Lesson 1
Understanding the
Essay Prompt
1
All AP essays are written in
response to an essay “prompt.”
Understanding what this
prompt asks you to do is the
first important skill you need
to acquire.
2
Here are two examples

Sample DBQ prompt:
– How successful was organized labor in
improving the position of workers in the period
from 1875 to 1900? Analyze the factors that
contributed to the level of success achieved.

Sample free response prompt:
– Compare and contrast United States foreign
policy after the First World War and after the
Second World War. Consider the periods
1919-1928 and 1945-1950.
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Tip #1

The first thing you need to do is to read the
WHOLE prompt, every word of it. This is
especially true if the prompt is in two sentences
like this one. . .
– How successful was organized labor in improving
the position of workers in the period from 1875 to
1900? Analyze the factors that contributed to the
level of success achieved.

The first mistake that many students make is in
reading and answering only part of the prompt.
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Tip #2

Having read the whole prompt, circle or
underline the VERBS. These words will give
you your task.
– How successful was organized labor in improving
the position of workers in the period from 1875 to
1900? Analyze the factors that contributed to the
level of success achieved.

The important verb, and thus your task, is in
the second sentence: ANALYZE.
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Tip #3

After finding the verbs, look carefully and mark
any CONJUNCTIONS and circle or underline
them. For instance
– Compare and contrast United States foreign policy
after the First World War and after the Second
World War. Consider the periods 1919-1928 and
1945-1950.

You must compare AND contrast these periods
to successfully complete the task. Doing only
one or the other will lower your score.
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Tip #4
Go back and look carefully at the VERB in
the prompt.
 This word will tell you what you are
expected to do.
 The following is a list of commonly used
verbs and explanations for the tasks they
indicate. These are verbs the College Board
has used recently.

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Commonly used verbs and
verb phrases

Analyze
– Explain how AND why something occurred.
Any question that uses “how” and/or “why” is
an analysis question even if the word “analyze”
is not in the prompt.

Assess the validity
– How true is the statement. The statement
doesn’t have to be all true; it can be true in one
instance or circumstance and false in another.
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Commonly used Verbs
(continued)

Evaluate
– Which factor was most important. You usually
need to rank several events or factors and
specify which is most and which is least
significant.

To what extent
– This prompt frequently requires you to specify
a cause and effect relationship and then state
which causes were more important.
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Commonly used Verbs
(continued)

Compare AND contrast
– To do this correctly you need to discuss BOTH
similarities AND differences between two
events or periods. It is important to do both in
a balanced way without shortchanging either.

Discuss or Consider
– These are frequently used in free response
prompts. They should be written as analysis
essays.
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Tip #5
Define any terms in the prompt that you need
to explain.
 For instance, a recent essay prompt asked
students to assess the validity of this
statement: “Reform movements in the United
States sought to expand democratic ideals.”
 Jot down some “democratic ideals” and be
prepared to explain how they are democratic.
Failing to do this will lower your score.

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Tip #6
Clearly understand the time period in the
prompt.
 If the prompt asks you to discuss reform
between 1865 and 1900, you must include
information for the WHOLE time period.
 You can help yourself do this by listing
information from the last 10 years of the
time period in the prompt FIRST, then
working backward with your details.

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Tip #7
After you are clear as to your task (analyze,
evaluate, etc.) sketch out a quick, informal
outline of how you are going to proceed. This is
very important to guaranteeing that you cover
the whole prompt.
 For instance, if you were writing the following
prompt. . .

– Compare and contrast United States foreign policy
after the First World War and after the Second World
War. Consider the periods 1919-1928 and 19451950.
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



You might jot down a
simple “outline” like
the one at the right.
You would list things
that were similar in
BOTH periods,
Then list the
differences in BOTH
periods.
Your essay would then
have either four body
paragraphs as indicated
by the circles
1919-1928
1945-1950
similarities
differences
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

Or you might have two
longer and more
involved paragraphs as
indicated by the two
ovals.
In either case, you
would have organized
your thinking so that
you cover all of the
material you need to
cover to address the
prompt completely.
1919-1928
1945-1950
similarities
differences
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Lesson 1 Summary
Read the WHOLE prompt!
 Mark the VERBS and the
CONJUNCTIONS in the prompt.
 Think about that verb. What, exactly, are
you being asked to do. Consider the whole
prompt.
 ORGANIZE your thinking BEFORE you
begin writing.

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