argumentative essay ap lang 2020

How to Write the AP Lang Argument Essay (With Example)

December 14, 2023

We’d like to let you in on a little secret: no one, including us, enjoys writing timed essays. But a little practice goes a long way. If you want to head into your AP English Exam with a cool head, you’ll want to know what you’re getting into ahead of time. We can’t promise the AP Lang Argument Essay will ever feel like an island vacation, but we do have tons of hand tips and tricks (plus a sample essay!) below to help you do your best. This article will cover: 1) What is the AP Lang Argumentative Essay? 2) AP Lang Argument Rubric 3) AP Lang Argument Sample Prompt 4) AP Lang Argument Essay Example 5) AP Lang Argument Essay Example: Answer Breakdown.

What is the AP Lang Argument Essay?

The AP Lang Argument Essay is one of three essays included in the written portion of the AP English Exam. The full AP English Exam is 3 hours and 15 minutes long, with the first 60 minutes dedicated to multiple-choice questions. Once you complete the multiple-choice section, you move on to three equally weighted essays that ask you to synthesize, analyze, and interpret texts and develop well-reasoned arguments. The three essays include:

Synthesis essay: You’ll review various pieces of evidence and then write an essay that synthesizes (aka combines and interprets) the evidence and presents a clear argument. Read our write-up on How to Write the AP Lang Synthesis Essay here.

Argumentative essay: You’ll take a stance on a specific topic and argue your case.

Rhetorical essay: You’ll read a provided passage, then analyze the author’s rhetorical choices and develop an argument that explains why the author made those rhetorical choices. Read our write-up on How to Write the AP Lang Rhetorical Essay here.

AP Lang Argument Essay Rubric

The AP Lang Argument Essay is graded on 3 rubric categories : Thesis, Evidence and Commentary, and Sophistication . How can you make sure you cover all three bases in your essay? We’ll break down each rubric category with dos and don’ts below:

• Thesis (0-1 point)

When it comes to grading your thesis, AP Exam graders are checking off a box: you either have a clear thesis or you don’t. So, what crucial components of a thesis will get you your check mark?

• Make sure your thesis argues something . To satisfy your graders, your thesis needs to take a clear stance on the issue at hand.
• Include your thesis statement in your intro paragraph. The AP Lang Argumentative essay is just that: an essay that makes an argument, so make sure you present your argument right away at the end of your first paragraph.
• A good test to see if you have a thesis that makes an argument for your AP Lang Argumentative Essay: In your head, add the phrase “I agree/disagree that…” to the beginning of your thesis. If what follows doesn’t logically flow after that phrase (aka if what follows isn’t an agreement or disagreement), it’s likely you’re not making an argument.
• In your thesis, outline the evidence you’ll cover in your body paragraphs.

AP Lang Argument Essay Rubric (Continued)

• Avoid a thesis that merely restates the prompt.
• Avoid a thesis that summarizes the text but does not make an argument.
• Avoid a thesis that weighs the pros and cons of an issue. Your job in your thesis is to pick a side and stick with it.
• Evidence and Commentary (0-4 points)

This rubric category is graded on a scale of 0-4 where 4 is the highest grade. Unlike the rhetorical and synthesis essays, the evidence you need to write your AP Lang Argument Essay is not provided to you. Rather, you’ll need to generate your own evidence and comment upon it.

What counts as evidence?

Typically, the AP Lang Argument Essay prompt asks you to reflect on a broad cultural, moral, or social issue that is open to debate. For evidence, you won’t be asked to memorize and cite statistics or facts. Rather, you’ll want to bring in real-world examples of:

• Historical events
• Current-day events from the news
• Personal anecdotes

For this essay, your graders know that you’re not able to do research to find the perfect evidence. What’s most important is that you find evidence that logically supports your argument.

What is commentary?

In this essay, it’s important to do more than just provide examples relevant evidence. After each piece of evidence you include, you’ll need to explain why it’s significant and how it connects to your main argument. The analysis you include after your evidence is commentary .

