Free Response Questions AP Exam Free Response Questions

Three Essays Prose Passage Poetry Passage Open Ended Question

Prose Passage Ex. Question: After reading…,write a well developed essay in which you analyze how (Eliot portrays these two characters and their complex relationship as husband and wife). You may wish to consider such literary devices as (narrative perspective and selection of detail).

Poetry Selection Ex. Question: Read the poem carefully. Then write a well-developed essay in which you analyze (how the poet conveys the complex relationship of the father and son) through use of literary devices such as (point of view and structure).

Tips A strong thesis can be used as the introduction. In order to write a strong thesis Restate the question Use the literary devices they give you! This should be the rule-of- thumb unless you are a VERY strong writer. Add an adjective in front of each device in your thesis statement.

Tips 2.0 Depth over Breadth- Don’t try to cover too much. If you can develop one of the devices they give you very well, it is fine to only do one. I wouldn’t recommend using more than two because your analysis may become superficial. Make sure (for the prose question) to analyze the syntax. This will set your writing apart. In order to get a 9, you need “linguistic flair.” This is something intangible that is developed over a lifetime of reading and writing.

Tips 3.0 If you annotate as you read, you should be able to use those annotations as a rough outline. When answering the poetry response question, the same rules about the thesis and devices apply. The best way to approach this essay is to write about it chronologically. Walk the reader through the poem step by step.

Free Response Question Ex. Question: Choose a character from a novel or play who responds in some significant way to justice or injustice. Then write a well-developed essay in which you analyze the character’s understanding of justice, the degree to which the character’s search for justice is successful, and the significance of this search for the work as a whole. You may choose a work from the list below or another work of comparable literary merit. Do not merely summarize the plot.

Tips This IS NOT a Critical Lens Essay. The question is merely a tool given to you to help you analyze the overall meaning of the work. Identify the tool you are asked to use (a characters understanding of justice) and don’t only explain it! They are looking for why that tool is significant to the overall meaning of the work. Please go to the website to look at more examples of the Open Ended Question.

Timing You have 2 hours for these 3 free response questions. Pace yourself, but be sure to play to your strengths!

Exemplars Sample Questions Question 1 Exemplars Question 2 Exemplars