Transcript read the WHOLE prompt

Lesson 1
Understanding the Essay Prompt
All AP essays are written in response
to an essay “prompt.”
Understanding what the prompt asks
you to do is the first important skill you
need to acquire.
Two examples
Sample DBQ prompt:
How successful was organized labor in improving the
position of workers in the period form 1875 to 1900?
Analyze the factors that contributed to the level of
success achieved.
Sample Free Response prompt:
Compare and contrast United States foreign policy
after the First World War and after the Second World
War. Consider the periods of 1919-1928 and 19451950.
Tip #1
The first thing you need to do is to read the WHOLE prompt,
every word of it. This is especially true if the prompt is in two
sentences like this one…
How successful was organized labor in improving the position
of workers in the period form 1875 to 1900? Analyze the
factors that contributed to the level of success achieved.
The first mistake that many students make is in reading and
answering only part of the prompt.
Having read the who prompt, circle or underline the
VERBS. These words will give you your task.
How successful was organized labor in improving the
position of workers in the period form 1875 to 1900?
Analyze the factors that contributed to the level of
success achieved.
The important verb, and your task, is in the second
sentence: ANALYZE.
Tip # 3
After finding the verbs, look carefully and mark any
CONJUNCTIONS and circle or underline them.
Example…
Compare and contrast United States foreign policy after the
First World War and after the Second World War. Consider
the periods of 1919-1928 and 1945-1950.
You must compare AND contrast these periods to successfully
complete the task. Doing only one or the other will lower
your score.
Tip #4
Go back and look carefully at the VERB in the
prompt.
This word will tell you what you are expected to do.
The following is a list of commonly used verbs and
explanations for the tasks they indicate. These are
verbs the College Board has used recently.
Commonly used verbs and verb
phrases
Analyze
Explain how and why something occurred. Any
question that uses “how” and/or “why” is an
analysis question even if the word “analyze” is not
in the prompt.
Assess the validity
How true is the statement. The statement doesn’t
have to be all true; it can be true in one instance or
circumstance and false in another.
Commonly used Verbs (continued)
Evaluate
Which factor was most important. You usually
need to rank several events or factors and specify
which is most and which is least significant.
To what extent
This prompt frequently requires you to specify a
cause and effect relationship and then state which
causes were more important.
Commonly used Verbs (continued)
Compare AND contrast
To do this correctly you need to discuss BOTH
similarities AND differences between two events or
periods. It is important to present both in a balanced
way without shortchanging either.
Discuss or Consider
These are frequently used in free response prompts.
They should be written as analysis essays.
Tip #5
Define any terms in the prompt that you need to explain.
Example: an essay prompt asked students to assess the
validity of this statement:
Reform movements in the United States sought to expand
democratic ideals.”
Jot down some “democratic ideals” and be prepared to
explain how they are democratic.
Failing to do this will lower your score.
Tip #6
Clearly understand the time period in the
prompt.
If the prompt asks you to discuss reform
between 1865 and 1900, you must included
information for the WHOLE time period.
You can help yourself do this by listing
information from the last 10 years of the time
period in the prompt FIRST, then working
backward with your details.
Tip #7
After you are clear as to your task (analyze, evaluate, etc.), sketch
out a quick, informal outline of how you are going to proceed.
This is very important to guaranteeing that you cover the whole
prompt.
For instance, if you were writing the following prompt.
Compare and contrast United States foreign policy after the First
World War and after the Second World War. Consider the periods
of 1919-1928 and 1945-1950.
You might jot down a simple “outline” like the one below
You would list things that were similar in BOTH periods.
Your essay would then have either four body paragraphs as indicated
by the circles.
1919-1928
Similarities
Differences
1945-1950
Or you might have two
longer and more involved
paragraphs as indicated
by the two ovals.
In either case, you would
have organized our
thinking so that you
cover all of the material
you need to cover to
address the prompt
completely
1919-1928
Similarities
Differences
1945-1950
Lesson 1 Summary
Read the WHOLE prompt!
Mark the VERBS and the CONJUNCTIONS in the
prompt.
Think about that verb. What, exactly, are you
being asked to do. Consider the whole prompt.
Organize your thinking BEFORE you begin
writing.