Introduction to the AP
Exam, Rhetoric and
Stylistic Devices
AP Language and Composition
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The AP Language Exam
Before we begin the course,
please read a full description
of the course on College
Board's website.
The AP Language Exam
O Today you will read an entire exam and reflect
on the expectations of the course. The first
part of the exam is Multiple Choice. Every
essay you will read will be non-fiction and will
cover the 17th century to the present. Then
you will be introduced to the 3 different types
of essays on the exam: the synthesis essay,
the rhetorical analysis essay, and the
argumentative essay.
The AP Language Exam
O Throughout this course you will be taught
how to read nonfiction and respond to it
accordingly. You will also be taught how to
write each of the essays. The course will begin
with non-fiction reading and the rhetorical
analysis essay.
The AP Language Exam
O AP Langauge Sample Exam
O Please click on the words above. This link will
take you to a post from The College Board.
Carefully read pages 13-48.
O Page 13 is a brief overview of the exam
followed by multiple choice questions and 4
essays.
The AP Language Exam
O The AP exam focuses around rhetoric, the art
of language. A person with good rhetorical
skills is an effective communicator; they know
how to use language to clearly express what
they wish to convey. Rhetorical analysis
involves the study of rhetoric and how others
have used language to convey their meaning;
we look at what is said as well as how it is
said.
The AP Language Exam
O Throughout this entire course we will focus on
the power of rhetoric: we will learn how to
properly analyze and write about rhetoric, and we
will learn the value of honing our own rhetorical
skills. In May, you will put all that you have learned
to the test - literally! - when you take the AP
Language and Composition exam. Pay close
attention as you move through the items in this
folder as they will provide you with the critical
foundation that you need on this important
concept.
The Conventions of
Rhetoric
An Amateur’s Guide to Rhetorical Elements of Style
What is Rhetoric?
O The Oxford American Dictionary defines
rhetoric as “the art of effective speaking or
writing; language designed to persuade or
impress; eloquence, way with words, gift of
gab.”
Ordinarily speaking, rhetoric is the art of
writing and speaking persuasively,
compellingly. It is made up of all of
those strategies and techniques a writer
will use to make a case, tell a story, or
drive home a point.
All of us are occasionally speakers and writers who try
to sway, influence, or impress a point upon an
audience, and can therefore benefit from mastering
the art of rhetorical expression.
In other words, rhetoric deals
with HOW we say or write what
we say or write, and how those
decisions affect our writing as a
whole.
Rhetorical Analysis cannot only
help us better understand
contextual meaning of texts
that we read, but will also help
us to identify those conventions
of writing that, if properly
employed, will help developing
young writers improve the
quality and clarity of their own
writing.
Conventions?
What conventions?
Some conventions of style include
syntax
(sentence
structure)
diction
(word choice)
point of
view
language devices
tone
imagery
figures of
speech
grammar &
phrasing
parallelisms
repetition
presentation of
detail
organization
Syntax…
O Deals with the grammatical arrangement of
words - whether the subject is at the front or
back of the sentence, whether the passage is
written in passive or active voice, whether the
sentence structure is simple, compound, or
complex.
Diction...
O Refers to the author’s choice of words, which
can be presented on three different levels –
formal (elevated), informal (every-day), and
colloquial (slang / jargon).
Point of View
O Often confused with tone, point of view deals
mostly with consideration of other
viewpoints, and is seen most often in the
narrative or fiction genre. Sometimes and
author will explore point of view in writing in
order to establish a sense of audience
Language Devices
O The English language truly is a masterpiece
of poetry in motion. The sounds and images
that we can create just by manipulating
consonant sounds or through the repetition
of vowel sounds (or via the infamous
onomatopoeia) is tied intricately to meaning.
Tone...
O This element stands alone on the
Rhetorical Triangle, yet can be thought of
in terms of style. Generally, the tone is
the overall attitude the author has
towards his / her subject matter - happy
and carefree, or serious and
condescending? Silly and enigmatic, or
melancholy and desolate? No matter
what the form of writing, the tone is key
to readers’ perceptions of the author’s
message.
Imagery
O Tied to description and playing on
humankind’s natural tendency to visualize
every piece of information that we take in,
creating imagery through the use of language
is crucial to inviting the reader in to stay a
while, to asking them to not only read what
you’ve written, but to become a part of it
themselves, to relate what you’ve written to
their own existence.
Figures of Speech
O From euphemisms to colloquialisms, similes
to metaphors, hyperbole to personification,
figures of speech play an important role in
any writer’s work. They help the writer to
go beyond just saying what they have to say;
figures of speech help them say it with style!
Grammar / Phrasing
O Getting the right word in the right place or the
right phrase in the right space represents the
poetic nature of the written word. The very
nature of the English language offers writers
the liberty of changing word order - the
location of the subject and predicate, of the
object or preposition - for the purpose of
emphasis. An author’s choice in phrasing can
give huge clues to his or her meaning.
Parallelisms
O The precision of parallel structure not only
offers a sense of balance in a sentence or piece
of writing, but it can also be used to emphasize
style, voice, or meaning in a writer’s work.
Other times, writers choose NOT to create
parallel structure in order to force the reader’s
attention to a detail or point - to throw them
intentionally off balance.
Repetition
O Ever since Pavlov and his dogs demonstrated
that repetition is a key to remembrance,
everyone has followed suit, from parents to
teachers to dog trainers. “Good” writers
have figured out that repetition grabs the
reader’s attention, first of all, and then aids
in the reader’s remembrance of their main
points, or an image, or other aspect of their
writing.
Presentation of Detail
O Details are the spice of life. We don’t want
to just know that the school’s hottest couple
has broken up - we want all the juicy tidbits
of the how and where and why. The way an
author chooses to present details - vivid and
exciting or mechanical and matter of fact will reveal much about the author’s meaning
and intentions.
Through careful analysis of an
author’s style, we can not only make
connections between style and
meaning, but we can apply that same
connection to our own writing, which
will help us to make conscious
decisions about our own writing
Maya Angelo on the Power of Words