AP Language Study Guide

Table of Contents

1. The Structure of the AP Language Exam
2. Tips for the AP Exam
3. Terms and Vocabulary
4. Argumentation
5. Sentence Types and Structure
6. Literary and Poetic Devices

1. The Structure of the AP Exam

Section 1: Multiple Choice

• 45 multiple-choice questions
• 1 hour allotted
• Accounts for 45% of total exam score
• 5 sets of questions with short stimulus passages
• 23-25 rhetorical analysis questions (analyze nonfiction texts)
• 20-22 composition questions (read like a writer and consider revisions)

Section 2: Free Response

• Write essays in response to 3 prompts
• 2 hours and 15 minutes total (includes 15-minute reading period)
• Accounts for 55% of total exam score
• Prompts include synthesis question, rhetorical analysis, and argumentative essay:
  • Rhetorical analysis: Analyze language choices in nonfiction text
  • Synthesis question: Create an argument using 3 of 6-7 texts (including visual/quantitative sources)
  • Argumentative essay: Create an argument on a given topic with evidence

2. Tips for the AP Exam

1. Focus on your thesis: Clear and precise thesis is crucial.
2. Precise diction: Clarity over complexity in language.
3. Study rhetorical devices/strategies: Recognizing them aids in writing and analysis.
4. Use outside sources: Utilize known topics and experiences in essays.
5. Deepen analysis: Provide meaningful, well-thought-out analysis.
6. Guess if unsure: No penalty for wrong answers; manage time wisely.
7. Understand exam format: Familiarity with structure aids preparation.
8. Read widely: Books enhance vocabulary and provide sources.

3. Terms and Vocabulary

Argumentative Terms

• Ambiguity: Multiple meanings of a word/phrase.
• Anecdote: Brief recounting of a relevant episode.
• Concession: Accepting part/all of an opposing viewpoint.
• Deductive/Inductive Argument: Logical reasoning approaches.
• Logical Fallacy: Unreliable reasoning (e.g., ad hominem, slippery slope).

Rhetorical Devices

• Adage: Folk saying with a lesson.
• Allusion: Indirect reference to known works/events.
• Anaphora: Repetition at beginning of clauses.
• Euphemism: Less offensive substitute for unpleasant terms.

Poetic Devices

• Alliteration: Repeated initial consonant sounds.
• Assonance: Repeated vowel sounds.
• Consonance: Repeated consonant sounds at end.
• Onomatopoeia: Words imitating sounds like "snap" or "rustle."

4. Argumentation

Foundations of Rhetoric

• Rhetoric: Effective language use.
• Rhetorical situation: Occasion, exigence, and context.
• Rhetorical triangle: Speaker, audience, and subject.

Reasoning and Evidence

• Sound reasoning: Without logical flaws.
• Evidence domains: Events, culture, experiences.
• Aristotelian Appeals: Ethos, Pathos, Logos.
• Identifying Purpose: Exigence, argument nature, tone, and structure.
• Logical Fallacies: Various types that weaken arguments.

5. Sentence Types and Structure

Grammar Vocabulary

• Subject/Predicate: Main components of a sentence.
• Modifiers: Clarify nouns/verbs.
• Clauses: Independent and dependent.

Sentence Types

• Simple Sentences: One subject and predicate.
• Compound Sentences: Two independent clauses linked by conjunctions.
• Complex Sentences: Independent clause with at least one dependent clause.
• Compound-Complex Sentences: Two independent clauses and one dependent clause.

6. Literary and Poetic Devices

Literary Devices

• Diction: Word choice impacting tone and style.
• Irony: Opposite of expected outcome.
• Foreshadowing: Hints of future events.
• Imagery: Descriptive language engaging the senses.

Poetic Devices

• Rhyme: Correspondence of end sounds.
• Meter: Regular syllable pattern.
• Sonnet: 14-line poem in iambic pentameter.
• Stanza: Grouping of poetic lines with set meter and rhyme.

These notes capture the essential elements of the study guide, structured to help prepare for the AP Language Exam effectively.