• Take a minute to brainstorm evidence that logically supports your argument. If you have to go out of your way to find the connection, it’s better to think of different evidence.
• Include multiple pieces of evidence. There is no magic number, but do make sure you incorporate more than a couple pieces of evidence that support your argument.
• Make sure you include more than one example of evidence, too. Let’s say you’re working on an essay that argues that people are always stronger together than apart. You’ve already included an example from history: during the civil rights era, protestors staged group sit-ins as a powerful form of peaceful protest. That’s just one example, and it’s hard to make a credible argument with just one piece of evidence. To fix that issue, think of additional examples from history, current events, or personal experience that are not related to the civil rights era.
• After you include each piece of evidence, explain why it’s significant and how it connects to your main argument.
• Don’t summarize or speak generally about the topic. Everything you write must be backed up with specific and relevant evidence and examples.
• Don’t let quotes speak for themselves. After every piece of evidence you include, make sure to explain and connect the evidence to your overarching argument.

AP Lang Argument Essay (Continued)

• Sophistication (0-1 point)

According to the College Board , one point can be awarded to AP Lang Argument essays that achieve a high level of sophistication. You can accomplish that in four ways:

• Crafting a nuanced argument by consistently identifying and exploring complexities or tensions.
• Articulating the implications or limitations of an argument by situating it within a broader context.
• Making effective rhetorical choices that consistently strengthen the force and impact of the student’s argument.
• Employing a style that is consistently vivid and persuasive.

In sum, this means you can earn an additional point for going above and beyond in depth, complexity of thought, or by writing an especially persuasive, clear, and well-structured essay. In order to earn this point, you’ll first need to do a good job with the fundamentals: your thesis, evidence, and commentary. Then, to earn your sophistication point, follow these tips:

• Outline your essay before you begin to ensure it flows in a clear and cohesive way.
• Include well-rounded evidence. Don’t rely entirely on personal anecdotes, for example. Incorporate examples from current events or history, as well.
• Thoroughly explain how each piece of evidence connects to your thesis in order to fully develop your argument.
• Explore broader implications. If what you’re arguing is true, what does that mean to us today? Who is impacted by this issue? What real-world issues are relevant to this core issue?
• Briefly explore the other side of the issue. Are the instances where your argument might not be true? Acknowledge the other side, then return to proving your original argument.
• Steer clear of generalizations (avoid words like “always” and “everyone”).
• Don’t choose an argument you can’t back up with relevant examples.
• Avoid complex sentences and fancy vocabulary words unless you use them often. Long, clunky sentences with imprecisely used words are hard to follow.

AP Lang Argument Sample Prompt

The sample prompt below is published online by the College Board and is a real example from the 2021 AP English Exam. The prompt provides background context, essay instructions, and the text you need to analyze.

Suggested time—40 minutes.

Many people spend long hours trying to achieve perfection in their personal or professional lives. Similarly, people often demand perfection from others, creating expectations that may be challenging to live up to. In contrast, some people think perfection is not attainable or desirable.

Write an essay that argues your position on the value of striving for perfection.

In your response you should do the following:

• Respond to the prompt with a thesis that presents a defensible position.
• Provide evidence to support your line of reasoning.
• Explain how the evidence supports your line of reasoning.
• Use appropriate grammar and punctuation in communicating your argument.

AP Lang Argument Essay Example

As the old phrase says, “Practice makes perfect.” But is perfection something that is actually attainable? Sometimes, pushing for perfection helps us achieve great things, but most often, perfectionism puts too much pressure on us and prevents us from knowing when we have done the best we can. Striving for perfection can only lead us to shortchange ourselves. Instead, we should value learning, growth, and creativity and not worry whether we are first or fifth best.

Students often feel the need to be perfect in their classes, and this can cause students to struggle or stop making an effort in class. In elementary and middle school, for example, I was very nervous about public speaking. When I had to give a speech, my voice would shake, and I would turn very red. My teachers always told me “relax!” and I got Bs on Cs on my speeches. As a result, I put more pressure on myself to do well, spending extra time making my speeches perfect and rehearsing late at night at home. But this pressure only made me more nervous, and I started getting stomach aches before speaking in public.

Once I got to high school, however, I started doing YouTube make-up tutorials with a friend. We made videos just for fun, and laughed when we made mistakes or said something silly. Only then, when I wasn’t striving to be perfect, did I get more comfortable with public speaking.

AP Lang Argumentative Essay Example (Continued)

In the world of art and business and science, perfectionism can also limit what we are able to achieve. Artists, for example, have to take risks and leave room for creativity. If artists strive for perfection, then they won’t be willing to fail at new experiments and their work will be less innovative and interesting. In business and science, many products, like penicillin for example, were discovered by accident. If the scientist who discovered penicillin mold growing on his petri dishes had gotten angry at his mistake and thrown the dishes away, he would never have discovered a medicine that is vital to us today.

