1. THE AP ESSAY
ADVICE FROM
AP SCORER

2. 1.
DO NOT BEGIN WRITING UNTIL YOU HAVE FULLY COMPREHENDED THE PROMPT.

3. Analyze prompt Rewrite task in your own words.
Underline key words in the prompt.

4. 2.
ADVISE STUDENTS TO WRITE DIRECTLY ON THE PASSAGE AND MAKE QUICK NOTES AND OUTLINES.

5. 3.
LACK OF ORGANIZATION IS HARD TO DISGUISE.

6. 4.
ACTIVE PLANNING COULD TAKE 5 MINUTES OR SO, BUT IT IS WORTH THE TIME.

7. 5.
AP READERS ARE INSTRUCTED TO READ THE ENTIRE ESSAY TO AVOID BEING PREJUDICED BY WEAK INTRODUCTIONS.

8. 6.
A STRONG INTRODUCTION CAN BE A REAL BOON TO A GRADE, HOWEVER.

9. 7. THINGS TO AVOID IN AP ESSAY INTRODUCTIONS:
MISPLACED PRAISE (Shakespeare is the world’s greatest writer.)
GENERALITIES THAT HAVE LITTLE BEARING ON PIECE (E.G., ALL PEOPLE AT SOME TIME HAVE BEEN EMBARRASSED BY THEIR PARENTS…)

10. 8.
AVOID ONE SENTENCE, PERFUNCTORY INTRODUCTIONS, ESPECIALLY ONES THAT REPEAT THE PROMPT.
SUGGESTS LACK OF EFFORT.
Disregard!

11. 9.
ANSWER THE PROMPT IN THE INTRODUCTION. SHOWS UNDERSTANDING OF QUESTION. IMPRESSES READER.

12. 10. SMALL MATTER, BUT INDENT FOR PARAGRAPHS!
PAPERS WITHOUT PARAGRAPHS CONFUSE READER.

13. 11.
WITHOUT PARAGRAPHS, BAD SIGN FOR READER.

14. 12. MAKE PERTINENT REFERENCES TO TEXT.
USE SPECIFIC QUOTES TO SUPPORT IDEAS.
LONG QUOTES WITHOUT EXPLANATION BOG DOWN PAPER. GIVE IMPRESSION THAT YOU ARE TRYING TO FILL UP SPACE.

15. 13.
AVOID SHORT, CHOPPY SENTENCES.

16. 14.
USE TRANSITION.

17. 15.
EXPERIMENT WITH DIFFERENT SYNTACTICAL DEVICES TO DEVELOP STYLE.

18. 16. Topic Sentences

19. Conclusion Summary Statement: reexamine thesis and reword..
Clincher Statement: closer
Anecdote.
Prediction
Rhetorical question.
Quotation
Ideas taken fromhttps://

20. 16. BE SURE THAT YOUR VOCABULARY FITS.
SOME STUDENTS SCORE ONLY A 2 BECAUSE OF SUPERFLUOUS WORDING.