AP Language and Composition Exam Review

This flashcard set covers the structure of the AP Lang exam, including both MCQ and FRQ sections, key rhetorical tools, and essay-specific strategies.

Synthesis Essay

An essay where the writer is given $6-7$ sources and must combine at least $3$ of them to support a claim and build an argument.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay

An essay that analyzes how an author builds their argument, focusing on tone, word choice, structure, and rhetorical appeals.

Argument Essay

An essay where the writer takes a position on a prompt and defends it using personal knowledge, history, and real-life examples instead of provided sources.

Rhetorical Situation

The collective set of factors including the Speaker, Audience, Purpose, Context, and Exigence that define the origin of a text.

Exigence

The specific reason or need for a text within a rhetorical situation.

Diction

The author's word choice, which can be categorized as formal, informal, loaded, or colloquial, used to shape the reader's feelings.

Tone

The author's attitude toward the subject, audience, or occasion, which is created through diction, examples, and sentence style.

Imagery

Language that appeals to the senses or creates vivid mental pictures to make abstract ideas feel more concrete.

Syntax

The arrangement and structure of sentences, including length, repetition, parallel structure, and punctuation, which controls pacing and emphasis.

Ethos

A persuasive appeal to credibility, trust, authority, or character, often established by mentioning expertise or using a measured tone.

Pathos

A persuasive appeal to emotion, intended to make the audience feel specific sentiments such as pity, pride, outrage, or fear.

Logos

A persuasive appeal to logic and reason using statistics, expert evidence, facts, and cause-and-effect reasoning.

Commentary

The analytical explanation in an essay that connects evidence to the thesis by explaining why the evidence matters and how it supports the argument.

Function Questions

MCQ questions that ask what a specific sentence or paragraph does within a passage, such as providing an example or introducing a counterargument.

Tone Shift

A change in the author's attitude, often signaled by transition words like "however," "yet," "but," or "nevertheless."

Parallel Structure

A syntactical tool that uses repetitive grammatical patterns to create rhythm and strengthen the momentum of an argument.

Thesis

A clear statement of the writer's position or stance that earns $1$ point on the $1-6$ point scoring scale for each essay.

Sophistication

The final point on the essay scoring rubric awarded for complex understanding or a nuanced argument.