Some fields do need to value perfection. We wouldn’t like it, for example, if our surgeon wasn’t striving for perfection during our operation. However, for most of us, perfectionism can limit our potential for learning and growth. Instead of trying to be perfect, we should strive to learn, innovate, and do our personal best.

AP Lang Argument Essay Example: Answer Breakdown

The sample AP Lang Argumentative Essay above has some strengths and some weaknesses. Overall, we would give this essay a 3 or a 4. Let’s break down what’s working and what could be improved:

• The essay offers a thesis that makes a clear argument that is relevant to the prompt: “Striving for perfection can only lead us to shortchange ourselves. Instead, we should value learning, growth, and creativity and not worry whether we are first or fifth best.”
• The first body paragraph provides evidence that supports the essay’s thesis. This student’s personal anecdote offers an example of a time when perfectionism led them to shortchange themselves.
• The second body paragraph provides additional evidence that supports the essay’s thesis. The example describing the discovery of penicillin offers another example of a situation in which perfectionism might have limited scientific progress.
• The writer offers commentary explaining how her examples of public speaking and penicillin illustrate that we should “value learning, growth, and creativity” over perfectionism.
• The essay follows one line of reasoning and does not stray into tangents.
• The essay is organized well with intro, body, and concluding paragraphs. Overall, it is easy to read and is free of grammar errors.

What could be improved:

• Although the second body paragraph provides one good specific example about the discovery of penicillin, the other examples it offers about art and business are only discussed generally and aren’t backed up with evidence. This paragraph would be stronger if it provided more examples. Or, if this writer couldn’t think of examples, they could have left out mentions of art and business altogether and included alternate evidence instead.
• This writer would more thoroughly support their argument if they were able to offer one more example of evidence. They could provide another personal anecdote, an example from history, or an example from current events.
• The writer briefly mentions the other side of the argument in their concluding paragraph: “Some fields do need to value perfection. We wouldn’t like it, for example, if our surgeon wasn’t striving for perfection during our operation.” Since it’s so brief a mention of the other side, it undermines the writer’s overall argument. This writer should either dedicate more time to reflecting on why even surgeons should “value learning, growth, and creativity” over perfectionism, or they should leave these sentences out.

AP Lang Argument Essay Example—More Resources

Looking for more tips to help you master your AP Lang Argumentative Essay? Brush up on 20 Rhetorical Devices High School Students Should Know and read our Tips for Improving Reading Comprehension .

If you’re ready to start studying for another part of the AP English Exam, find more expert tips in our How to Write the AP Lang Synthesis and How to Write the AP Lang Rhetorical Essay blog posts.

• High School Success

Christina Wood

Christina Wood holds a BA in Literature & Writing from UC San Diego, an MFA in Creative Writing from Washington University in St. Louis, and is currently a Doctoral Candidate in English at the University of Georgia, where she teaches creative writing and first-year composition courses. Christina has published fiction and nonfiction in numerous publications, including The Paris Review , McSweeney’s , Granta , Virginia Quarterly Review , The Sewanee Review , Mississippi Review , and Puerto del Sol , among others. Her story “The Astronaut” won the 2018 Shirley Jackson Award for short fiction and received a “Distinguished Stories” mention in the 2019 Best American Short Stories anthology.

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Crafting an Impressive Argumentative Essay for AP Lang

Writing an argumentative essay for AP Language and Composition requires a strategic approach to effectively convey your perspective. Here's a guide to crafting an impressive argumentative essay:

1. Understand the Prompt:

   - Tip: Carefully read and analyze the prompt. Identify the key elements, including the task you are asked to perform and any specific requirements or constraints.

2. Develop a Clear Thesis Statement:

   - Tip: Formulate a concise and focused thesis statement that clearly states your argument or position. This statement should guide the reader on what to expect in your essay.

3. Identify Your Audience:

   - Tip: Consider your target audience and tailor your language and arguments accordingly. Understanding your audience helps you establish a connection and effectively convey your message.

4. Organize Your Essay Effectively:

   - Tip: Structure your essay with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Ensure a logical flow of ideas, with each paragraph contributing to the overall argument.

