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Three essays, one MCQ section, all built on the same rhetorical analysis vocabulary.

AP English Language and Composition is one of the most consistently graded AP exams: every essay is scored on a 6-point analytic rubric that breaks cleanly into thesis (1 pt), evidence and commentary (4 pts), and sophistication (1 pt). Students who learn the rubric explicitly tend to gain a full point on each essay within a few weeks.

We focus practice on the synthesis essay (where students integrate 6+ source documents into a single argument) because it has the largest gap between average student performance and a 5-level response, and because the synthesis structure transfers directly to college first-year writing.

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Master AP English Language

Interactive lessons on rhetorical analysis, argumentation, synthesis, and persuasive writing techniques.

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It finds what you already know and builds your study plan: the topics to clear first, each a short lesson plus an exit quiz.

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What's Covered

Unit 1: Rhetorical Situation (Reading)

  • SOAPSTone Analysis
  • Purpose & Audience
  • Exigence & Context
  • Appeals & Rhetorical Choices

Unit 2: Rhetorical Situation (Writing)

  • Writing for an Audience
  • Establishing Purpose
  • Strategic Choices
  • Genre Conventions

Unit 3: Claims & Evidence (Reading)

  • Identifying Claims
  • Evaluating Evidence
  • Types of Support
  • Source Credibility

Unit 4: Claims & Evidence (Writing)

  • Developing a Thesis
  • Selecting Evidence
  • Commentary & Analysis
  • Integrating Sources

Unit 5: Reasoning & Organization (Reading)

  • Line of Reasoning
  • Methods of Development
  • Logical Fallacies
  • Counterargument

Unit 6: Reasoning & Organization (Writing)

  • Organizing an Argument
  • Transitions
  • Cohesion & Coherence
  • Structuring Paragraphs

Unit 7: Style (Reading)

  • Diction & Word Choice
  • Syntax & Sentence Structure
  • Tone & Voice
  • Ethos, Pathos, Logos

Unit 8: Style (Writing)

  • Developing Voice
  • Strategic Syntax
  • Rhetorical Devices
  • Audience Awareness

Unit 9: Developing a Complex Argument

  • Synthesis Essay
  • Rhetorical Analysis Essay
  • Argument Essay
  • Timed Writing Strategies

About the AP English Language Exam

Format

  • • Section I: 45 MCQs in 60 minutes
  • • Section II: 3 FRQs in 135 minutes
  • • Synthesis, rhetorical analysis, and argument essays
  • • Total exam time: 3 hours 15 minutes

Scoring

  • • Score range: 1–5
  • • 5 = Extremely well qualified
  • • ~10% of students score a 5
  • • No penalty for guessing
  • • Most colleges accept 3+

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