AP English Language Free Response Help

Overview of the Free Response Questions

The AP Lang exam consists of three free response questions ✍️ Section II lasts 2 hours and 15 minutes total, including a 15-minute reading period at the start of the free-response section and 2 hours of writing time. College Board recommends about 40 minutes per essay. During the reading period, students typically begin with the synthesis sources, but the reading period is part of Section II as a whole.

• Synthesis
• Rhetorical analysis
• Argument

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What each essay actually asks you to do

Here’s the quick breakdown of the three essays so you know exactly what the tasks look like on exam day:

• Question 1: Synthesis — Students read six sources and write an essay that synthesizes material from at least three of the sources to develop their own position on the topic.
• Question 2: Rhetorical Analysis — Students read a nonfiction passage of approximately 600–800 words and analyze the writer's rhetorical choices in relation to the rhetorical situation.
• Question 3: Argument — Students read a prompt that presents an issue, idea, or statement and write an essay that takes a defensible position in response. No sources are provided. Students may draw on evidence from reading, observation, experience, history, current events, or other knowledge as appropriate. To succeed, the essay should present a defensible thesis, use relevant evidence, explain how that evidence supports the line of reasoning, and communicate the argument with appropriate grammar and punctuation.

On the synthesis essay, you will receive six sources. Two are visual, including at least one quantitative source, and the others are text-based. Your essay must use at least three of the sources. When using sources, clearly indicate which source you are using through quotation, paraphrase, or summary. You may cite sources as Source A, Source B, etc., or by using the source description provided in parentheses.

Also, it helps to know how your writing is scored: Each free-response essay—synthesis, rhetorical analysis, and argument—is scored on the same 6-point rubric: 1 point for thesis, 4 points for evidence and commentary, and 1 point for sophistication. On every essay, students need a defensible thesis, specific evidence, commentary that explains how the evidence supports the line of reasoning, and clear control of the argument. The exact evidence differs by task: source material for synthesis, textual evidence from the passage for rhetorical analysis, and appropriate evidence from the student's knowledge for argument.

To dive deeper into each of these essays and how they should be written, check out Fiveable's synthesis overview guide, rhetorical analysis guide, and argument essay guide! They have helpful information specific for each essay, and in this post, we've included some general free response tips from fellow AP Lang students 📝

FRQ Tips

1. Have a cohesive line of reasoning

This is a fantastic piece of general advice. At its core, a line of reasoning is a distinct "thread" that connects your evidence and analysis to create your argument. To establish a line of reasoning, you must ensure your claims, evidence, and analysis all flow together in a clear structure.

A line of reasoning is the logical progression that connects your thesis, evidence, and commentary across the essay. One optional way to think about argument structure is Toulmin's model, but AP readers are not looking for Toulmin terms specifically. What matters on the exam is that your ideas are logically connected, your evidence is relevant, and your commentary explains how the evidence supports your claim.

Line of reasoning, however, is also present in your rhetorical analysis essay. Fundamentally, your rhetorical analysis essay makes an argument about how the writer's rhetorical choices—such as organization, diction, syntax, evidence, comparisons, or appeals—help the writer convey a message, develop an argument, or achieve a purpose for a particular audience. Consequently, having an explicit line of reasoning is crucial, as organization is key to proving your analysis.

Learn even more about line of reasoning in Fiveable's AP Lang 2020 FRQ study guide!

2. Create an outline before writing

You may be wondering, "How can I organize my line of reasoning?" The answer: an outline 📂

One AP Lang student notes:

Each person outlines differently, but there are some core elements that you should include for your outline:

• Thesis statement
• Evidence & accompanying commentary
  • Connection of the evidence/commentary to the thesis
• Transitions between topics or paragraphs
• Synthesis and argument: Counterargument/concession & rebuttal
• Rhetorical analysis: writer, audience, occasion/context, purpose, and message

For rhetorical analysis, identify the rhetorical situation: who the writer is, the audience, the occasion/context, the writer's purpose, and the message. Then analyze how the writer's choices function within that situation.

For synthesis, it also helps to jot down which sources you might use before you start drafting. Since you need at least three sources, you should plan where each source fits into your line of reasoning and how you'll attribute it clearly.

To write an effective outline, you've got to have a clear structure in mind beforehand. Here's a list of rhetorical devices, but remember: in rhetorical analysis, don't just hunt for devices—focus on how the writer's choices work in context.

3. Have an explicit structure when writing your essays

An explicit structure can look several different ways! For instance, for rhetorical analysis, I personally always wrote my body paragraphs in this fashion:

1. Broad strategy that the writer used throughout the passage.
2. Embedded quote or specific textual example.
3. Why did the writer make that choice?
4. How did that choice help the writer achieve their purpose or develop their message?
5. What was the effect of that choice on the audience?
6. Repeat 2-5 for another example that falls under the strategy.
7. Connect the strategy back to the thesis and rhetorical situation.

Your argument's parts should rely on each other and flow together. Similarly, for the argument essay, I would always follow this structure:

1. Subclaim linked to thesis (also known as main claim).
2. First piece of evidence that proves the subclaim.
3. Reasoning that explains how the evidence proves the subclaim.
4. Repeat 2-3.
5. Connect the subclaim to the thesis.

For the synthesis essay, a strong structure might look like this:

1. Subclaim linked to your thesis.
2. Source evidence from one source.
3. Commentary explaining how that source supports the subclaim.
4. Source evidence from another source that adds, qualifies, or complicates the point.
5. Commentary connecting the sources to each other and to your argument.
6. Clear attribution of the sources.

While these structures worked well for me, they may not be as effective for you. To figure out what structure works for your writing, you need to complete practice free response questions! Fiveable assembled a list of past AP Lang prompts dating back to 2008.

4. Practice with timing

Some teachers may tell you that "practice makes perfect," but the more correct motto is "Practice makes permanent. Only perfect practice makes perfect." Using ineffective strategies while in your practice will make that a habit, which could hurt you on exam day.

For instance, you don't want to practice essay writing without setting a timer ⏲️ How you practice should foreshadow (haha AP Lang puns 😆) how you'll perform on exam day.

Remember the actual setup: Section II lasts 2 hours and 15 minutes total, including a 15-minute reading period at the start of the free-response section and 2 hours of writing time. College Board recommends about 40 minutes per essay. During the reading period, students typically begin with the synthesis sources, but the reading period is part of Section II as a whole.

When practicing at first, try different strategies to see what works best for you. Then, develop your own structure, outlining process, and writing style. Just make sure that you're always practicing like it's the real deal!

Closing

All in all, AP Lang free-response questions aren't too hard to tackle as long as you maintain good study habits. Through permanent practice supplemented by a clear structure in your outlines, you'll write effective essays that will blow your teacher and AP reader's socks off 🧦