5. Provide Context and Background:

   - Tip: Begin with a brief introduction that provides context for your argument. Clearly state the issue at hand and offer background information to help readers understand the significance of your argument.

6. Present a Strong Claim:

   - Tip: Clearly articulate your main claim or argument. This should be a debatable statement that forms the core of your essay. Avoid vague or overly broad claims.

7. Support Your Argument with Evidence:

   - Tip: Use relevant and compelling evidence to support your claims. This can include facts, statistics, examples, anecdotes, or quotations. Ensure that your evidence is credible and directly contributes to your argument.

8. Address Counterarguments:

   - Tip: Acknowledge potential counterarguments and address them in your essay. This demonstrates a nuanced understanding of the issue and strengthens your overall argument.

9. Use Persuasive Language:

    - Tip: Choose language that is persuasive and impactful. Utilize rhetorical devices, vivid imagery, and compelling language to engage your readers and convey the urgency or importance of your argument.

10. Craft Well-Reasoned Body Paragraphs:

    - Tip: Dedicate separate paragraphs to different aspects of your argument. Each paragraph should have a clear topic sentence, supporting evidence, and a concise explanation of how the evidence relates to your thesis.

11. Ensure Cohesive Transitions:

    - Tip: Use transitional phrases and sentences to ensure a smooth transition between paragraphs. This enhances the coherence of your essay and guides readers through your line of reasoning.

12. Conclude Effectively:

    - Tip: Summarize your main points in the conclusion and restate the significance of your argument. Avoid introducing new information in the conclusion. End with a strong closing statement that leaves a lasting impression.

13. Revise and Edit:

    - Tip: Set aside time for revision and editing. Review your essay for clarity, coherence, and grammatical accuracy. Ensure that your argument is compelling and well-supported.

14. Seek Feedback:

    - Tip: If possible, seek feedback from peers, teachers, or mentors. External perspectives can provide valuable insights and help you identify areas for improvement.

15. Stay Focused on the Argument:

    - Tip: Throughout the essay, stay focused on your central argument. Avoid unnecessary tangents or diverging from the main point. Every part of your essay should contribute to strengthening your overall argument.

Crafting an impressive argumentative essay for AP Language and Composition involves a combination of persuasive writing techniques, solid evidence, and effective organization. By following these tips, you can create a compelling essay that showcases your ability to engage in sophisticated argumentation and rhetorical analysis.

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Ultimate Guide to the AP English Language and Composition Exam

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The AP Language and Composition exam is one of the most popular exams taken year after year. In fact, in 2019, over 10% of the more than five million students who took AP exams took the Language and Composition test. AP Lang is most often taken by high school juniors, many of whom go on to take the AP English Literature exam their senior year. Plenty of seniors and even sophomores take this test too though, contributing to its popularity. If you’re planning to take the AP Language and Composition exam, whether you have taken the class or self-studied, look no further. Here’s our complete guide to the AP Lang exam, full of expert tips and free study resources.

When is the AP Language and Composition Exam?

On Wednesday, May 6, at 8 am, the College Board will hold the 2020 AP Language and Composition exam. For a comprehensive listing of all the AP exam times and AP score distributions from 2019, check out our post 2020 AP Exam Schedule: Everything You Need to Know .    

About the AP Language and Composition Exam

The AP Language and Composition exam is based primarily on the study of rhetoric, wherein an author attempts to persuade, inform, or motivate an audience using established techniques. The College Board encourages students who are interested in studying and writing various kinds of analytic or persuasive essays on nonliterary topics to take this course. It tests students on their reading comprehension, rhetorical analysis, synthesis of information, and written argumentation.

Big Ideas: The AP Language and Composition exam is built on a foundation of four big ideas. Big ideas are threads that run throughout the AP Language and Composition course that are vital for making connections and developing a deeper understanding of concepts found within it. The four big ideas are: 

• Rhetorical Situation: Understanding what an author is communicating, how they convey that message, and what the impact of their rhetorical strategies are.
• Claims and Evidence: Making claims and justifying them, while acknowledging or responding to opposing arguments. 
• Reasoning and Organization: Guiding a reader’s understanding of text through its organization and the development of its argument. 
• Style: The stylistic choices writers make and their impact. 

