What is essay question 3 of the AP English exam?

-It is known as the open ended essay question and does not come with a literary passage.

-It is part of the second portion of the AP English exam where you are given a question and are expected to analyze it with the support of literary works. The question is usually a statement about life or literature and then you are provided with a list of literary works that apply to the question. You have the freedom to choose any work to write about in response to the question.

-It will take approximately 45 minutes to complete.

**Click the picture above to see essay questions from previous AP English exams.**

How do we approach the question and essay?

1.Underline the essay question.

2.Circle key words of the essay question.

3.Write down books that can support the question before looking at the books suggested. It can be any book that you studied in your English class, or have read independently.

4.Quickly outline what each paragraph will contain to support the essay question

**Literary elements and devices are appropriate and important to the essay question.**

What is expected of your essay?

-Thesis always addresses the essay question

-Shows a sophisticated understanding of the reading

-Wide range of vocabulary

-Strong analysis and connection between the literary work and the essay question

-Strong conclusion

-Include author's name and title of the book throughout you essay

-Show hints of the essay question throughout your essay without directly stating it

-Use literary elements and devices used in the work to support your ideas in the essay question (EXAMPLE: characterization, tone, theme, genre, symbolism, conflict etc.)

**BE SURE TO RELATE THE TOPIC TO THE WORK AS A WHOLE. (explain how it affects the outcome of the story, characters and the way readers perceive the story)**

What should you avoid when writing your essay?

-Plot summary

-Repetition

-There is no need for attention grabbers (straight forward)

-Going off topic

-Stressing the length of paragraphs in your essay (as long as your essay contains all the right information, you don’t need to have long paragraphs)

-Jumping from one topic to another (make sure your essay flows and continuously connects with the essay question)

-Lack of structure

-Unnecessary details

-Abbreviations

Click this to see the open-ended essay question from the 2007 AP English exam.

Click this to see a sample essay that corresponds with the 2007 open-ended question.

Click this to see the essay rubric in which you will be graded on.