When writing an Ap essay, make sure you have these things:
INTRO: the intro should be shorter then the body paragraphs, but not super short. The intro should have a captivating first sentence to grab the reader. The intro should then have the THESIS. the thesis can be more than one sentence. thats important to remember, everyone always thinks it can only be on sentence, but it can be more!!
Body paragraphs: Body paragraphs can should have QUOTES! I always forget quotes from the passage, but really with out them, the essay can't score more then a three. Make sure to add in the DIDLS when you can! (it makes you sound smart) and will help your score out! There should be at least two body paragraphs, but if you can squeeze in a third, even better. Each of the body paragraphs should have a very important first sentence. If not, the reader really won't care that much about it.
Conclusion: The conclusion should have your thesis in there somewhere, but maybe not in the exact words as the top. By doing this, it helps the reader remember what the whole essay was even about. The conclusion should fit your body paragraphs together nicely, and help the reader make the connection, even though they should get it by then, but if not, the conclusion should do the trick.
Little reminders: If the essay is a compare or contrast, which they all mostly are, you can have a form where one paragraph describes the comparisons, and the next should have the contrasts of the two pieces. Sometimes this method is hard to do though. The next method would to compare AND contrast in each paragraph. This one is usually easier, because the reader then doesn't have to go back to the first paragraph to see the connection.
After reading this section of your "Synthesis of Course Material", it felt like more of an informative piece rather than describing how and why essay writing was an important aspect of the AP Lit class. You want to reflect on your personal experience and how writing AP style essays differentiates from the style that you are usually used to writing in. Moreover, especially with regards to topics of significance such as the thesis, describe how sticking to a template can help start off your essay on a solid base. Lastly, try to bring in some of the novels that you used in your essays and how exactly you incorporated them to reinforce your argument. By doing so, you will be able to more effectively illustrate how to write a complete essay answering all the goals of the prompt in a plain-style and directed manner.
ReplyDeleteThese are good points that you're bringing up about essay writing, and it's good that you've learned all of those things over the course of the year. I've also thought that practice with writing essays in class and on the blogs has been very helpful.
ReplyDeleteWhen you write things like "Each of the body paragraphs should have a very important first sentence. If not, the reader really won't care that much about it" I am worried that you still don't understand the purpose of a topic sentence, or how to derive it from your thesis. A topic sentence is a claim that you will defend in the paragraph--and it's one section of your thesis.
ReplyDeleteDIDLS aren't something to "add in" to "make you sound smart." DIDLS is a mnemonic (memory) device that we use to categorize literary techniques--therefore, all evidence in support of your claims will necessarily be drawn from DIDLS.
The compare contrast essay is given much less often than other types, not "mostly."
Don't forget, also, that TAP--Thesis Answers Prompt, and that you should always answer the "hidden 'so what' question" (meaning.)