Course Skills: Along with exploring and connecting concepts with big ideas, students will develop eight course skills—four sets of two paired reading and writing skills—necessary for analyzing and composing arguments. The course skills and the weight they’re given on the multiple-choice section of the AP Language and Composition exam are: 

  About the AP Language and Composition Exam Content

The Language and Composition exam is one of the longer AP exams, clocking in at 3 hours and 15 minutes from start to finish. The Language and Composition exam is structured in two sections—one featuring multiple-choice, the other free-response questions. 

Section 1: Multiple Choice 

1 hour | 45 questions | 45% of score

There have been some changes to the AP Language and Composition Exam for 2020. The first section remains one hour long and is still worth 45% of your score, but the number of questions has shrunk from 52-55 to 45. The variance in types of questions asked is also now more clearly defined—questions are now presented in 5 sets with 23-25 reading questions (reading and analyzing nonfiction texts) and 20-22 writing questions (“read like a writer” and consider revisions to stimulus texts), both of which will use shorter stimuli than previous exams. Below is the structure of the multiple-choice section of the AP Language and Composition exam. 

Sample of a multiple-choice reading question: 

Sample multiple-choice writing question: 

Section 2: Free Response

2 hour 15 minutes | 3 questions | 55% of score

The second section takes 2 hours and 15 minutes to complete and consists of 3 free response questions worth 55% of your score. These prompts are each of a different type: one synthesis question, one passage analysis, and one argumentative essay.

Synthesis Question: The synthesis question asks students to consider a scenario and then formulate a response to a specific element of it using at least three accompanying sources for support. Sources used in the essay need to be cited to be considered legitimate.  

Sample synthesis free response question: 

Analysis Question: The analysis question asks students to read a short passage and analyze and discuss various devices used by the author, such as strategies, argumentative techniques, or motivations. 

Sample analysis free response question: 

Argument Question: The argument question gives a position in the form of an assertion from a documented source and asks students to form their own argument to defend, challenge, or qualify it using supporting evidence. 

Sample argument free response question: 

The format of the free response section is unchanged this year; however, the scoring has shifted from a holistic rubric to an analytic rubric. The new rubric hasn’t been released, but you can gain insight into what type of answers the College Board is looking for by reading the sample free response questions found in the AP Language and Composition Course and Exam Description . 

AP Language and Composition Score Distribution, Average Score, and Passing Rate

In 2019, 54.3% of the students who took the AP English Language and Composition exam received a score of 3 or higher. Only 9.9% of students who took the exam achieved the top score of 5, and 14.5% of students who took the exam scored a 1. That said, students take the course seriously and prepare diligently will often find that the test is not as difficult as the results indicate.

 If you’re curious about other score distributions, see our post Easiest and Hardest AP Exams .

Best Ways to Study for the AP Language and Composition Exam

Step 1: assess your skills.

Take a practice test to assess your initial knowledge. Though the College Board AP Language and Composition website provides a number of sample test questions, it does not provide a complete sample test. You can find a practice test in many of the official study guides, and some even include a diagnostic test to act as your initial assessment. Varsity Tutors offers a handful of free AP Language and Composition diagnostic tests on its website. You’ll also find a free practice exam from College Countdown to use for your assessment. 

Once you have taken some kind of formative assessment, score it to identify your areas of strength and areas in need of improvement. It can be helpful to have a teacher or friend score your free-response essays, as these are a bit more subjective than the multiple-choice section. With an accurate formative assessment, you’ll have a better idea of where to focus your studying efforts.

Step 2: Know Your Material

In the case of AP English Language and Composition, this means focusing on your reading and writing skills.

When reading, make sure to preview important elements such as the title, author’s name, and any other information available like the table of contents or introduction. As you read, make sure to stop periodically to consider the main ideas and the way the author supports them. Underline important evidence as you go. Reread complex or important sentences.      

One consultant to the College Board writes about the “SOAPSTone” approach to reading, which is an acronym for a series of questions that students should ask themselves when analyzing a 

piece of prose. The questions are:

• Who is the Speaker?
• What is the Occasion?
• Who is the Audience?
• What is the Purpose?
• What is the Subject?
• What is the Tone?

For more about using this technique, read about it on the College Board website .

Writing high-quality free-response essays takes practice and time. Make sure to organize your ideas using a rough outline before you begin writing. Use direct evidence from the text to support your ideas, and quote judiciously with correct citations. As you’re writing, be aware of rhetorical elements and use them effectively.

