Argument in ap language and composition

Argument and the AP Test On the AP test, you will be asked to write an argumentative essay. Typically, you will be given either a quotation or a short passage that presents a claim. You will be asked to do one of the following tasks: Take a position and support it with appropriate evidence Discuss the pros and cons and then take a position Discuss both sides of a controversy and then propose a resolution Defend, challenge, or qualify (the assertion)

In your introduction: Introduce the issue- Make a statement that explains what the controversy is. (See your green sheets for more specific information about this.) State your position (claim)- There’s no rule that says this has to be in your introduction. It could be in your second paragraph, but I wouldn’t wait any longer than that. I cannot overstate how important it is that you make sure that you state a clear position on the issue. Without this, you really have no shot at a score above a 4.

Each body paragraph: Use evidence to support your claim.-What is evidence? See your green “Essential Guide.” Provide commentary to explain what the evidence shows. In the paragraph, write sentences to explain, comment, and expand upon the evidence, showing how it connects to and supports the idea you stated in your claim sentence.

Argument and the AP Test No matter what the prompt for the AP test asks you to do, you must support your assertions with specific, relevant evidence: This paragraph is NOT specific— “Muckrakers” cause more problems than they do good. We do not need people in our society gathering up gossip and juicy information on people and exposing it. Building up to the most recent presidential election, and then following that election, people were spreading as much negative information as they could about Donald Trump. How does this help anyone?

Argument and the AP Test No matter what the prompt for the AP test asks you to do, you must support your assertions with specific, relevant evidence: This paragraph is MUCH better— “Muckrakers” serve a valuable purpose in our society. It’s true that much of the information journalists share in our current 24-hour news cycle is juicy gossip, but some of the information exposed by these investigative journalists is of great importance to our country. Building up to the most recent presidential election, and then following that election, journalists exposed information about Hilary Clinton using her personal email for national business and about Donald Trump making inappropriate comments about women. No matter which candidate a person was supporting, we, as the public, should have this information so that we can make informed decisions.

A few important tips Educate yourself between now and May. Watch the news. Read. The more you know about the world, the more you’ll have to draw from. PLAN your essay before you write. Think through the prompt. Make sure you know what you have to take a position on. Plan the strategy you will use in each body paragraph.

Common Mistakes Not taking a clear position or wavering between positions Focusing on the wrong thing because you didn’t pay enough attention to the prompt Not being aware of what “evidence” is Writing something that is “good enough” instead of really working to develop your argument with actual strategies