AP English Language: Your Ultimate Study Guide 🚀

Hey there, future AP Lang rockstar! Let's get you prepped and confident for tomorrow. This guide is designed to be your best friend tonight, cutting through the noise and focusing on what really matters. Let's dive in!

Understanding Commentary: Your Secret Weapon 🎯

What is Commentary?

Commentary is where you shine! It's your unique take on a text, showing what ideas it sparks in your mind, what it reminds you of, and what you find interesting. Think of it as your personal analysis, connecting the dots between the evidence and your argument.

Why is Commentary So Important?

• Personality: Commentary injects your voice and perspective into the essay.
• Reasoning: It demonstrates your line of thought, showing how you arrived at your conclusions.
• Argument: It proves how your evidence supports your thesis.

The Rhetorical Situation: The Foundation of Commentary 🏛️

Your commentary is always shaped by the rhetorical situation, which includes:

• Writer/Speaker: Who is creating the text?
• Audience: Who is the intended recipient?
• Context: What is the historical, social, or cultural background?
• Exigence: What prompted the creation of the text? (See Unit 4)
• Purpose: What is the goal of the text?
• Argument: What is the main point the text is trying to make?

Action Verbs for Rhetorical Analysis 💪

These verbs will help you articulate the author's rhetorical choices:

• Implies
• Implores
• Justifies
• Notes
• Portrays
• Reveals
• Suggests

Commentary Words: Your Toolkit 🧰

These words will help you express your analysis:

• Implies
• Portrays
• Reveals
• Suggests

Asking the Right Questions: The Detective Work 🕵️‍♀️

Commentary is all about asking the right questions. Be a detective! Here are some questions to guide your analysis:

Author

• What does the author reveal, show, present, emphasize, or suggest?
• What does the author want the reader to understand?

Character/Conflict

• Why does the character make this decision or say this quote?
• What is the character realizing at this point in the story?
• How does this choice change the story?

Language

• What is the point of this conversation?
• Why is this passage or quote effective?
• How does this event show, prove, or explain something?
• How does this quote or passage add to the reader's appreciation of the story or poem?

Analysis

• What does this reveal?
• What does this show?
• What does this demonstrate?

Mastering commentary is crucial for success on the AP Lang exam. It's a skill that's tested in both the multiple-choice and free-response sections.

Commentary Starters: Jumpstart Your Analysis 🚀

Use these sentence starters to kick off your commentary:

• The author reveals/shows/presents/emphasizes/suggests...
• The author wants the reader to understand...
• The character makes this decision/says this quote because...
• At this point in the story, the character is realizing...
• When the character makes this choice we see that...
• In making this choice the story changes in this way...
• The point of this conversation is...
• This passage/quote is effective because...
• This event in the novel shows/proves/explains…
• Because of this…
• This quote/passage adds to the reader’s appreciation of the story/poem because...
• This reveals...
• This shows...
• This demonstrates...

Final Exam Focus: What to Prioritize Tonight 🌟

• Rhetorical Situation: Understand the speaker, purpose, audience, context, and exigence. This is the foundation of all analysis.
• Commentary: Practice connecting evidence to your argument with clear, analytical commentary.
• Action Verbs & Commentary Words: Use precise language to articulate the author's choices and their effects.
• Asking Questions: Develop the habit of asking insightful questions about the text to deepen your analysis.

Time Management Tips ⏰

• Read Actively: Annotate and engage with the text while you read.
• Plan Before Writing: Outline your essay to stay organized and focused.
• Prioritize Commentary: Make sure you have enough time to develop your analysis.
• Don't Get Stuck: If you're struggling with a question, move on and come back to it later.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid ⚠️

• Summarizing Instead of Analyzing: Don't just retell the plot; explain its significance.
• Vague Language: Use precise words to convey your analysis.
• Ignoring the Rhetorical Situation: Always consider the context and purpose of the text.
• Lack of Commentary: Don't just drop quotes; explain their relevance.

Practice Questions 📝

Practice Question

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which of the following best describes the function of commentary in a rhetorical analysis essay? a) To summarize the main points of the text. b) To provide evidence from the text. c) To explain the significance of the evidence and its connection to the argument. d) To restate the thesis in different words.

2. When analyzing a text, what is the primary purpose of considering the rhetorical situation? a) To identify the author's personal biases. b) To understand the context, audience, and purpose of the text. c) To determine the length of the text. d) To evaluate the author's writing style.

Free Response Question

Prompt: Read the following excerpt from a speech by a prominent civil rights leader and analyze the rhetorical strategies used to convey their message. In your response, be sure to address the rhetorical situation and include commentary on the effectiveness of the strategies.

*Excerpt: "We stand here today not as supplicants, not as beggars, but as citizens demanding the full measure of our rights. The time for polite requests is over. The time for action is now. We will not be silenced. We will not be ignored. We will not be denied the freedoms that are rightfully ours. Let our voices ring out from every corner of this nation, until justice is served."

Scoring Breakdown:

• Thesis (1 point): A clear, defensible thesis that identifies the speaker's purpose and main argument.
• Evidence (2-3 points): Selection of relevant evidence from the text that supports the thesis.
• Commentary (4-6 points): Explanation of the rhetorical strategies used by the speaker, how they function, and why they are effective in achieving their purpose. Must address the rhetorical situation.
• Sophistication (1 point): Demonstrates a nuanced understanding of the text and its complexities.

You've got this! Go get 'em! 💪