For more specific information about the test, consider using a formal study guide, such as Barron’s AP English Language and Composition, 7th Edition or the Princeton Review’s Cracking the AP English Language & Composition Exam 2020, Premium Edition . 

Alternatively, there are many online study resources available. Some AP teachers have even published their own study guides or review sheets online, like this AP Lang guide by Mrs. Smith at Pinnacle High School.

Another way to study is to use one of the recently-developed apps for AP exams. These are a great way to get practice questions in while on-the-go. Make sure you read reviews before choosing one, as their quality varies widely. This AP Lang app by Varsity Tutors has decent reviews, and might be worth checking out.

Step 3: Practice Multiple-Choice Questions

Once you have your theory down, test it out by practicing multiple-choice questions. You can find these in most study guides or through online searches. Here are some AP Lang practice questions and tests , and more are available in the College Board’s course description .

Try to keep track of which areas are still tripping you up, and go back over this theory again. Keep in mind, the key to answering questions correctly is understanding the passage, so practice active reading skills as you tackle the multiple-choice questions. This includes underlining, mouthing words, and circling key points. Remember, the answer will always be found in the text.

Step 4: Practice Free-Response Essays

As indicated on your exam, it is recommended that you spend 15 minutes reading the question, analyzing, and evaluating the sources, and 40 minutes writing your response. Try to stick to this timeline when practicing your free-response essays to see if it works for you. You do not have to follow it on exam day, but having a good idea of how much time it typically takes for you to plan and write will be an advantage.

As you tackle your open responses, identify what each is asking you to do. When asked to synthesize, you know you will be taking pieces of evidence from multiple sources to form a single argument. Use specific examples and make them stand out by explicitly stating, “For example…” or “As Source C indicates in paragraph 3…” Also, be sure to cite your sources appropriately while writing.

When writing an analysis of rhetorical strategies used, first consider the elements of SOAPSTone as discussed above. Also consider the five canons of rhetoric . This means thinking about the author’s invention, arrangement, and style. Memory and delivery are obviously less apparent in written pieces, but their roles in a speech are still important. As you read, try to underline specific places that highlight relevant examples.   

Finally, when writing your own persuasive argument, support your ideas with concrete examples from current events, literature, etc. Try to vary your sources to build credibility and address counterpoints to craft an even stronger response.

As you prepare for the writing portion of your exam, be sure to review how your free responses will be scored. The College Board supplies free response questions and authentic scored student responses with written explanations dating back to 1999; these are an invaluable tool for this exercise.

Step 5: Take Another Practice Test

Take another practice test to evaluate the progression of your knowledge, as well as identify persistent areas of weakness. Study.com offers a free online practice AP Language and Composition exam . Over time, you should begin to notice areas in which your studying should be increased and those which you are strong in. Repeat the above steps if time permits to incrementally increase your score. 

Step 6: Exam Day Specifics

If you’re taking the AP course associated with this exam, your teacher will walk you through how to register. If you’re self-studying, check out our blog post How to Self-Register for AP Exams .

For information about what to bring to the exam, see our post What Should I Bring to My AP Exam (And What Should I Definitely Leave at Home)?

Want access to expert college guidance — for free? When you create your free CollegeVine account, you will find out your real admissions chances, build a best-fit school list, learn how to improve your profile, and get your questions answered by experts and peers—all for free. Sign up for your CollegeVine account today to get a boost on your college journey.

For more guidance about the AP exams, check out these other informative articles: 

2020 AP Exam Schedule

How Long is Each AP Exam?

Easiest and Hardest AP Exams

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

AP® English Language

How to master ap® english language arguing.

• The Albert Team
• Last Updated On: March 1, 2022

Acing the AP® English Language and Composition exam is no easy feat, but it can definitely be accomplished. Lang represents most high school students’ first foray into the world of AP® English exams, as it is traditionally taught before AP® English Literature and Composition. Between the two AP® English exams, it is definitely the easier test, as it is more skills-based than the Lit test and therefore more straightforward to master.

Don’t be fooled by the fact that this is an English class, or by the fact that your teacher may (and likely will) decide to pile novel after novel onto your syllabus. The trick to doing well on this exam does not hinge upon your ability to manipulate literary devices such as similies and metaphors. Memorizing the plots of novels and scouring cram books will be of limited use. In the end, doing well on AP® Lang will actually mean becoming a master of argumentation, plain and simple. Instead, reading, understanding, and practicing the usage of argumentative tactics will get you a 5.

