go into scoring these essays. Striking vocabulary and sentence structor will add points, but what the readers are going to be looking for are the ideas. I think these books should show examples of less-intimidating essays with great ideas and that scored high.
My teacher was telling us about how he was at a AP workshop and read an essay he would have considered a medium scoring essay because while the author had great ideas, she didn’t present it too well. Turns out she earned an 8. Focus more on the batter than on the decorative frosting. =]</p>