2. Notice that it’s
YOUR position!
Also, readers
want to see all
three types of
ways to
integrate
sources (think
research paper
notecards)

3. Notice that the Chief Reader stresses that HIGH-
SCORING ESSAYS focus on issues surrounding a topic—
and the student’s claim about those issues and their
impact on a community. This is what can be done
regardless of the synthesis topic!

4. Pay attention to the fact that saying something is
“good” or “bad”, no matter how fancy the diction,
will impress the readers. They want to see the
impact and ramifications of the issue based on the
information at hand from the sources to make your
decision
Notice that they don’t want to see
SUMMARY, QUOTE, OR
PARAPHRASE WITHOUT YOUR
ARGUMENT: Can you say
“because”?

5. I hope you see a pattern here: if you don’t
address the issues, only restate the info
from the sources, don’t develop an original
claim, or use a five-paragraph formula, you
will make them think you are NOT A
COLLEGE-LEVEL THINKER OR WRITER!
OUCH for you.
Now it’s time
to put the 5-
paragraph
essay where it
belongs—in an
grave labeled
“FAIL”!!

6. Rhetorical Analysis
Notice that if you apply the SOAPSTone, you are
halfway there on addressing the prompt; the
second half depends on explaining how the writer
achieved the purpose. The rhetorical terms (unless
specified in the prompt) don’t drive the response:
recognizing how a writer develops a claim should.

7. Argumentative Essay You have a problem if you completely
misread the prompt: adversity and
advertising—read carefully!
Do you see how
this prompt,
similarly to
synthesis, requires
you to examine a
broader
perspective?

8. The lesson: don’t frighten your AP
Exam readers with your freakiness!
Remember that ONLY on a prompt like
this can you use 1st person “I” and ONLY in
one detail of one sentence.

9. Again, they
DON’T LIKE
THE 5-
PARAGRAPH
FORMULA

10. I hope you see that just STATING your stance
(agree, disagree, or qualify) on the claim is not
sufficient—you MUST connect your examples
(evidence) to your stance on the claim.