There are of course two parts to this exam – essays and multiple-choice. 45% of the exam is actually purely multiple-choice based. This is the part you will need the cram book for the most. Practice test after practice test is the key, as the exam tests a large range of technical terminology related to argumentation. For both the multiple choice and the essay questions, it will be important to understand such terms and have them memorized. If your teacher hasn’t made up a list of such terms for you to study, there are plenty on the Internet and they also feature in cram books.

While cram books are important for taking practice multiple-choice exams (as on other exams, there are only so many variations you can ask on similar questions year to year, so taking as many exams as possible and reviewing the answers is highly recommended), they are of limited importance for this exam’s three essay questions. I hardly looked at my cram book except insofar as I wanted to review some key terms and go over exam questions. Don’t panic, though, there is definitely a plan for doing well on the essays, even if it is not as straightforward as plunking down with a cram book for a month. I would recommend reading great arguments, identifying their theses, the rhetorical strengths and strategies used within them (such as paradoxes, ethos, pathos) as well as weaknesses (such as straw man arguments and ad hominem fallacies). My experience dissecting famous works of argumentation such as Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal and Mary Wollstencraft’s Vindication of the Rights of Women was invaluable on exam day.

Once you’ve prepared sufficiently for the exam by reading the writings of great masters of argumentation, the task of actually writing an essay is at hand. While there is a time and a place for deeply creative writing, acing this section of the AP® exam really comes down to how well you’ve mastered a formula, which I will outline below:

Introduction paragraph

This paragraph is key because it is your first impression on your essay reader. It is crucial to open strong.

• Hook and/or Background

o   Include some background/historical information to open the first paragraph, along with or instead of an interesting “hook” to get your reader’s attention

• Argument/thesis

o   This is perhaps the most crucial part of this essay. While the thesis is always important, it is especially crucial to make a definitive statement that you are capable of defending with the evidence.

o   Key tips to remember :

• There are no “wrong” theses, only poorly defended ones. Make sure that whatever you say, you root it firmly in the evidence.
• Pick a side. You don’t have to actually agree with it as long as it is, once again, firmly rooted in the evidence .

o   This is where you ease the reader into the structure of your paper. While you want to make sure you discuss argumentative devices such as ad-hominem attacks and paradoxes, you want to be careful not to turn your essay into a list of terms. This makes for a choppy, amateurish paper that will not merit full points.

o   Key tip : pick a flowing, appealing structure for your paper. You can build your argument (and discuss rhetorical terms) by chronologically dissecting an issue or narrative.

• Note that you do not need to list all the strategies. You just need to make it clear how the paper will flow and how you will support your thesis.

o   Key tip : the very best essays make concessions to the other side of the argument. You can get the concession over with at the beginning or the end of the paper, just make sure that when you make a reasonable concession it does not overshadow your main argument.

First body paragraph + argument

Each body paragraph should be at least five-eight sentences long and should include 1-2 pieces of evidence to support your argument.

• First topic sentence/transition from thesis

o   Make sure you effectively transition from the thesis to the first piece of evidence. It can be a simple transitional sentence, but it is always important to remember to transition.

• Set-up first piece of argument

o   Remember, you are trying to create an eloquent, easy to understand experience. Briefly situate the reader in the context of the argument you are discussing.

• First piece of evidence

o   This can be a paraphrased excerpt or a direct quote.

• Analyze first piece of evidence

o   This is crucial: do not merely state evidence/terms, rather, analyze them and offer something new .

• Transition to second piece of evidence or the next paragraph

o   This depends on how many pieces of evidence fit in with this type of argumentative issue/device. It’s important to resist the urge to “megagraph” aka, the creation of huge, meandering paragraphs chockfull of evidence. If you do this, your meaning will get lost. Instead, stick with six succinct paragraphs with selectively chosen, strong evidence that supports your thesis and shows what you know.

While this may seem like a lot to tackle, if you break your studying up into at least a month’s worth of time you will be golden. The key, just like any other AP® exam, is practice. Practice this formula, memorize those terms, take as many practice exams as you can, and you will be good to go!

By the way, you should check out Albert.io for your AP® English Language review. We have hundreds of AP® English Language practice questions written just for you!

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2 thoughts on “how to master ap® english language arguing”.

Thanks for this helpful information.

You’re welcome, Cassandra! Good luck!

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