Cliffs AP English Language and Composition [Paperback]

Barbara V. Swovelin (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0764586858 | ISBN-13: 978-0764586859 | Publication Date: January 2, 2001 | Edition: 2

CliffsAP study guides help you gain an edge on Advanced Placement* exams. Review exercises, realistic practice exams, and effective test-taking strategies are the key to calmer nerves and higher AP* scores.

CliffsAP English Language and Composition, 2nd Edition, is for college-bound students who are preparing to take the AP English Language and Composition Exam, which colleges use to assess your ability to perform college-level work. This easy-to-use guide provides you with insight into both the multiple choice and free-response sections of the exam. Inside, you'll find

• Five full-length practice tests
• A detailed overview of the different types of multiple choice questions
• Explanations of how the essays are scored
• Sample topics with actual student essays
• A diagnostic mini-test to help you assess your test-taking strengths and weaknesses

The exam's multiple choice questions are designed to test your ability to analyze prose passages, and the free response section tests your writing ability in a variety of modes and for a variety of purposes. This guide shows you plenty of examples of each, covering the following areas:

• Rhetoric and rhetorical modes, and author meaning and purpose
• Organization and structure
• The main idea of a passage
• Planning and writing your essay
• Suggestions on writing style
• Plus, a glossary of terms for the multiple choice and free response sections

This comprehensive guide offers a thorough review of key concepts and detailed answer explanations. It’s all you need to do your best — and get the college credits you deserve.

*Advanced Placement Program and AP are registered trademarks of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse this product.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

The inside tips and tricks you need to score big When it comes to pinpointing the stuff you really need to know, nobody does it better than CliffsNotes^™. This fast, efficient test-prep guide delivers a complete program to help boost your score on the Advanced Placement English Language and Composition exam.

• Expert test-taking strategies
• Focused reviews and exercises
• Realistic full-length practice exams
• Comprehensive exam overview
• Action plan for effective preparation
• Accurate self-assessment tests

With a thorough review of key concepts and terms and detailed answer explanations, this comprehensive guide is all you need to do your best — and obtain the college credits you deserve. Visit the Test Prep ThinkTank @ cliffsnotes.com Free test samples and schedules Free test-taking tips and tricks Free info on other test resources Free CliffsNote-A-Day^™ tips Plus hundreds of downloadable Cliffs titles Get the credit you deserve with CliffsAP CliffsAP guides are available for most Advanced Placement exams. See inside for a complete listing of these and other titles from the experts at CliffsNotes.

About the Author

Barbara Swovelin has taught AP and gifted classes since 1982. She is an experienced AP Reader and conducts workshops for teachers for the College Board. Ms. Swovelin also has taught graduate test preparation classes in the LSAT and GMAT at California universities since 1986. She currently teaches at Torrey Pines High School in Del Mar, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Cliffs Notes; 2 edition (January 2, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764586858
• ISBN-13: 978-0764586859
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #409,687 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Barbara V. Swovelin has taught AP and gifted classes since 1982. She is an experienced AP Reader and conducts workshops for teachers for the College Board. She currently teaches at Torrey Pines High School in Del Mar, California.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The ONLY book you'll need, October 12, 2003

By 

Julia (California, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cliffs AP English Language and Composition (Paperback)

This book is definitely the only book necessary for the AP English Language and Composition exam. Especially important for the multiple choice section of the exam, is knowledge of literary term definitions. This book has a short section devoted to clear and coherent definitions of such terms. The other part of the exam consists of writing three essays. While a book cannot teach how to write, this book does an excellent job of helping the test-taker understand what the essay question is asking, and how to answer it. Each essay question is followed by sample essays, and explanations of how each was scored. This book is absolutely essential for the exam, and it helped me get a 5.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent prep book, August 29, 2004

By 

S. Layton (NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cliffs AP English Language and Composition (Paperback)

I basically took the AP Lang exam using only this book to prepare, and I scored a 5. I did walk into it with pretty developed writing skills, but this book helped me understand and improve my literary analysis. I did about ten of the sample essays and one of the multiple choice sections in the practice tests. The student written essays are helpful; the high scoring ones give you a good idea of what the scorers are looking for.
The main thing to keep in mind on the AP Lang test is sounding intelligent is most important, even if your points are simple. As Oscar Wilde so eloquently put it, "In matters of great importance, style, not sincerity, is what really matters."

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not bad. I managed to get a 4 using this book only., December 5, 2004

By 

Ken Jennings "Greg Focker" (Miami, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cliffs AP English Language and Composition (Paperback)

I'll be honest. I think I was well prepared for AP exam way before reading this book. I've had hardcore Honors English 2 to help prep me for the AP class.

I didn't use this book till the week before the exam. The multiple choice questions were nothing like the ones on the AP exam, which I thought were easier than the ones in the book. If you really want to do well on AP exam, just do the multiple choice and see what you missed. I scored low on each exam (missed 10 or so) and didnt grade myself on the essays.

The good parts of the book are the comprehensive review of glossary terms and the section on writing the essay. AP English is the easiest AP exam to prep for. You don't necessarily need the AP class. You just need to know literary terms and how to write concisely. Overall, 4 stars for getting me the 4 on the AP exam. For the most part, most people in my class got 4s and I dont necessarily think it has to do with the book, but I think if you need practice, this is a decent book.